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Smith Bis: The Robert H. Smith School of Business Alumni Newsletter logo  March 2021
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Zohra Ibrahimi '11 spotlight headshotZohra Ibrahimi '11: First-Generation Alumna Aims High

When Zohra Ibrahimi ’11 was born, her family had just fled their home country of Afghanistan due to the growing concern over the revolution and foreign intervention in the late 1980s. Her family was seeking refuge across nearby borders and fled to Pakistan. After qualifying for asylum in the U.S. through a program developed for Afghan refugees, Zohra’s family settled in Prince George’s County. One degree, two majors, four jobs and 30 years later, Zohra now works in IT Security at McCormick & Company.

Despite the difficulties Zohra faced with becoming acclimated with the culture and language in the U.S., she always aimed high. Throughout high school, Zohra’s goal was to get into the state school and attend the University of Maryland. After attending community college, Zohra earned her acceptance into not only UMD, but also the Smith School, where she double majored in Information Systems and Accounting.

Read Zohra's full story.

 
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Management in a Minute with Ali von Paris '12 screengrab
 
Watch the Management in a Minute video. Ali von Paris '12, CEO and founder of Route One Apparel, talks about why helping and giving back is important for Route One Apparel as a community brand. Watch Ali's full Management in a Minute video.

This video is part of the Maryland Smith Management in a Minute series.

 
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Women Inspire 2021 promotional graphic
 
Celebrate the 10th Annual Maryland Smith Women Inspire! Women Inspire will showcase Maryland Smith’s fearless alumnae leaders excelling in business. This annual event will celebrate female empowerment that inspires attendees and challenges them to realize and reach their full potential.

The 2021 Women Inspire Honorees will be Maryland Smith alumnae Wendy Sanhai, PhD, EMBA '09, Specialist Leader at Deloitte, and Ali von Paris '12, CEO and Founder of Route One Apparel. Join us on Thursday, March 4 for a virtual conversation as Maryland Smith professor Nicole Coomber moderates a panel discussion with these two women. Each part of the program has a registration page, so be sure to complete your registration for the Virtual Conversation and then register for the Virtual Networking.

 
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Giving Day 2021 promotional graphic

 
Get ready for Giving Day. Save the date for Giving Day on Wednesday, March 3! We're counting on your support for Maryland Smith and your involvement, at whatever level, is crucial. Every dollar counts toward ensuring that Maryland Smith can attract and support the brightest students, faculty, researchers and staff.

Don't forget that any amount of $10 or more counts! We only have 24 hours to reach our goal. Help us make this year's Giving Day the biggest one yet. For more information, and to donate on Wednesday, March 3, visit the Giving Day website.

 
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Executive Education Professional Certificate Programs promotional graphic
 
Check out our Maryland Smith Executive Education professional certificate programs. Maryland Smith and edX is offering two professional certificate programs.

AI Leadership for Healthcare is designed for managers, administrators, clinical professionals and others who seek to advance their career through a focused study preparing for the future of AI-enabled healthcare. While participants will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on AI exercises throughout the training, no programming experience is needed. You'll be guided through this journey by award-winning, research experts and joined by like-minded professionals in the healthcare field. Register to attend the info session on Wednesday, March 3.

Digital Marketing is fast becoming the dominant implement in marketers’ toolboxes. This is in part due to the fact that it presents the opportunity to track the ROI on every dollar spent. As such, it’s critical that experts in digital marketing continually build and develop both sound marketing and creativity skills. Register for this program, which begins Monday, March 15.

 
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Storytelling for Career Advancement promotional graphic
 

Tell the stories hiring teams want to hear. Smith alumni are invited to join a highly engaging and practical program on Wednesday, March 24 to develop and improve the three most important parts of a “compelling You” through the lens of storytelling. Ira Koretsky, MBA '00, CEO, The Chief Storyteller® will have you “thinking deliberately” about your answer to “Tell me about yourself” (elevator pitch), LinkedIn profile, and the stories you tell in your career journey.

