Celebrate Being the First - 1stGenYale Alumni Conference, Saturday, April 29, 2023!

Celebrate Yale Trailblazers at the 1stGenYale Alumni Conference!

1stGenYale welcomes all alumni and guests to our alumni conference Being the First, But Not the Last, on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at Yale. Join us as first-generation low-income Yalies connect with each other, share common experiences, and build new, meaningful friendships. We want to celebrate the thread that connects us all — we all belong to the Yale family.

Dedication: This conference is dedicated to all Yale alumni who blazed the trail before us and to all of us who work toward making Yale a better place for all who come in the future.

• Peter Salovey '86 Ph.D., President, Yale University

• Fireside Chat: Indra Nooyi '80 M.P.P.M., Former Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo (2006-2019), and Gina Boswell '89 M.B.A., CEO, Bath & Body Works 

• Gilbert A. Garcia '85 B.A., CFA, Managing Partner, Garcia Hamilton & Associates

Keynote biographies are located at the end of this invitation.

Alumni Panelists:  We are beyond thrilled that over 60 alumni have volunteered to serve on our career and life skills panels. We're excited to hear your story and inspire a shared discussion with fellow alumni! All alumni panelists will be listed with their biographies on our Being the First Conference Website and presented in the final program.

Preliminary Program

Ticket Purchase: Given that this conference is self-funded and created by an all-alumni volunteer team, all participants, panelists, and moderators must purchase a ticket in advance. You are welcome to bring adult guests who also will need to purchase a ticket. Since this is an alumni conference focused on sharing personal stories on learned life and career skills being first generation or from a low-income background, please do not bring children under 18. Given space limitations, we cannot accept walk-ins on the day of our conference. Thank you for your consideration.

Friday Night, April 28, 2023

Trailblazers who come early — 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Join us for a Meet & Greet at Mory's (cash bar), 306 York Street

Saturday, April 29, 2022

• 9:00 -10:00 am Campus Walking Tour - Military History at Yale. Meet at Phelps Gate on Old Campus. Cadet Cole Snedecker '23 will guide you on a unique tour of the ROTCs and military at Yale. Made possible by Yale Veterans Association, Yale ROTC units, and 1stGenYale Summer Bulldogs. Limited to first 15 people. Register now at tinyurl.com/YaleMilTour.
• 10:00 am — Doors open. Registered participants sign in and enjoy meeting each other over coffee and tea
• 11:00 am  — Welcome Address:  President Peter Salovey '86 Ph.D.
• 11:30 am — Fireside Chat Keynotes:  Indra Nooyi '80 M.P.P.M. and Gina Boswell '89 M.B.A.
• 12:30 pm - 1:15 pm — Lunch
• 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm— Alumni & Students Joint Session
• 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm — Alumni Panel Sessions on Being the First: Challenges & Opportunities (two 15-minute breaks)
  • Career Session: Arts, Business, Education, Entrepreneurs, Finance, Government, Health Care, Law, Non-Profit, and STEM
  • Life Skills Session: Navigating Your Next Chapter, Power of Networking, Skills for Success in Today's World, and Using Your First-Gen Voice in Your Career
• 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm — Reception for Alumni & Guests
• 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm — Alumni Dinner with Keynote Gilbert A. Garcia '85 B.A., CFA, Managing Partner, Garcia Hamiliton & Associates
• 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm — Continue the Celebration at The Study at Yale (cash bar), 1157 Chapel Street

Sunday Morning, April 30, 2023

For Trailblazers who stay over — 9:30 - 11:30 am. The Elm City Club, 155 Elm Street. Continue the Conversation with a light breakfast. Participate in our feedback and strategic planning session for our next steps — Where do we go from here?

Please be sure to check the final program at Being the First Conference Website (https://1stgenyale.org/beingthefirst/) when you check-in at SOM at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 29, 2023 for any time and location updates.

We Need Your Financial Help to Create This Conference

We want to be BIG & BOLD and bring our alumni together at this conference, but we need your financial support to make it happen! Led by Yale alumni volunteers, this conference is entirely funded by ticket purchases and donations from fellow alumni and supporters. 1stGenYale does not receive direct funding from the Yale Alumni Association or Yale to host this event.

We need your help to keep the ticket price affordable so all alumni are able to participate. We also hope to have a small amount of donated funds available to support alumni who are in mission-driven, non-profit, or public service work and need financial assistance to attend the conference via bus or train service in the tri-state region.

