Yale School of Management

Celebrating Women at Yale SOM

Starting in 2019, Yale marked two major milestones in its history: the 50th anniversary of the matriculation of women in Yale College and the 150th anniversary of the first women students at the university who came to study at the School of Art when it opened in 1869. The yearlong celebration inspired us to assemble examples of the many ways that women have contributed to our community throughout the history of the Yale School of Management, as well as Yale research and other activities examining the experience of women in the workplace and in the larger society. This ongoing collection focuses on Yale SOM women—their stories, their challenges, and their myriad accomplishments.

Community Profiles

  • I live by a set of values that includes authenticity, trustworthiness, and commitment. You cannot successfully lead any venture without these core values.

    Lina Kacyem-Kamgang ’21

  • I hope that by starting to understand social networks, we have the ability to address issues like loneliness, racism, inequality, and the environment.

    Professor Marissa King

  • Whether it’s through ideas, knowledge, or their personal network, the people here are happy to help each other navigate their career journeys.

    Milana Hiebert headshot

  • Students care so much about the mission of the school and that comes out in class discussions about corporate investment, sustainability, or corporate governance issues.

    headshot of Heather E. Tookes

  • The interdisciplinary approach to learning helps situate our knowledge within a real-world context, and that’s important, given the challenges we’re all going to face as business leaders.

    Ana Victoria Gil headshot

SOM Women Trailblazers

From its inception, Yale SOM has educated women to take on leadership roles. It’s no surprise that our early alumnae include women who were pioneers across business and society. They helped redefine the role of women in the workplace These Yale SOM Trailblazers span diverse sectors, yet they all share a common accomplishment. They opened doors and changed the workforce for the generations of women who would follow in their footsteps. 

Yale SOM Women Trailblazers

  • Indra Nooyi ’80

    Indra Nooyi receiving her honorary doctorate from Yale

    Indra Nooyi ’80 made history when she was named the first woman chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. Under her leadership, PepsiCo launched the Performance with Purpose initiative, incorporating impact on health, society, and the environment into its strategy.

  • Sharon Oster

    Sharon Oster at the Evans Hall groundbreaking

    The first woman to serve as dean of Yale SOM, Sharon Oster was in office from 2008 to 2011, a critical time of growth and expansion. She laid the groundwork for the construction of the school’s new state-of-the-art campus, Evans Hall. 

  • Nancy Pfund ’82

    Nancy Pfund ’82

    Impact investing pioneer Nancy Pfund ’82 helped establish the double-bottom-line movement when she founded venture capital firm DBL Partners with the goal of making investments that would produce financial, as well as social, environmental, and economic, returns. 

  • Linda Mason ’80

    Linda Mason at SOM Orientation

    Linda Mason’s ’80  mission-driven startup Bright Horizons introduced the novel concept of employee-supported childcare centers at workplaces. Today, Bright Horizons is the largest worldwide provider of worksite child care and early education, making life a little easier for working parents.

Career Conversations

In this podcast series, Yale School of Management students sit down with alumni for a series of candid conversations about career paths, industries, opportunities for business school graduates, and discussions on career topics including work-life balance and creating a meaningful impact in business and society. The series is produced by and recorded at the Yale School of Management.

Yale SOM Women on Career Conversations

Uma Krishnan ’19

Louise Story ’06, Chief News Strategist and Chief Product & Technology Officer at The Wall Street Journal

Sustainability & Finance: Radha Kuppalli, Managing Director of Investor Services at New Forests with Reeve Harde ’20

Financial Services: Jamila Abston ’17, Partner at Ernst & Young with Laurie Cameron Craighead ’16

Listen to more Career Conversations

On the Student Blog

On the Student Blog

Research on Gender

When Women Speak, Do People Listen?

In a study of farming villages in Malawi, Yale SOM's Mushfiq Mobarak and his colleagues found that women’s performance on communication tasks seemed to be hindered by how other people received...

Research on Gender

Women at Yale 150

Yale Women

The events, exhibitions, and projects during the 2019-2020 academic year showcased the depth of women’s contributions to Yale and to the world, celebrated women at the university, and inspired thoughtful conversation about the future of women at Yale and in the larger society.

Women at Yale 150

The Yale SOM Program on Entrepreneurship, and WE@Yale kicked off Yale SOM’s celebration of women at Yale in September 2019, by hosting the first event in a series of “50WomenAtYale150” events held over the 2019-20 school year.

The Pioneers: Celebrating Women Leaders of Yale SOM

celebratewomen.yale.edu

For a full range of activities and events across Yale, visit: celebratewomen.yale.edu

Women at Yale 150 Events

Yale Women Wikipedia Editathon

Kickoff Event: Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs at SOM

Women’s Leadership Program

The Pioneers: Celebrating Women Leaders of Yale SOM  

Women on Boards

Women’s Leadership Program

Developing Meaningful Relationships with Pam Carlton JD/MBA ’80, President and Founder of Springboard

The Journey to Equity