Celebrating equality and inclusion at the Business School

What is the LGBTQ+ & Allies Business Club?

Our club mission is to create a more diverse, equal, and inclusive university environment where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) students and our Allies can thrive professionally and personally. 

Our aim as a club is to create a more vibrant and visible LGBTQ+ presence on campus, forming a safe space for every college student to express their authentic selves. 

Here are some of the services we provide at the LGBTQ+ & Allies Business Club:

• The club connects Imperial MBA and MSc students with LGBTQ+ inclusive companies
• We organize targeted recruitment events, on/off-campus events, webinars and trips
• Potential discrimination in the workplace can affect career development. We assist and help how to deal with day-to-day issues
• We offer peer coaching on personal issues

We engage with all members of the Imperial College Business School community who are passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business world, organising interesting initiatives around this topic. We also collaborate with Imperial College’s wider LGBTQ community to foster a more inclusive culture, giving opportunities to LGBTQ+ individuals and allies to network with students from different schools. 

The EDI Mentoring programme

As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I deeply understand the power of reciprocity and the importance of leveraging our network to foster strong bonds.

At the LGBTQ+ and Allies Business Club, we are committed to unlocking the potential of LGBTQ+ students. One of the ways that we can do this is through a Mentorship Programme run in conjunction with the Black in Business Club and the Women Mean Business Club.

This initiative pairs students with experienced mentors from our community, embodying our conviction that mentorship is a key driver for empowering and inspiring the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders. Our goal is to cultivate a supportive environment that not only enriches students' academic lives at Imperial College Business School but also builds a lasting mentorship network.

We see our mentorship programme as both a beacon of guidance and a powerful tool for empowerment, equipping students to thrive in their careers and advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in the business sphere confidently.

Our programme transcends the conventional scope of professional development; it's a journey of transformation. We aim to offer a distinctive space where students can pursue their career goals while nurturing a profound sense of belonging to our community. Importantly, we encourage participants to proudly embrace their identities, providing them with the guidance, encouragement, and steadfast support they need to navigate the challenges of the business world and personal growth. 

As one of the initiators of the EDI Mentorship Programme 2024, my role includes structuring the programme, gauging our club members’ professional needs and preferences, and creating promotional materials. I've taken an active part in managing the programme timeline, designing a survey to capture students' preferences, and creating a mentorship flyer for distribution across the entire business school. I'm delighted to see that this year we've seen the highest registration of mentees, which is a testament to the enthusiasm of Imperial College alumni to mentor and share their insights with the next generation of leaders.

Key initiatives for LGBTQ+ History month

There are so many exciting things going on during LGBTQ+ History Month, focusing on student life, professional advancements, and EDI education. As part of the LGBTQ+ community at Imperial, we strive to cultivate an environment where every student can achieve success personally and professionally.

Specifically, from LGBTQ+ and Allies Business Club, the most recent one was the visible stall to enhance visibility and build community. We aim to help everyone understand the origin, significance, and milestones of LGBT+ History Month. It is also our club’s belief that allies hold significant importance within the community. Hence, as part of the stall, we distributed pronoun badges and allies’ badges to students.

Imperial also held the LGBTQ+ Career Panel to demonstrate how to be your true self at the workplace, featuring amazing panelists. It reveals more opportunities for LGBTQ+ students to understand the diverse career paths and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community. This event was particularly empowering for students, offering guidance on how to embrace their identities within their future workplaces confidently. It also highlighted the importance of finding and fostering supportive networks and environments that celebrate diversity. 

I particularly look forward to attending the film screening of The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone. This is because it provides a smaller group setting that allows for deeper and more nuanced discussions. We can share our thoughts, feelings, and experiences freely from watching this documentary. I think it is also a great chance to connect with others on a personal level, and even make friends who think alike!