Please consider being a sponsor by stepping up and purchasing a sponsor level ticket on the Ticket Page. For donations greater than the ticket price, you will receive a donation acknowledgment following the conference. There is also another opportunity to make a one-time donation at the end of the registration form. All donors will be recognized in our program material. Donations are tax-deductible as 1stGenYale is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

To make a donation, you also can send a check payable (and save processing fees) to: "1stGenYale" and mail it to: 1stGenYale, Inc., c/o The Yale Club of New York City, P.O. Box 12, 50 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Please indicate on your check that your donation is for the conference or for overall programming.

For corporate sponsorship opportunities, including promotion in all our conference materials, please contact us at 1stgenyale@1stgenyale.org. Thank you!

For additional information about making a donation to other 1stGenYale programs or operations, please click - 1stGenYale Donation (https://secure.qgiv.com/for/1stgenyaledonation).

We truly are grateful for your participation and financial support for this conference. This program would not happen without your help! Thank you!

1stGenYale Official Merchandise 

Be a proud 1stGenYalie! Check out our clothing at 1stGenYale Merchandise (https://shopcampuscustoms.com/1stgenyalealumni/shop/home). T-shirts, jackets, mugs, and so much more are available for sale. You can order merchandise in advance and pick it up at the conference! You can have your items sent to you, too! All proceeds support 1stGenYale!

Additional Information 

Location: All events will be held at the Yale School of Management, 165 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, except where indicated.

Event Information: All conference information can be found at the Being the First Conference Website (https://1stgenyale.org/beingthefirst/). Please check often for updates.

In-Person Only: This is an in-person event at Yale and will not be able to be live-streamed.

Guest Attendees: Yale Alumni are welcome to bring adult guests. Given the nature of this conference, children under 18 are not permitted to attend. 

Ticket Sales: All ticket sales are final. We are not able to give refunds.  

Questions: 1stgenyale@1stgenyale.org.

Meals: There will be a variety of selections including gluten-free, vegetarian, and dairy-free options. Lunch and dinner on Saturday and a light breakfast on Sunday are included in the conference ticket.

Parking: Parking is free in Yale parking lots on Saturday. While there is no parking available at the SOM building, 165 Whitney Avenue, there is parking available across the street in Yale Lot 16: Gibbs Laboratory, located at Whitney Avenue and Humphrey Street. There is limited parking across the street at the Yale Peabody Museum Visitors Parking Lot located next to 221 Whitney Avenue Yale Lot 41.

Hotel and Other Accommodations: We have reserved blocks of rooms available for participants. Call the hotels below directly or use the link to make your reservations. Lower rates may be available at these or other hotels, if you reserve early. Detailed hotel information can be found at the Being the First Conference Website (https://1stgenyale.org/beingthefirtst/).

• The Graduate, 1151 Chapel St., 475-207-7070, $269 with a rolling deadline
• Hotel Marcel, 500 Sargent Drive, 203-780-7800, $199 until March 31, 2023. Group code: GEN1
• Marriott Courtyard New Haven, 30 Whalley Avenue, 203-777-6221, $189 K/$199 double Q, Reservation: call or use link until April 14, 2023
• Marriott Courtyard Orange/Milford, 136 Marsh Hill Road, Orange, 203-799-2200, $189 with one-month cut-off to reserve with code “1stGenYale Conference”
• New Haven Hotel, 229 George Street, 877-499-5279, $179K/$184Qs 30-day cutoff with code “FirstGenYale”
• The Study at Yale, 1157 Chapel Street, 203-503-3900, $259 until April 3, 2023

AirB&B and Roommate Opportunities: Those interested in sharing an AirB&B or looking for a hotel roommate, please check Hotel and Other Accommodations at the Being the First Conference Website.

Increase Equity, Access, and Engagement:  1stGenYale's mission is to increase equity, access, and engagement for our alumni and students. As a result, we would like to increase alumni volunteer engagement opportunities for you with Yale in addition to your involvement with us. Kindly let us know by completing the information in the ticket purchase and registration section.

Consent to Use of Photographic and Video Images: By registering for, attending, or participating in this event, I grant my permission to 1stGenYale, the Yale Alumni Association (YAA), and/or Yale University to photograph my image (and that of my minor guest, if permitted to attend) and the right to use and reproduce such images in all media, including digital and video media, for the purpose of promoting 1stGenYale, Yale University, and the YAA programs and events, and other purposes in accordance with Yale’s mission. I understand that I will have no approval rights with respect to the use of these images.

Special Consideration: We hope to have a small amount of donated funds available to support alumni who are in mission-driven, non-profit, or public service work and need financial assistance to attend the conference via bus or train service in the tri-state region. Please send your written request to 1stgenyale@1stgenyale.org no later than April 21, 2023. We ask you to acknowledge that you will give our gift back to the Yale first-gen low-income students community when you are able.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Welcome Address:  Peter Salovey '86 Ph.D.

