Women of the U is a signature initiative of the University of Miami Alumni Association (UMAA), which seeks to build community among alumnae and female students and foster engagement through programming and activities focused on women’s issues.
The upcoming event’s theme will be Changing the rules: impacting lives. The three panelists will explore how to develop and deploy a winning market strategy, understand and capture sufficient market share, and secure financing—all critical success factors—as well as how to expand access to the business arena in ways that change lives for the better.
Panelists will include Dr. Patricia Dunac Morgan, B.S. ’06, who will moderate the discussion. Morgan is an innovative and passionate educator whose consulting firm, The Executive Learning Lab, provides programs, content, and strategies to support organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. She is a volunteer leader at the U and serves as president of the Black Alumni Society.
In addition to moderating, Morgan will share how she was first inspired to venture into the business arena and how she stays focused managing multiple projects and priorities. Her expertise in issues of bias in business and the workplace will also be highlighted.
Joining Morgan is Birame Sock, ’97, a successful serial entrepreneur in the technology and media sectors. Her first startup, Musicphone, was the catalyst for bringing music recognition technology to wireless consumers in North America in the early 2000s.
After several more successful ventures, Sock splits her time between Miami, Senegal, and Gambia, providing business development assistance and building entrepreneurial capacity in Africa.
As a woman of many firsts, Sock will discuss what inspires her and keeps her pushing ahead to realize her visions. She will reflect on her work motivating and supporting other female entrepreneurs, her current efforts to help them expand their market reach, and what others can do to help pave the way for future generations.
Also on the panel is Samantha Ku, B.B.A. ’10. After five years in banking, Ku joined San Francisco-based Square, Inc., where she is now chief operating officer.
Moving from traditional finance to fintech—an industry where disruptive innovation drives growth—has enabled Ku to lead efforts toward achieving financial inclusion in traditionally underserved communities.
As the leader of a large team at Square, Ku will reflect on the challenges she has faced and lessons she has learned in managing an industry disruptor and innovator in the point-of-sale and financial services marketplace. She will also touch on how Square’s business model has given her the scope to conduct business differently from traditional lending institutions, how technology drives innovation in finance, and what that means for potential future fintech entrepreneurs.
Click here to join us for an inspiring, enlightening conversation!
