MOSTe and Ares Management Host Career Fair for Young Women from Underserved Communities

In a significant move to empower young women from underserved communities, MOSTe (Motivating Our Students Through Experience) partnered with Ares Management's ANEW (Ares Network of Empowered Women) to host a career fair at Ares Management's Los Angeles headquarters on October 3, 2024. The event aimed to expose MOSTe Scholars to diverse professional career paths, providing them with invaluable interactions with industry experts and insights into various roles within the corporate world.

The career fair featured five specialized sessions, each focusing on different departments within Ares Management. Professionals from Investor Relations, Compliance/Legal, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Strategy Operations shared their experiences, discussing the specific skills required in their fields and the challenges and rewards associated with their career paths. This structured approach allowed the young women to gain a comprehensive understanding of the diverse opportunities available in the corporate sector.

One of the event's highlights was an elevator pitch session, designed to help scholars practice their professional presentation skills. This hands-on activity emphasized the importance of personal branding and first impressions in the workplace, providing students with practical experience in networking and communication – skills crucial for their future careers.

The significance of this event extends beyond mere career exploration. By exposing young women from underserved communities to professional environments and successful role models, MOSTe and Ares Management are actively working to bridge the opportunity gap. This initiative has the potential to impact the future workforce diversity in corporate America, particularly in fields where women, especially those from underserved backgrounds, are often underrepresented.

Nicole Fisher, Executive Director of MOSTe, emphasized the event's impact on the scholars' confidence and future prospects. The career fair not only provided information about various career paths but also instilled a sense of possibility and ambition in the participants. This exposure to corporate culture and professional networking at a young age can be transformative, potentially influencing the scholars' educational and career choices.

The collaboration between MOSTe, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mentoring and empowering girls from underserved areas of Los Angeles County, and Ares Management, a global alternative investment manager, demonstrates the power of partnerships between the nonprofit and corporate sectors in addressing social inequalities. Such initiatives can play a crucial role in creating more inclusive and diverse workplaces in the future.

This event aligns with broader efforts to increase diversity in corporate America and provide equal opportunities for success to individuals from all backgrounds. By focusing on young women from underserved communities, MOSTe and Ares Management are addressing the root of the diversity pipeline issue, potentially influencing long-term changes in workforce composition across various industries.

The career fair's impact extends beyond the immediate participants. As these young women return to their communities with newfound knowledge and inspiration, they become ambassadors for change, potentially motivating their peers to aspire to similar opportunities. This ripple effect could lead to a broader transformation in how underserved communities view and access professional career paths.

As corporations increasingly recognize the value of diversity and inclusion, initiatives like this career fair serve as models for effective community engagement and talent development. They demonstrate how companies can play an active role in nurturing future talent from diverse backgrounds, ultimately benefiting both the community and the corporate world.