Reaching Out MBA is a community of LGBTQ+ MBAs and other professionals with ever-growing diversity in sexual orientations, gender identities, and races and ethnicities. One of our strengths is the unique perspective we bring through the intersectionality of our identities across underrepresented groups.
To create a more equitable business community, we are always striving to reflect diversity in thought and representation and to provide inclusive environments where everyone feels welcome.
- We recruit a Board of Directors, student organizers, and speakers who are diverse across gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and industry experience.
- We amplify underrepresented voices in our programming.
- We are transparent about how we’re doing in achieving our diversity and inclusion goals.
Below are current metrics and our goals on diversity, equity, and inclusion for July 2022 and July 2025. We benchmark ourselves vs. data compiled by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Metrics will be updated annually in the interest of full transparency toward these goals.
| Board Composition Goals* | 2021 AACSB (benchmark) | ROMBA Current (FY24) | July 2025 (FY26) |
| Gender Identification | |||
| Cis female | 43.2% | 40% | 40% |
| Cis male | 56.8% | 60% | 40% |
| Trans/Nonbinary | Not tracked | 13% | 20% |
| Race/Ethnicity | |||
| BIPOC | 41.2% | 60% | 45% |
*Our goal is to exceed the race/ethnic diversity metrics for graduate business school students as reported by the AACSB. We may update our goals over time as AACSB data evolves.
Speaker slates: For all of our events, we will create speaker slates that are diverse across race, ethnicity and gender identity.
| Speaker Goals (events with >10 speakers) |
July 2022 | July 2025 |
| Gender Identification | ||
| At least one speaker per session (i.e. panel or workshop) identifies as cis female, trans, or nonbinary | >40% of slate identifies as cis female | |
| >5% of slate identifies as trans or nonbinary | ||
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| At least one speaker per session (i.e. panel or workshop) identifies as BIPOC | >40% of slate identifies as BIPOC |
Programming
For events with >10 sessions:
- Include at least 1 session with a focus on issues relevant to diverse gender identities including trans/non-binary
- Include at least 1 session with a focus on issues relevant to the intersectionality of LGBTQ+ with race and ethnicity.
Student organizers:
- We encourage diverse representation and leadership from underrepresented groups for the student organizers who participate in the design, planning, and execution of our event programming.