Alumni will have the opportunity to work on putting this into practice in small breakout groups. For more information about the event and Ira Koretsky and to register, visit the event website.

 
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Smith Champions: Women at the Top of Their Game promotional graphic
 
Smith Champions: Women at the Top of Their Game. Join the Maryland Smith community on Tuesday, March 30 for a conversation with Smith alumnae, and former Maryland Lacrosse players, Leigh Burnside '92 and Taylor Cummings '16, as they discuss how they were able to take the skills learned on the field and in the classroom, and translate them into respective careers as businesswomen. The conversation with these two All-Americans and National Champions will be moderated by Smith alumna Donna Blackman, EMBA '10, a past honoree of the Maryland Smith Women Inspire program. All are welcome to join us for this event.

After the discussion, attendees are invited to join breakout rooms with the speakers for further networking and conversation. Register for Smith Champions today.

 
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Smith Alumni India Club promotional graphic
 
Our Smith Alumni India Club launches. The Smith Alumni India Club leaders share their vision with the launch of this new club.

"Smith alumni that have relocated to India in the last couple of decades have done very well for themselves in diverse fields and are great ambassadors for the Smith brand in India. We think that the time is ripe to leverage the enthusiastic alumni that want to give back to the school. We want to build a brand that would attract the best candidates from premier educational institutes to apply to Maryland Smith. On the other hand, large Indian and MNC corporates can actively recruit Smith grads that would like to build a career in India. I am glad to lead the endeavours and be the enabler to the Smith network in India by helping to be the common link between Maryland Smith, the student community and corporations." - Abhijeet Biswas, MBA '00, Chair

"There is no denying that, during my MBA, the clubs at Smith played a vital role in my personal development, job search, and extracurricular life! I believe this engagement with Smith should continue even after graduation no matter where alumni live or work. As co-chair, I look forward to creating a vibrant and engaging alumni community in India. I see it as mutually beneficial for both Smith school and Indian alumni. While current and prospective students will benefit from the extensive experience of the alumni in India, we, alumni, will benefit from having a club to further advance our careers and to stay connected with the Smith school. I just can't wait to start! Go Terps!" - Abhishek Jain, MBA '13, Co-chair

Connect with Smith Alumni in India on LinkedIn and learn more about Smith Alumni Regional Clubs.

 
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EMBA Gender Parity promotional graphic
 
Celebrating gender parity. This year's Maryland Smith EMBA cohort is comprised of 54% women and is the first MBA program at Smith to achieve gender parity!

We are excited to celebrate this milestone, and if you are interested in learning more about the Maryland Smith Executive MBA program, please contact Elizabeth McMahon, Assistant Director, Executive MBA Recruitment at emcm@umd.edu.

 
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  Virtual
 
February 28  Move & Talk with MVMT
March 2  Women's Month: Building Mental Fitness for Alumnae Leaders
March 3  Women's Month: Sip and Style with Aliya Thomas
March 4  Women Inspire
March 8  Women's Month: Connecting Women Worldwide
March 23  Women's Month: How to Grow Your Side Hustle alongside Your Career
March 24  Storytelling for Career Advancement
March 27  Monte Carlo Night
March 30  Smith Champions: Women at the Top of Their Game
April 13  Center for Global Business Annual Forum - Save the Date
May 4  Pitch Dingman - Save the Date
Alumni Association Webinars  Check the AA calendar for additional events with fellow Terps
Past Webinars  View all of our Maryland Smith alumni past webinars
Bootstrapped Podcast  Listen to all of the Dingman Center's past episodes
Distinguished Speaker Series in International Business  Catch up on the Center for Global Business's past episodes
Global Pulse  Watch the Center for Global Business's past recordings
The Inc Tank Podcast  Listen to all of the Snider Center's past episodes
 
 
Krowe & Legg Mason Awards
Nominate a deserving professor by
Friday, March 12

Alumni Chapter Board Nominations
Submit your ACB nomination by
Friday, March 12

Women's History Month Events
Register for these Women's History Month events
 
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