Business student motivated to support women in finance

When the world went virtual at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Geeta Jhangiani saw an opportunity.

Originally from Vernon Hills, Illinois, Jhangiani said that as a freshman she saw a need for a finance organization focused on resources for female-identifying people. Many of the business classes and finance clubs she had attended were male dominated.

“I knew there were more women in finance, because I saw them in my classes,” she said.

Working with advisers Charlotte Battiest, Doug Blanchard and Bill Hudlow, she launched Women Investing in Women — a space for women studying finance to explore career opportunities among like-minded peers.

“Our first meeting, over 30 people came, which was insane to me. I was very proud to get it up and running my freshman year,” Jhangiani said.

But the spread of COVID-19 in March 2020 forced classes to go online. This created an opportunity for the organization to keep growing.

“On Zoom we were able to have so many types of speakers and leaders come in to talk to us,” she said.

They have held speaker events, professional and academic workshops, and networking events to help women grow professionally.

In May, Jhangiani will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Management, with a major in Finance and minor in Accounting. In October, she will start at William Blair in New York City as an investment banking analyst as part of their Corporate Advisory Group.

This year she took a step back from Women Investing in Women to let others lead the club. She looks forward to seeing it grow long after her tenure.

As she wraps up her time as an undergraduate, Jhangiani reflects on the influence of teachers such as accounting professor Christine Smith, who made the work so engaging and is the reason why Jhangiani pursued a minor in accounting. And if there is one lesson she’s taking with her, it’s that “collaboration is the key to success in the business world.”