Congratulations & Welcome!

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP

Since its inception in 2015, the ROMBA Fellowship has grown to include 70+ top business schools from around the world. This competitive scholarship is awarded to MBA students who have demonstrated strong academic skills as well as leadership in the LGBTQ+ community. 

In addition to the financial support awarded by participating schools, ROMBA Fellows become part of a strong and diverse business network.  Opportunities and benefits are designed to elevate Fellows to our corporate  partners and connect them with other Fellows and our larger network of 15,000+ peers and alumni. These opportunities extend beyond their campus and allow them to develop as out LGBTQ+ and active ally leaders. 

If you have any questions, email Nick Bailey at nbailey@reachingoutmba.org.

Please see below for a message from Eric Martinez, a ROMBA Fellow at UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business and a 2023 ROMBA Conference Organizer!

Hello ROMBA Fellows!

Congratulations on both your admission to business school and your ROMBA Fellowship award! My name is Eric, and I’m a rising second year and ROMBA Fellow at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.
By this point last year, I was struggling to take in all the information coming my way about my MBA program while wrapping up my job and preparing to move halfway across the country.
That said, however, I’d like to call your attention to a few opportunities available through ROMBA that I’ve found to be invaluable as part of my MBA experience:
ROMBA Summer Treks
Although applications for some of the treks are now closed, I highly encourage anyone interested in the remaining treks to apply now! Since treks offer you the opportunity to connect with companies in a small group environment, I was able to get a much better idea of different companies’ cultures and – later in interviews – I was able to speak to them as if I were already an employee of their company. Also, apart from having a leg up in interviews, it was very reassuring to hear LGBTQ+ employees talk about having positive experiences navigating their workplaces.
 
The Fellowship Retreat
Although I attended the Seattle trek last year with 15 other queer and incoming MBA students, it was the Fellowship Retreat where I really understood the power of ROMBA’s network. Some of you might be attending schools with large queer communities, but there are also some of you who might be attending schools with only one or just a few queer people in your class. Attending the Fellowship Retreat helped me to, early in the MBA process, meet other queer people interested in business across the country. To this day, we still exchange messages and lean on each other in the ’22 Fellowship Retreat WhatsApp group (which, by the way, if you haven’t already, I highly recommend downloading WhatsApp. I’ve observed students across many MBA programs use this as the preferred group messaging app.)

If at all possible, try not to miss this! The connections I made at the Fellowship Retreat only got stronger at the next event I’ll bring to your attention which is…

The ROMBA Conference

Last but definitely not least, the ROMBA Conference, which will be held Oct 5-7 in Chicago this year, brings together over 2000 LGBTQ+ MBA students and professionals. Last year I had the opportunity to moderate a panel on LGBTQ+ leadership in business and, this year, I’m working with Reaching Out as a student organizer to oversee a Fellows Track of programming at the conference. My goal is to make sure all ROMBA Fellows have a positive conference experience, and that you all have plenty of opportunities to connect with each other!

More information about the conference will be coming your way soon, but I wanted to put this on your radar early. This conference is not only essential for continuing to develop relationships with other queer people in business, but you may also have an opportunity to interview with employers and potentially land an early offer there!
That’s all I have for you for now, but if you have any questions about what my journey as a ROMBA Fellow has looked like so far, I’m happy to get back to you with more details!

Congratulations again, and I look forward to meeting you all soon!

Eric Martinez
Texas McCombs MBA ’24

BENEFITS OF THE FELLOWSHIP

  • Incoming Fellows will be invited to a weekend retreat in Los Angeles, CA on the weekend of July 28-30, 2023.*
  • Priority consideration for a variety of leadership roles including opportunities to organize a major national Reaching Out event.
  • Priority consideration for our summer treks program.
  • Free registration for the ROMBA and Out Women in Business Conferences and the Club Leadership Summit.
  • Exclusive Fellows Reception and educational programming at the ROMBA Conference
  • Exclusive mentorship matching with members from Reaching Out’s community of 15,000 alumni and professionals

*Reaching Out pays for hotel lodging for all Fellows attending the Fellowship Retreat. Fellows are responsible for their own transportation costs. Student access funds are made available for Fellows that require financial assistance to attend the retreat.

