Black Wharton Undergraduate Association hosts annual Black Ivy League Business Conference at Penn.
The Black Wharton Undergraduate Association hosted the annual Black Ivy League Business Conference at Jon M. Huntsman Hall this weekend.
This year’s conference took place from Nov. 14-16 and was attended by over 200 students from the Ivy League and select Historically Black Colleges and Universities. BILBCON focuses on networking and career development and featured a keynote address, panels with entrepreneurs, and breakout sessions with affiliates of global investment firms.
Students listen as speakers share their insights.
The conference’s co-chairs, Wharton sophomores Angela Rutta and Gabriel Ray, oversaw the execution of BILBCON with the help of Black Wharton. The organization formed leadership groups to manage event logistics, speaker acquisition, marketing, special events, and school liaisons.
Rutta explained that she envisioned the event as “a conference for students to network and have professional development” in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Kwame Anku, a founding managing partner and the chief investment officer of the Black Star Fund, opened the conference with a keynote address. In his address, Anku spoke about how the adversity that Black individuals face in a business setting shapes and strengthens resilience.
Anku gives his keynote address on Nov. 14.
“[Kwame works] in an industry I was interested in,” College first-year Alexsys Soriano told the DP. “I feel like he had a lot of really impactful sound bites that are definitely going to stay with me.”
BILBCON also featured three rounds of paneling, allowing attendees to learn from Black entrepreneurs in predominantly white industries. In many of the panels, guest speakers explained how students can thrive in the business industry as people of color, offering tips for confidence building and networking.
In the “Finance vs. Consulting” panel, guest speaker Troy Washington — a managing director at Scotiabank — urged students to become comfortable in spaces that are not diverse.
“When you walk into rooms you won’t always have folks that look like you … be okay being you,” Washington said to the audience. “Own your personal brand.”
Influencers Ibukun Odeleye (left) and Naeche Vincent (right) talk about self-marketing and publishing content.
In the “Content Creation and Personal Branding” panel, influencers Ibukun Odeleye and Naeche Vincent spoke about what it means to be Black female content creators, highlighting their experiences with navigating brand deals and the fear of publishing content. Vincent highlighted the importance of advocating for the best deal.
“A lot of the time, brands will come to you with a very specific offer, and a lot of the time, it’s very low,” Vincent said. “Then, I’m like, maybe in the future, when you have the budget … and all of a sudden the money is there.”
BILBCON also featured four rounds of corporate breakout sessions, which were led by affiliates of global investment firms including Morgan Stanley, Riverside, and Centerview Partners. In these sessions, affiliates spoke about the goals and interests of their respective firms.
A student takes notes during the conference.
Wharton first-year Miles Handy, who helped organize BILBCON, spoke to the DP about the importance of having speakers that reflect the audience’s experiences.
“It was really cool to see the light in people’s eyes when somebody that looks like them speaks,” Handy said.
Ray echoed Handy’s perspective.
“It’s been a very fulfilling experience,” Ray told the DP, “seeing that tangible impact, seeing the attendees really engage with the speakers, and seeing the attendees socialize and build new relationships.”
Guests speak at a panel discussion.
