Local Professionals Discuss Diversity in Business with Trinity Students

Diversity in Business roundtable on April 4 (photo by Mark Tindall)

By Mark Tindall

Delta Sigma Pi and Trinity Diversity Connection (TDC) hosted a Diversity in Business roundtable on Thursday.

In fact, roundtable discussion was not the original plan. The organizers had planned a panel discussion with eight speakers, but about 20 local business representatives came. The organizers then decided to put the local professionals and about 30 students into small groups for roundtable discussions.
Representatives from companies such as Rackspace, Acelity, and BBVA Compass bank had conversations with students on how to promote diversity and fight oppression in the workplace. The representatives shared their own stories and experiences with getting jobs in the corporate world, and answered questions from students.

“The event focused on networking with businesses, as well as understanding the stereotypes of joining the corporate world,” said Manveena Singh, the president of Delta Sigma Pi and vice president of TDC.

Alli Roman, the director for diversity and inclusion at Trinity, said the goal of the event was to “bring people with diverse identities and experiences from the real world for the students.”

Roman talked about her own experience. As a woman of color, she “didn’t have as much access to internships and wanted to help these students get those opportunities.”

The event was students' idea, and is part of TDC's Diversity Week. Delta Sigma Pi is a co-ed business fraternity for students in pursuit of careers in business.