WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Founded in 2015, the Women in Business Association is one of the largest clubs on Cal Poly’s campus. Established by Shelby Sly and Hannah Poplack when they noticed a lack of support for woman-identifying students in the Orfalea College of Business, it is a resource for young women to connect with each other, network with successful women in the workforce, and learn valuable professional skills. Women in Business, also known as WIB, coordinates multiple quarter-long programs for participants, including Entry Engagement where first years are given mentors and advice for the transition into college, as well as Women’s Business Leadership Academy which gives course credit for BUS 206. During this class, there are guest speakers, a provided lunch, a corporate tour in the San Francisco Bay Area, and mentor and mentee matching. Additionally, WIB hosts the largest free student-run event at Cal Poly known as Defining Her Future.

Defining Her Future is an annual day-long conference that includes a keynote speaker, networking with firms, panels from current women in the workforce, lunch, and free swag. This year, it is taking place on March 3rd in the Performing Arts Center and is come-and-go as you please throughout the day. The keynote speaker is Marti MacGibbon, a survivor of human trafficking who started her own organization. All Cal Poly students, community members, and gender identities are encouraged to attend! Briana Gallo, the current VP of Events for Women in Business, is coordinating the event and overseeing a Defining Her Future committee consisting of 16 members. She states that “I was inspired to run DHF because I saw how impactful the conference is on so many people in our community and across Cal Poly. The women who have led the conference are incredible leaders, and when I attended as a freshman, I knew I wanted to be up there one day running the show.” Companies who will be present at the conference include Amazon, Workday, Google, Adobe, Pinterest, Nordstrom, and Apple. The link to register is here!