Celebrating Pride Month With Out For Business Leadership

During a time when the rights of the LGBTQIA2S+ community are still actively under attack, it’s more important than ever to amplify the voices of the community, support LGBTQIA2S+ students, and fight for equality and representation in the workplace and beyond.

OFB does that and more for its undergraduate and graduate student community at Michigan Ross. The club’s mission is based on three pillars: community, career, and awareness, which it honors by providing numerous resources and networking opportunities to members and hosting events to benefit the community, support LGBTQIA2S+ youth, and celebrate diverse perspectives.

Some of OFB's most popular events include Coming Out Week, which includes a series of panels and workshops on topics like allyship, intersectional identity, and LGBTQIA2S+ issues in the workplace, and MBgAy, a charity drag show that raises money to support organizations like Ozone House, a local agency that supports LGBTQIA2S+ youth.

To spotlight OFB and learn more about what makes the club special and how it serves its student members, we asked the incoming presidents and a member of the leadership team to tell us about their experiences so far.

Harshita Sinha MBA ’25

How has Out for Business supported your MBA experience?

For me, OFB has been an extension of my time at Ross: an opportunity to meet a passionate, creative, and welcoming community that became one of my second homes. From recruiting support through Reaching Out MBA or social events like OutX or MBgAy, OFB has been omnipresent in my MBA journey.

What does Pride Month mean to you? 

As a South Asian queer person, Pride is always a complicated conversation — sexuality of any kind is hardly a topic of discussion in my community. So, for me, Pride Month is like a breath of fresh air and an opportunity to be unabashedly and utterly entirely yourself without feeling the weight of conventional expectations.

What have been your most memorable experiences within OFB during your time at Ross? 

Definitely MBgAy. It was just so wonderful to see the Ross community come out and celebrate together and know that the money raised was going to a good cause. Beyond that, it was just so wonderful to see our classmates cut loose, explore something new, learn about drag, and genuinely enjoy themselves through the process. 

Is there an LGBTQIA2S+ leader you look up to? 

She’s not an LGBTQIA2S+ leader, but I have a close personal friend who was an incredible support as I worked on navigating the complexities of being South Asian and queer; she’s always been a great source of comfort and support. I admire her for being who she is.

Emily Ducey-Gallina MBA ’25

How has Out for Business supported your MBA experience?

OFB has been the highlight of my MBA experience. It is my safe place in the larger Ross community. OFB people understand my humor and my experiences. They validate me when things get tough — and they do get tough in the MBA — and challenge me to be better. My closest and most cherished friends at Ross are all members of this club. 

What have been your most memorable experiences within OFB during your time at Ross? 

The main experience that sticks out to me during my time in OFB at Ross was dancing in drag at MBgAy. MBgAy is OFB’s capstone event in the spring, where members of the Ross community come together to put on a drag show to raise money for charities benefiting trans youth in Michigan. For the broader Ross community, it’s also many students’ first drag show, so it was so amazing to share queer culture with the Ross community at large!

What advice do you have for prospective students interested in Ross and joining OFB? Why should they join?

My advice for anyone interested in attending Ross and joining OFB is to talk to as many current members as possible. Not only have we gone through the MBA admissions process, but we have been in the program for a full year. For me, the people I spoke to at Ross were the tiebreaker for deciding where to attend for the MBA.

Shivali Rao MBA ’25

How has Out for Business supported your MBA experience?

OFB has had a tremendous impact on my MBA experience. The OFB community has been warm, welcoming, and supportive, which allowed me to form deep relationships with my peers and feel comfortable being authentically myself. 

What advice do you have for prospective students interested in Ross and joining OFB? Why should they join?

Life as an MBA student can be hectic and will pull you in many directions — it’s important to be intentional about what you spend your time and energy on and be present in communities that are meaningful to you (and hopefully, OFB can be for you!). OFB is a great opportunity to integrate yourself in the queer Ross and broader Ann Arbor ecosystem and connect with people who have similar identities, are experiencing the same life pivots you are, and make you feel safe and accepted.