Professional Degree Programs - Clubs and Organizations

• Linda Hartman
• Mike Shipp
• Steven Daley
• Contact Black Professional MBAs: BEMBALeadership@darden.virginia.edu

The Black Professional MBAs, chartered in 2017, is dedicated to the recruitment of Black business students and the professional and academic advancement of its membership. In addition to its professional and academic goals, Black Professional MBAs host social outings throughout the year to foster relationships within the groups' membership and the Darden community at large.

Mission Statement:

We support the advancement of prospective and current Black students in their endeavors to become intentional and transformational leaders through academic and professional initiatives. We bring diversity in thought to forge equity and inclusion within the Darden community and beyond. 

Recent News and Articles:

https://blogs.darden.virginia.edu/admissions/2021/02/24/black-executive-mbas-insights/

https://poetsandquantsforexecs.com/2021/09/04/2021-best-brightest-embas-michael-long-university-of-virginia-darden/

• Amelia DeSorrento
• Carter Whitelow
• Liza Ketcham
• Viral Brahambatt
• Veronica Gordon
• Kofi Sey

The Darden Executive Fund (DEF) is an independent study providing Professional Degree students with hands-on experience researching, pitching, and directly managing a portfolio of active investments in publicly traded assets. General membership is known as the Investment Club.

Students in the course research, prepare, and pitch a stock to the fund's leadership team for investment consideration. Other students are also welcome to pitch stocks to the team, participate in all stock pitch sessions, and attend all DEF-sponsored events.

• Aman Dar, Co-President
• Naveen Vinta, Co-President

The Darden EMBA Consulting Club at UVA is established for the expressed purpose of:

1. Bringing fellow students interested in careers in consulting together to provide a peer-enabled, transformational learning experience in preparing professional degree students in preparing for the management consulting interview process and successful careers in this industry.
2. Collaborating with other CIOs and departments to host career-focused events on grounds.
3. Providing opportunities for recruiting and networking with key industry stakeholders, experts, and target firms.

• Matt Doetsch-Kidder, Co-President
• William (Bill) Hevener, Co-President 

We will foster an inclusive culture that supports established and aspiring entrepreneurs across executive and part-time MBA classes, facilitate communication and relationships with Charlottesville and D.C. entrepreneurial ecosystem, and provide a platform for Darden entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, and best practices and connect resources in Charlottesville and D.C.

The Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club aims to support Darden students in growing or developing new business endeavors by providing a supportive and inclusive platform from which Darden entrepreneurs can exchange ideas, learn best practices, and connect with resources to begin or continue their business journeys. Through cooperation with Darden students, faculty, and alumni in Charlottesville, DC, and beyond, the club intends to facilitate the expansion of professional networks in order to best serve its members’ entrepreneurial goals.

• Uma Subramanian, Co-President
• Louis Chapman, Co-President

The Darden Healthcare Alliance (HCA) provides co-curricular opportunities for Professional Degree students looking to build and grow within today’s healthcare ecosystem. We seek to help inspire responsible leadership through transformational learning experiences beyond the walls of the classroom through a host of networking events, speaker series, and social events to help us foster a vibrant community of healthcare-minded peers, open to all students, under the distinct leadership and direction of those working at the front-lines of healthcare delivery.

• Sarah Sowden, President
• Jennifer Chaquette, Executive Vice President
• Katie Housel, VP, Finance
• Stephanie Kehl, VP Admissions and New Member Engagement
• Contact NEW

The Network for Executive Women (NEW) is an organization dedicated to the professional development and advancement of females in Darden's Executive MBA Program. NEW empowers women to reach their full career potential whether that is a C-suite position or another leadership position; we aim to see more women leaders. According to a 2019 McKinsey & Company Report “Women in the Workplace,” only 21% of C-Suite Executives are women. Together we can change this statistic one “rung” at a time.

NEW’s goals include:

• Connecting female students and alumni through professional development, career support, and networking opportunities;
• Creating an inclusive community and a sense of belonging among women in the Darden EMBA program;
• Advocating for an understanding of issues of gender equality specifically related to women executives;
• Expanding the pipeline of female applicants into the Darden EMBA program; and,
• Inspiring females to reach their fullest potential as leaders in business.

• Bret Leach, Co-President
• Kevin O'Neill, Co-President
• Contact DEV Leadership

The Darden Executive Veterans (DEV) serves the Professional Degree community as an affinity group by leveraging former and current military experiences to enhance career opportunities and foster camaraderie within the entire Darden Community.

In addition to supporting veterans in the Professional Degree Programs, the organization's programming touches upon a variety of veteran-related topics, including advising others on what it means to hire and work with a vet. 

Though not yet official and formally organized, there are a number of organizations that are emerging or are maintaining  interest group status, including: 

• Tech Club
• Pride at Darden
• Jefferson Spirits Society
• Real Estate Club
• Blockchain/Web3 Club
• Technology Club
• Darden Christian Fellowship
• Darden Running Club
• Darden Wine Club