C-suite executives, leading industry experts, and Columbia Business School alumni shared perspectives on the advancement of women in the technology sector at the sixth annual Women’s Business Leadership in Tech Conference, held in February on the Manhattanville campus.
Produced in partnership with Vista Equity Partners, the event included panels and discussions around innovation, challenges and solutions within the industry, and the need to continue advocating for inclusivity in business.
CBS Dean Costis Maglaras welcomed attendees, which included Vista Equity Partners Chairman and CEO Robert F. Smith ’94 and Rachel Arnold, senior managing director at Vista.
That In Brief morning, Smith also met with the Robert Smith Scholars over breakfast in the dining hall named in his honor. He launched the Robert F. Smith ’94 Scholarship Fund to support MBA students through partial or full scholarships. The awards are designated for enrolled CBS students who have graduated from HBCUs, overcome systemic hardships or challenges in their academic pursuits, or demonstrated a strong commitment to engaging diversity.
The daylong conference offered panel discussions such as “Adopting a Diverse Workforce During Uncertain Times,” “Investing In Uncertain and Volatile Times,” and “How Every Industry Is Utilizing and Adapting to New Technology.”
Panelists included leadership from companies such as Integral Ad Science, LogicMonitor, Amplifyher Ventures, PhotoBall, Menai Financial Group, Movable Ink, YouTube Learning, MedTrans Go, and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.
“What I’m most impressed by at this conference is how it brings together leaders from all sectors to talk about the nature of technology and women in business,” said Vista’s Arnold. “Columbia Business School has a reach many organizations don’t have, and providing that platform is special.”
The conference also featured a fireside chat with Agnes Chu, president of Condé Nast Entertainment. “I’m all for more global citizens,” she said. “Unification is a very good thing ultimately for how we see the world.”