DOT Headlines Launch Event for Univeristy of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management 7th Annual MBA Diversity and Inclusion Case Challenge

Attended by MBA students from across Canada, Elizabeth Mengesha and Shila Ukumbini Salim headlined the launch event to kick off Telfer’s 2022/2023 MBA Diversity and Inclusion Case Challenge on November 19th. The theme this year is climate action.

Speaking in the plenary session, Elizabeth, the Deputy Director of Operations at DOT who oversees DOT’s global impact portfolio, provides strategic support to project operations, and leads DOT’s newly developed Climate Action Initiative, delivered the motivational keynote address. 

“As you consider climate change in the 7th Annual MBA Diversity and Inclusion Case Challenge. I would like you to: Think about climate justice and its components of Diversity and Inclusion; think about Diversity and Inclusion and their role in Canadian corporate climate responsibility; think about Inclusion of the voices of Indigenous youth and rural youth in the climate justice dialogue; think about global equity and improving the lives of young women; and most importantly think about how you, as emerging business leaders, can join forces with the global youth movement to climate-proof our collective future.”

DOT Alumni, and former DOT’s Street Team youth, Shila is the Founder and Executive Director of Youth for Sustainable development -Kilifi Chapter a youth led community based organisaion working in Kilifi county around thematics areas of health, environment, and education. Shila spoke as an expert on the realities of climate impact facing communities and young women in Africa.

It was an exceptionally impressive start to a competition that has become a fixture on the Canadian MBA program calendar. Teams of students will compete for cash prizes to be awarded in March 2023.

Both Shila and Elizabeth remarks provided critical insight into the motivation and strategy that are driving DOT’s climate action program  – more to come soon.

We are proud to have their voices loud and clear in our communities local and afar.