On Jan. 21-25, students from the Multicultural Business Program will be hosting ID Week, five days of panels, workshops and other events discussing identity and inclusion, culminating in the annual Leadership Beyond the Resume (LBTR) conference.

LBTR began in 2016, but ID Week is new this year. It will feature dialogues facilitated by student organizations like MBP, Women in Business, the Hispanic Business Student Association and the Cal Poly Accounting Club. The goal: to provide attendees a better understanding of identity and how it fosters inclusion.

LBTR will serve as a capstone that synthesizes the week’s identity discussions with professional development, promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace while preparing students from historically underrepresented backgrounds for any challenges they may face in their early careers.

The conference has received strong support from the broader Orfalea College of Business community. In November, MBP students fundraised $6,500—130 percent of their goal—through Cal Poly’s Spur Change crowdfunding initiative, funds that will cover the costs of speakers, workshops, food and other conference expenses.

ID Week and Leadership Beyond the Resume aim to raise awareness and generate honest dialogue about diversity and inclusion through interactive workshops and activities. The latter will also feature accomplished speakers who share inspiring stories about overcoming workplace challenges.

Insights from these speakers will help equip emerging leaders who may encounter similar situations, and shed light on important discussion topics. Students will not only gain professional advice but also resources that can assist them on their career paths. Khushbu Patel, third-year Economics student has attended the conference multiple times and appreciates how much perspective they’ve given her. “Prior to this conference I was not aware of how much these issues in the business world could affect me,” she says. “Now I feel so much more prepared for my career and ready to take on new challenges.”

This conference stands as an important opportunity for future business leaders to learn about how diversity and inclusion can impact the workplace environment as it imparts valuable skills for equitable and exclusive practices along with the opportunity to build connections with professionals. “I’ve been able to use the skills I learned at LBTR in my job interviews,” says fourth-year Information Systems student Casey Tolentino, who credits the knowledge she gained at LBTR with helping her earn a job offer this year.

Participants will walk away from ID Week and LBTR with a sense of belonging and social responsibility as they forge ahead in their careers and create positive change in their communities.

For more information, visit the ID Week webpage.