BEYOND AWARENESS TO ACTION
When Leena Jube (MBA’21) was working with Professor of the Practice Ella Washington (see page 18) to develop the Innovation Through Inclusion course, she landed on a valuable bit of guidance. “It’s not just about being aware of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but it’s about how you use it,” says Jube, who at the time was student government vice president for DEI for the MBA program. Her quote refers specifically to how Washington and team approached building the course for MBA students, but it also applies handily to Jube’s work before, during, and after her time at Georgetown McDonough. Jube previously had a career in brand management, including stints with Dove and Ben & Jerry’s. “I was able to see a lot of social empowerment work. I could see the value in that early in my career. So when it came to school, I was looking for that.” What she found was a chance to explore DEI from a curricular, co-curricular, and cultural perspective. “I had three main goals. One was future-proofing the student experience. Second was driving access for admissions—looking at how to create more opportunities for diverse candidates to engage with Georgetown before coming here. And third was amplifying inclusivity within the classroom and extracurriculars.” In practice, that meant everything from the course design mentioned above to designing DEI-focused content series and bringing special speakers to campus. Jube carried forward her experience to work on Georgetown McDonough’s DEI Standing 14
Committee. And now she’s hoping to apply her knowledge further in a brand-new position with Deloitte, where she’s already been asked to participate in DEI initiatives based on her past work. “I’m so excited, because it’s a thread that’s been there throughout my career,” said Jube. “I’ve formalized this journey. I have an understanding and tools to move others along this journey, step by step.” GEORGETOWN MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS I DEI Report 2021
