Darden MBA students elect Gender Equity Representatives to serve in each class section. These individuals are dedicated to keeping gender issues at the forefront of discussion and fostering community within their section and across the First Year class.
Inspired by impactful female mentors early in her career, Gender Equity Rep Elli Mapstone (Class of 2026) discusses her passion for fostering inclusion, building community and supporting women at Darden through events, collaborations with student clubs and her own leadership. Continue reading to learn more!
About Elli (she/her/hers)
Hometown: Andover, Massachusetts
Pre-Darden background: Account Management at a climate tech company based in Boulder, CO
Post-Darden goals/plans: In the short term, I plan to pursue a career in consulting as a generalist. In the long term, I hope to either specialize in energy/climate at a consulting firm or move back into the energy sector.
What attracted you to serving as a gender equity representative and can you describe the scope of your role?
I decided to pursue the Gender Equity Rep position for a few reasons. Early in my career, I was fortunate to have incredible female bosses and mentors who demonstrated what it means to be effective leaders — often in male-dominated spaces. They showed me how to navigate the workplace, especially in the face of societal expectations and the “double bind,” where women are often seen as either too soft or too tough, but rarely just right.
Inspired by these women, I decided to co-lead my last company’s Women’s Employee Resource Group. Through this experience, I witnessed the power of community and how meaningful the group and events we organized were for its members. This reinforced my passion for supporting women, and I knew I wanted to continue this work at Darden. The Gender Equity Rep role felt like the perfect opportunity.
As a Gender Equity Rep, I collaborate closely with Graduate Women in Business (GWIB), as well as our DEI and International Reps, to ensure that all identities feel a sense of belonging. We have a “Women of Section B” group chat that serves as a safe space for asking questions, sharing words of encouragement and seeking advice. I’ll also be planning events throughout the year to bring the women of Section B together, and I’m excited to include allies in some of these events as well.
What section are you in? What traditions are your favorite?
I am in Section B, aka Section Best (go Birds!!). My favorite section tradition is starting each day with our Section B chant. The person in the back corner seat leads us through the chant every morning and it’s a great way to get the class energized before we start our first class at 8:00 a.m. The goal is to be louder than Section A so it’s fun to bang on the walls and be as loud as possible before we settle into class for the day.
Favorite Darden experience and/or class so far?
My favorite Darden experience so far has been Darden Cup, specifically the Ultimate Relay Race event. We were in last place coming into this event but after some of my classmates’ stellar performances in the Rubik’s cube and putting events, we ended up winning! We had a big section celebration after our win and are now sitting in 3rd place in the overall rankings. Next up is cricket!
