Jewish Leaders in Business (JLB) is a newly developed networking club founded at the University of Massachusetts comprised of students, young professionals and mentors.
JLB has been quietly growing during its two years in existence and hopes that its upcoming events will get their name out there.
JLB is primarily a networking club meant to help students interested in business realize their career aspirations, goals and potential. The club hosts trips, events and workshops that help students develop their business skills and at the same time learn to maintain their Jewish identity. Although the club focuses on Jewish culture , it is open to all.
The club prides itself on mentoring students and offering help with field visits and shadowing with internships and jobs.
For mentoring, students are able to meet with business professionals either on campus, on conference calls or via e-mail. Students are encouraged to visit these business professionals at work and spend the day with them. This gives the students hands on exposure in their field, giving the students career experience, knowledge, networking skills and connections.
The mentors who have worked with JLB often attend events and general meetings. The guest speakers are veteran Jewish business professionals who provide the club with presentations and discussions about their particular area of interest.
The club also assists students in locating internships during the school year, summer vacations and after graduation.
JLB is run in cooperation with the Isenberg School of Management, Hillel and Chabad. The club has a steering committee which consists of five students, each specializing in a certain field of business including, but not limited to: finance, operations management, accounting, management, marketing, and small-business/entrepreneurship.
In addition to the steering committee, JLB’s general membership consists of a group of 20 self-driven and highly motivated students. Students are selected through an application process which requires your field of study, career goals and academic credentials.
JLB has sponsored three events this semester thus.
These events included a program called “How to Start a Business” where businessman Lee Frankel spoke, another event had a panel of veteran professionals speak about what it means to be Jewish in business. UMass alumna Stu Rubenstein from Constellation Commodities discussed his experiences.
Next week, JLB will be hosting a fashion show followed by a guest speaker; Betsy Hilfiger, director of community affairs and the major fashion designer, Tommy Hilfiger’s, sister. The event is titled “Dressed for Success,” and Hilfiger will inform students on what attire is prudent in order to make the right impression in the business world.
Josh Walovitch can be reached at [email protected].