Peter Salovey is the twenty-third president of Yale University and the Chris Argyris Professor of Psychology. He holds secondary faculty appointments in the School of Management, the School of Public Health, the Institution for Social and Policy Studies, and the Sociology Department. He became president of the university in July 2013.

President Salovey has led the development of new programs and facilities across the schools and departments of Yale, consistent with the vision and strategy he articulated earlier in his presidency. Advancements include restructuring and expanding the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, launching the Jackson School of Global Affairs, transitioning Yale School of Public Health into a self-supporting independent school from the Yale School of Medicine, and opening two new residential colleges, increasing Yale College enrollment by 15 percent. He is advancing innovative teaching on campus; amplifying Yale’s partnerships in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world; and enhancing multidisciplinary collaboration and entrepreneurial opportunity for faculty and students. President Salovey is committed to improving access to a Yale education for students worldwide regardless of their financial background.

Prior to becoming president, President Salovey served as the provost of Yale University from 2008 to 2013. To read more, click here - Peter Salovey Biography.

Fireside Chat Morning Keynote:  Indra Nooyi '80 M.P.P.M.

Indra Nooyi is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo (2006-2019); a Fortune 50 company with operations in more than 180 countries.

In this role, Ms. Nooyi was the chief architect of Performance with Purpose, PepsiCo’s pledge to do what’s right for the business by being responsive to the needs of the world around it. As part of Performance with Purpose, PepsiCo was focused on delivering sustained growth by expanding its portfolio to include more nutritious products, limiting its environmental footprint, and empowering its associates and people in the communities it serves. During her tenure, PepsiCo grew net revenue more than 80%, and PepsiCo’s total shareholder return was 162% beating the S&P over the same period.

Prior to becoming CEO, Ms. Nooyi served as PepsiCo’s president and chief financial officer and was a member of the company’s board of directors. She was responsible for corporate functions, including finance, strategy, business process optimization, corporate platforms and innovation, procurement, investor relations and information technology. Between 1994 and 2000, Ms. Nooyi directed corporate strategy and development for the company. To read more, click here - Indra Nooyi Biography.

Fireside Chat Morning Keynote:  Gina Boswell '89 M.B.A.

Gina Boswell serves as chief executive officer of Bath & Body Works Inc., having joined the business and its board of directors in December 2022.

Prior to joining Bath & Body Works, Gina was a senior executive with Unilever where she led multi-billion-dollar businesses in North America and the UK, first in personal care and then across the portfolio including beauty, home care, and food and beverage.

Gina joined Unilever through the acquisition of Alberto Culver, where she served as president, global brands, overseeing marketing, R&D, consumer insights and packaging for numerous hair and skin care brands including TRESemmé. Earlier in her career, Gina served as chief operating officer of Avon North America and held senior positions at Ford Motor Company and Estee Lauder Companies.  To read more, click here - Gina Boswell Biography.

Dinner Keynote: Gilbert A. Garcia '85 B.A., CFA

Mr. Garcia received a B.A. in Economics from Yale University. After graduating in 1985, he joined Salomon Brothers in New York City where he became a Vice President specializing in mortgage-backed securities. In 1990, he moved to Houston to join former Mayor Henry Cisneros in building Cisneros Asset Management Company, ultimately becoming its President. In 2002, he joined Garcia Hamilton & Associates, and is the Firm’s Managing Partner. Under his leadership, the Firm has grown from $200 million in fixed income assets under management to over $18.3 billion (as of January 31, 2023). As an ongoing CNBC contributor, Mr. Garcia regularly shares his insights into the bond market with consumers and investors.

Mr. Garcia is a member of the Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, a newly created FACA Committee convening under the U.S. Department of the Treasury to identify, monitor, and review aspects of the domestic economy that have directly and indirectly resulted in unfavorable conditions for Black, Latino, Asian Americans, and other persons of color. He served on two other FACA Committees with the SEC: the Fixed Income Market Structure Advisory Board and the Asset Management Advisory Committee, where he led the Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee. Mr. Garcia is the longest serving board member with Chairman Henry Kravis on the Board of Directors of SEO, a non-profit providing summer internships on Wall Street for minority undergraduates, and he was awarded SEO’s Alumni Leadership Award in 2015 alongside other honorees, including the former mayor of New York City, Michael R. Bloomberg, and Co-Founder & Co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, David M. Rubenstein. To read more, click here - Gilbert A. Garcia biography