By Skylar Stock
In order to reintroduce themselves to Long Beach State students and alumni, the Society of Women in Business have started hosting meetings this semester for the first time in four years.
Through opportunities including networking with business professionals, creating a community of like-minded people and building a space for women in the College of Business, the group aims to shed light on voices in an industry where they are often overlooked.
Madelynn Oum, a third-year finance major, took over this spring as the president during her final semester at Long Beach State.
“Within business, it’s just predominantly a male dominated field,” Oum said. “Society of Women in Business really is to help inspire and encourage young business women professionals, or just women in general.”
While it was previously shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, Oum was excited to revitalize the organization when she was recruited by her finance professor, Laura Gonzalez Alana.
Gonzalez Alana was asked to be an adviser by the society’s previous alumni who wanted to see the society thrive again. Gonzalez Alana and Claudia Barrulas Yefremian, a management professor, worked to build it back up again.
The organization gained its footing through recruitment and planning in the last semester and have seen momentum in events and participation during the spring.
Society of Women in Business’s Vice President Citlali Perez, a third-year marketing major, introduces the guest speaker for the second general meeting. Photo credit: Skylar Stock
According to Gonzalez Alana, SWB is meant to empower women and showcase their accomplishments in business. The organization wants to be a space that accepts any person that wants to join, regardless of gender.
While many organizations in the College of Business have membership fees, SWB is free to join.
“Society of Women in Business was kind of down for a couple years, so I think it was pretty fun to be part of a committee who, like, brings it back,” Vice President of Public Relations and fourth-year business management major, Jacqueline Pena, said.
The team works toward coordinating events including community bonding activities and inviting influential women speakers to meetings. They aim to build networking opportunities for women who are seeking community in business.
“I didn’t really have anyone my first two years to look to,” Pena said. “So being part of that now, where women can come here and listen to guest speakers, or listen to people who have navigated being a woman in business, I think that’s really cool.”
SWB is currently working towards establishing their organization officially into the Associated Business Students Organization Council. Once official members, they would have a space in the ABSOC room and voting rights on the board.
In the meantime, the society is working towards hosting more events such as a beach cleanup and bonfire scheduled towards the end of April.
“We just want to empower women and tell them, ‘You know what, you belong just as much in that position as [men] do,’” Oum said.
News about SWB events and meeting times can be found on their new Instagram page.
