Ayana Machen, WG’99, says it’s important to her that there’s a Wharton initiative examining barriers related to race, gender, and socioeconomic factors in education and business.
Unlocking Untapped Potential
Wharton's Coalition for Equity and Opportunity is redefining leadership to embrace inclusivity and access
Spring 2024
She says it’s vital in ensuring that companies “have diverse viewpoints and produce better outcomes.”
That’s why she and her husband, Ron Machen, made a gift to Wharton’s Coalition for Equity and Opportunity (CEO), which provides companies with data-driven guidance on redefining leadership standards in a way that prioritizes inclusion and access.
Ron agrees, noting the unused talent and untapped potential resulting from a lack of diversity in spaces where decision-making happens.
“There’s a tremendous downside to that, not only from a social justice standpoint, but from an economic standpoint as well,” Ron says. “Diverse organizations perform better financially.”
The Machens decided to support CEO because the initiative addresses the “business case for diversity” in a research-driven way.
CEO leverages Wharton’s corporate relationships and business insights by offering evidence-based solutions to disproportionate opportunities and wealth gaps. Led by Kenneth Shropshire, senior advisor to Dean Erika James and David W. Hauck Professor Emeritus, the coalition equips current and future leaders with critical skills and encourages them to drive change in their industries.
In addition to its research database and downloadable toolkits, CEO hosts events like roundtable discussions about health care disparities and conversations about the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling on higher education admissions.
Besides believing in the mission of CEO, giving back to Wharton is personal to the Machen family for a few reasons.
For Ayana, Wharton connected her with inspiring classmates from around the globe and opened the doors to career opportunities she “didn’t even know existed.” In addition, the School offered financial aid that made her graduate education possible.
The Howard Mitchell Fellowship and other financial aid I received from Wharton allowed me to focus on learning, instead of how I was going to pay my bills.”Ayana Machen, WG’99
Ayana said she feels fortunate to be in a position where she can give her “time, talent, and treasure” to the school that was so foundational in her life.
For Ron, Wharton has had an incredible impact on two of the people he cares about the most: Ayana and their son, Kadari Machen, W’26.
