UVA Darden’s Graduate Women in Business Club (GWIB) hosted their annual conference in April, bringing current students and alumni together for a full day of learning opportunities around the theme: Leading Change in Uncertainty.
A Day of Leading Change in Uncertainty
The conference opened with a keynote by Elizabeth Weymouth (MBA ’94), Founder and Managing Partner of Grafine Partners, and a member of the founding class of GWIB.
The day continued with two panel sessions, “Unwritten Rules of Leadership,” moderated by Sanjana Gupta (Class of 2027) and “Finding Allies on the Leadership Journey,” moderated by Yatta Jamina-Ackom (Class of 2026). A big thank you to our panelists:
- Angelica Alam: Global Head of FIG Product Solutions, Wells Fargo
- Bola Audena: CEO & Managing Partner, MBA Growth Partner
- Elena Barybkina: Managing Director, Accenture
- Anika Brown: Sr. Integrated Marketing Manager, JOOLA
- Patrice Ju: Head of StratOps & Go-to-Market, Google
- Rachel Moré-Oshodi: CEO, ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment Limited
- Sara Smith: Director, Enterprise Business Technology, NVC, Inc.
To conclude, Gail Burrel Gerry, Owner/President of Research, Planning and Evaluation, Inc. and member of the first class of undergraduate women at UVA in 1974, spoke about owning your story and impact.
Sinmi Oyekola, GWIB president, was especially touched by the paths that these alumnae have paved for women at the University of Virginia.
When asked about an impactful moment during the conference, Oyekola reflected, “Hearing Elizabeth Weymouth speak — who was in the founding class of GWIB — and Gail Burrell Gerry, who was in the first coed class at UVA, was wonderful. Seeing pioneers who made it possible for us to gather, both as a club and as women at UVA, was truly special.”
Being a GWIB member means having a community of women with different backgrounds and experiences in your corner. It's creating spaces for conversations like motherhood, especially in environments that do not always acknowledge the sacrifices involved.
Graduate Women in Business Club
Graduate Women in Business, a.k.a. “GWIB,” is Darden’s largest student-led general interest club. It is an organization that “serves to empower women to be the fullest expression of themselves by creating inclusive spaces to grow authentic connections, further gender equity and forge partnerships on and off grounds.”
Throughout the academic year, GWIB facilitates opportunities to learn and have conversations about gender and what it means to be an ally. They host events, including the annual GWIB Conference, that provide opportunities for career exploration, community and wellness.
