Leading with PRIDE: We meet the business school students making education more inclusive for all

• Name: Ryan Moran, Director fo Corporate Strategy at Humana
• Business School: Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management
• Programme: MBA (Class of 2020)

Can you share your overall experience as an LGBTQ+ student in business school?

Business school served as an inflection point in my life, from both a career and personal perspective. Before my MBA, I was out at work, but still hadn’t come out to everyone in my personal life. I decided I wanted to change that with business school, so shortly before leaving for Ithaca, I came out fully and by the time we started MBA orientation, it was just part a part of me.Rather than going through the process of coming out over again, I made my identity clear—I quickly affiliated with Johnson’s LGBTQ+ group, and my LGBTQ+ peers became some of my closest friends.

I intentionally didn’t tell my classmates that this was new to me, and the rapid change in how I believed the world was perceiving me was challenging at first. Starting an MBA can be overwhelming as it is, but learning how to navigate the world with a slightly different identity made every activity just a little more taxing. In retrospect, I’m not sure if I’d recommend the approach using business school as a clean break, but I also don’t have any regrets; it enabled me to experience my MBA fully and authentically, as I was finally able to be completely myself.

Were there any specific resources, groups, or support systems available for LGBTQ+ students at your school? How did they help you?

Cornell has a number of excellent LGBTQ+ resource groups, but the Johnson Out For Business (O4B) Club was most impactful to me. This student-driven club helped me foster connections with other LGBTQ+ MBAs, supported me during internship recruitment at the Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) conference, and provided me with the leadership opportunity in my second year to pay it forward for the next generation of MBA talent.

Has your experience as an LGBTQ+ individual influenced your career choices and path after to/from business school?

More than anything, my connections with other LGBTQ+ individuals have helped shape my career. Before business school, I attended the Out & Equal conference, which allowed me to connect with other LGBTQ+ professionals who introduced me to the possibility of consulting as the next step of my career. During my MBA, I met with former Cornell Johnson Out For Business members to learn more about each of the different consulting firms that I was recruiting with. Now, as a post-MBA professional, many of my closest mentors, advocates, and friends have come from LBGTQ+ resource groups. 

What challenges have you faced in the business world related to your LGBTQ+ identity, and how have you overcome them?

For many LGBTQ+ individuals, I think we are constantly assessing how people perceive us—if they accept us, if they take us seriously, if they are listening to what we say rather than the sound of our voice. This is a defense mechanism many of us develop from a young age, but it can be counter-productive in the workforce; in addition to being mentally exhausting, it can lead to hesitation, diminished self-advocacy, and decreased confidence. For me, I remind myself of the facts to challenge the swirls of self-doubt: I was hired based on the value I bring to the conversation, and my lived experience provides me a unique viewpoint.

Do you feel that businesses are becoming more inclusive and supportive of LGBTQIA+ employees? Why or why not?

Overall, I believe that the business community is becoming increasingly welcoming of LGBTQ+ employees, in part due to shifting popular sentiment, growing numbers in the workforce, and as LGBTQ+ individuals rise through leadership ranks. That said, I believe there is still significant work to be done ensuring that people of all LGBTQ+ identities, especially trans individuals, feel included, and to prevent any backsliding in terms of acceptance and support.

What advice would you give to current LGBTQ+ business students about navigating business school and preparing for their careers?

I encourage students to use business school as an opportunity to explore their relationship with their LGBTQ+ identity. Rarely in life does someone get the opportunity to reflect and even reinvent themselves—but somewhere in between class, recruiting, and socializing, MBAs have the time and space to think about how they want to show up in their next phase of life. Being intentional with how visible you want to be as an LGBTQ+ person, or how you want to engage with LBGTQ+ resource groups, are things you can test during your MBA and apply when you re-enter the workforce.

How can business schools improve their support and inclusion of LGBTQ+  students?

I encourage business schools to be intentional in developing and activating LGBTQ+ alumni networks. In my experience, many LGBTQ+ professionals want to give back to current students, and some are even looking to recruit LGBTQ+ talent.

“I encourage students to use business school as an opportunity to explore their relationship with their LGBTQ+ identity. Rarely in life does someone get the opportunity to reflect and even reinvent themselves—but somewhere in between class, recruiting, and socializing, MBAs have the time and space to think about how they want to show up in their next phase of life.”

MBA programs are short and careers are long, so it’s critical for business schools to establish infrastructure to maintain relationships with LGBTQ+ alumni.

What can companies do to better support LGBTQ+ employees and create  an inclusive workplace culture?

I believe it’s critical for companies to track and share metrics related to LGBTQ+ talent in the workforce, especially at management levels. Quantifying the number and percentage of talent that identifies as LGBTQ+ allows companies to have informed conversations about the attraction and retention of diverse talent, and identify where any gaps may exist.

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