The magazine for alumni and friends of the UB School of Management
Issue link: http://ubschoolofmanagement.uberflip.com/i/1210017
Spring 2020 Buffalo Business 7 work, management and other disciplines— including gender studies, music, media, political science and sociology—resulted in a richer experience for the fellows and a stronger outcome for the organizations. "We may have different points of view, but we all treated each other with respect," says Lach, an MBA student on the Stitch Buffalo team. "No matter what I do going forward, I'm always going to hear Kristie in the background—in a good way—and remember that people matter. I knew that already, but now understand it on a deeper level thanks to her." Advocating for their cause "Ready, set—pitch," calls Thomas Ulbrich, assistant dean for social inno- vation and entrepreneurship initiatives. With that edict, the Pitch for a Cause compe- tition is underway, and each student team has five minutes to present their projects to a judging panel of community leaders. Second place went to the team from the Service Collaborative of WNY: Rachit Anand, Jake Friedman and Cassie Malough, who are in the comparative literature PhD, MSW and MSW/MBA programs, respec- tively. Their $1,000 prize will enhance the agency's Beds for Buffalo program, which constructs beds for children in need. In the end, the Stitch Buffalo team won first place and a $2,000 prize, which the nonprofit will use to launch the digital systems they recommended. "This experience was a reassurance of my future career options," says Chen, one of the winners, who hopes to launch a social enterprise in her native China aer completing her doctorate in global gender studies. "Usually, a PhD student goes into higher education, but I want to seek some- thing else. The whole experience reassured me that I could do it and do it well—with the help of other people." — Matthew Biddle From left, fellows Shannon Lach, Xingyu Chen and Kristie Bailey at Stitch Buffalo, a nonprofit that empowers refugee women through textile arts. Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki