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 Alexander Buchner, a ROMBA Fellow at American University’s Kogod School of Business and a 2024 ROMBA Conference Organizer!

Greetings ROMBA Fellows!

Congratulations on your admission to business school and on being awarded a ROMBA Fellowship! My name is Alexander Buchner, and I am a ROMBA Fellow at the Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington, D.C., and a 2024 ROMBA organizer. As you prepare to dive into your MBA journey, I wanted to share a few pivotal opportunities through ROMBA that have great potential to significantly impact the value of your overall experience:

ROMBA Summer Treks

Summer Treks offer a great opportunity to network with and learn from representatives from great companies while learning about futures in specific post-MBA career paths. From consulting to healthcare to finance and marketing, there’s no shortage of opportunity to learn and grow this summer. Take advantage of these opportunities to drill down on your goals or explore new subfields before you start classes in the Fall! Applications open in the late Spring and the team at ROMBA is looking forward to hearing from you and planning some amazing events across the country!

Fellows Retreat in Philadelphia

My first ROMBA experience was at the Fellows Retreat in LA in 2023, and it profoundly impacted my life. I made friends on that short two day trip who will be friends for life! The fun we had networking and learning and celebrating together will remain as a core memory of my MBA experience. This retreat is not just about networking; it’s about forming lifelong bonds and realizing the extent of what ROMBA can offer you now and throughout your post MBA Journey. If you aren’t already signed up, do so ASAP because you don’t want to miss out on this once in a Fellowship opportunity to connect with a large contingent of the incoming ROMBA Fellows cohort.

ROMBA Conference in LA, Sept 26-28, 2024

The entire ROMBA team is thrilled to be back in LA this year for an exciting weekend building and strengthening the “Rainbow Connection” that ROMBA has built and will continue to build with you as our newest cohort of Fellows! We are thrilled to have Dan Levy of Schitt’s Creek fame as our keynote speaker to round out an amazing weekend of panels, sessions, and workshops.  In addition, you won’t want to miss out on your chance to take part in the ROMBA case competition or skip the massive job fair where the corporate sponsors will be present to make connections, talk about internships, and provide guidance on the application process. My own success in securing an MBA internship can be traced directly back to a conversation at the ROMBA conference career fair last year, so there’s no way I’ll miss it in 2024! This is an opportunity worth carving out time for! So put on your favorite confidence-inspiring outfit and show up. The intensity is electrifying and the value is out of this world. Plus tons of swag!

Planning for ROMBA

One last note about the upcoming conference. Make your plans early! The conference venue in LA is one of the coolest buildings in downtown. The ROMBA team has been trying to host the event here for years and you are so very lucky to be entering this process at the exact right time! The location offers stunning views of the Hollywood Hills and is right at the heart of explorable DTLA. Make sure you book your stay through the ROMBA hotel block as soon as it opens for the best deals. Staying on site, if possible, will dramatically improve the quality of your experience because late nights and early mornings are inevitable!

That’s it for now. Check back here for updates throughout the Summer and beyond! These opportunities are the best way to connect with people who will inform and inspire your career journey throughout and beyond your MBA and we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to facilitate the rainbow connections! Bring the zest that got you to this point to the upcoming ROMBA events and you are sure to take immense value from these experiences.

Feel free to reach out at ab7193a@american.edu or on Instagram at @realgayrealestate with any questions about Treks, the ROMBA Conference, MBA life, or just to say hi!

Congratulations again, and I can’t wait to meet all of you soon!

Alexander Buchner

American University Kogod School of Business, MBA ’25

BENEFITS OF THE FELLOWSHIP

  • Incoming Fellows will be invited to a weekend retreat in Philadelphia, PA on the weekend of July 26-28, 2024.*
  • 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.

2024 Reaching Out MBA Events

The 27th ROMBA Conference –  September 26-28 in Los Angeles

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 26-28, 2024, Philadelphia

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 2024

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 10-11, 2024) 

  • The companies that participated in 2023 are: Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Pfizer, Guggenheim Securities, and UBS Financial Services.

CONSULTING TREK – CHICAGO (June 20-21, 2024)

  • The companies that participated in 2023 are: BCG, Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, Kearney, Bain & Company, and Accenture

CONSULTING & HEALTHCARE TREK – BOSTON (June 27-28, 2024)

  • The companies that participated in 2023 are: BCG, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, MFS Investment Management, L.E.K. Consulting, MITIMCo, and Keystone Strategy.

TECHNOLOGY & RETAIL TREK – SAN FRANCISCO (July 8-9, 2024) 

  • Potential Participating Companies: Salesforce, Adobe, The Clorox Company, and Alpine Investors

TECHNOLOGY & RETAIL TREK – SEATTLE (July 11-12, 2024) 

  • The companies that participated in 2023 are: Starbucks, Accenture, Deloitte Digital, Amazon, and Microsoft.

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.