Recently, several UOnline students had the opportunity to attend the World Business Forum (WBF) in New York City to hear thought-provoking and inspirational speakers that ranged from famous business leaders to influential change-makers.
Although MBA student Dan Gracey, a senior staff attorney for The Hartford, was unable to attend both days, Stacey Humphrey, the manager of consumer insights, analytics, and customer relationship manager at philosophy.com, was able to make the most of the experience, not only to listen to engaging speakers but also to network with fellow attendees. Here, they share a few takeaways:
Tell us about your experiences at WBF.
Dan Gracey: All the speakers I saw were fascinating. All very different. Some were more idea-oriented and others were more technical, but they each gave ideas I can apply to my career.
Stacey Humphrey: I got to meet interesting people from all over the world. It was neat to be around fellow thought partners. Speakers were focused on imparting their wisdom not only in the workplace but in life in general. I teared up while hearing a couple of people speak because the stories were so powerful.
Which speaker resonated most with you?
Dan Gracey: Several resonated, all in different ways. Adam Grant was very engaging, charismatic, and funny. He had unique ideas about management theory presented in an inspiring way. Richard Branson, I saw through live stream the second day. He’s full of fascinating ideas.
George Kohlrieser, who also spoke about management, reinforced the reasons I wanted to pursue an MBA: Management isn’t a personality trait. It’s a matter of listening to people and having the right group. It reinforced thoughts I already had but provided extra motivation.
Stacey Humphrey: Stephen Ritz had tremendous energy. It was great to see that one person really does have the power to make a difference. He’s the dean of students in the poorest congressional district in the United States. That hit home for me since it’s a few miles away from where I work and live.
He kept saying that he will not accept the things he cannot change; he will change the things he cannot accept. He created a curriculum about gardening, growing food, and beautifying places, like an abandoned library or the top of the subway tracks. They’re growing food and vegetables, things they can eat and sell. His idea of hydroponic growing and building a sustainable classroom is actually being rolled out across the globe. It’s a turnkey model that will make a difference worldwide. I went online right away and filled out a form to volunteer so I can get personally involved in that cause.
How do you plan to use your WBF experiences in your current studies and your career?
Stacey Humphrey: I’ve already talked about Adam Grant several times at work. He is the youngest-ever tenured professor at Wharton who wrote Givers and Takers, which segments people into three groups: You are either a giver, a taker, or a matcher. It made me reflect on what type of person I am.
Having a self-awareness about how I operate and the other types of people who are out there were eye-opening. I’m hiring a coordinator and he gave really practical, tactical interview questions you can ask to identify someone. I’ll start asking candidates these questions since I know the qualities I’d like in the candidate I’m searching for.
What was the highlight of the WBF experience?
Dan Gracey: The energy level. I’ve never been to a forum like this before, so I didn’t know what to expect. The speakers were so good, so engaging, and the crowd was inspired and motivated.
Stacey Humphrey: The most immediately useful thing for me was meeting my fellow classmates. Dan and I went to lunch and spent time together. It was really helpful to have a new person I can call, text, email, or reach out to who is going through the same experiences. I also realized my network is so much bigger than I could have ever realized. It’s full of faculty and students who are all over the world.
How has this experience affected your UOnline experiences in the MBA program?
Stacey Humphrey: It opened my eyes to the amount of access I have. I hope to have the chance to attend more events like this. I find it so refreshing to step outside the four walls of your office and get a new perspective. I was in the presence of some amazing leaders and I can only hope to become a better person and coworker. I felt super recharged and energized coming out of the forum.