2023 Reaching Out MBA Events

The 26th ROMBA Conference – October 5-7 in Chicago

Our flagship event, the ROMBA Conference is the largest gathering of LGBTQ+ MBA students and professionals in the world.

We come together to learn, connect, have fun, and be inspired. There are also great opportunities to recruit with our 100+ corporate partners looking specifically for LGBTQ+ talent, attend skill-building workshops, and network with peers. 

If you’d like to learn about opportunities to lead a content session at ROMBA, email Nick Bailey at nbailey@reachingoutmba.org.

HIGHLIGHTS  

  • Thirty panels and workshops focused on MBA related industries and leadership skills 
  • Plenary sessions with C-suite Speakers, Social Advocates, Celebrities, and esteemed ROMBA Alumni 
  • Career Expo with 100+ Corporate Partners recruiting for internships and full time employment 
  • Networking Receptions and other Social Activities
  • Competitions with $20,000 up for grabs!

Out Women in Business (OWIB) Conference

Out Women in Business brings together the LGBTQ+ community to form a strong, visible network of professionals to educate, inspire, and connect future generations of LGBTQ+ leaders in business. The event is for students and professionals at all levels – not just MBAs! You are invited to attend OWIB with a complimentary registration in the spring if your first year.

 

 

 

LGBTQ+ Club Leadership Summit

Reaching Out works with over 50 LGBTQ+ MBA clubs in North America and Europe. Each April, we bring together the rising club leaders for a day-long Summit designed to connect each schools’ leaders, develop their plans for the next school year, and teach them best practices for running a LGBTQ+ MBA club. You will be invited to attend the Summit in the spring if your first or second year.

 

 

ROMBA Fellowship Retreat – July 28-30, 2023, Los Angeles

Each summer, the incoming Fellowship cohort gathers for a retreat to build their LGBTQ+ network, develop leadership skills by working with our corporate partners, network with ROMBA alumni, and learn how Reaching Out can support their careers both while in school and post-MBA. 

Programming will take place on Friday evening and all day Saturday with anticipated travel to take place Friday morning and Sunday afternoon.

Summer Treks – June & July 2023

As an incoming MBA student, you will be invited to visit a host of companies over two days to learn about a specific industry, get a feel for each company’s culture, and hear from current LGBTQ+ MBA employees and recruiters. All dates are subject to change.

FINANCE TREK – NEW YORK CITY (June 12-13, 2023) 

  • Past Participating Companies: Barclays, UBS, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan Private Bank.

CONSULTING TREK – CHICAGO (June 22-23, 2023)

  • Past Participating Companies: BCG, Deloitte, PwC, EY-Parthenon, Bain & Company, and Accenture.

CONSULTING & HEALTHCARE TREK – BOSTON (June 29-30, 2023)

  • Potential Participating Companies: BCG, McKinsey, LEK, Vertex, and Biogen.

TECHNOLOGY & RETAIL TREK – SEATTLE (July 13-14, 2023) 

  • Past Participating Companies: Starbucks, Accenture, Keystone Strategy, Amazon, Microsoft, and XBOX.

Applications open in April and will be available at  www.reachingoutmba.org/summer-treks

ROMBA Fellowship FAQs

What financial assistance does Reaching Out provide for Fellows?

The Fellowship Retreat

Reaching Out pays for shared hotel lodging for all Fellows attending the Fellowship Retreat. For the retreat, Fellows are responsible for their own transportation costs. Funding is made available for Fellows that require financial assistance to attend the retreat. Many of our Fellowship schools can provide travel assistance for the retreat, so we ask that you inquire with your school prior to applying for funding assistance from Reaching Out.

 

Other Reaching Out Events

As a ROMBA Fellow, you receive complimentary registration to our keystone events – the ROMBA Conference, the Out Women in Business Conference, and the Club Leadership Summit. Reaching Out does not provide any travel assistance for Fellows for any events aside from the Fellowship Retreat. If you need travel assistance for any of these events and your school is unable to provide funding, you are welcome to apply to the James Robertson Student Access Fund for assistance.