Jenna Farra: Building Community Among Women in Business

Jenna Farra, a fourth-year Finance and Economics double major, is the co-founder and president of AUP’s Women in Business club. She and Rona Phi (’24), who worked as Business Development Specialist at Differs and now works as Content Creator at the startup Dimensions, began to reflect on the need for this club in the summer of 2023 when they realized that the other business-related club at AUP, the Finance Society, did not necessarily meet the needs of everyone studying business. The two women felt the need for a new space for people studying aspects of business other than finance, such as marketing or management—in particular women—and began club activities in the fall of 2023.

The idea was to help women studying business gain confidence by giving them a place to connect, relate experiences and exchange in a safe space outside of the classroom. “We felt that the Finance Society was more male-dominated and that not everyone necessarily fit in there,” says Farra of the origins of the club. “AUP is an interesting case; it’s a female-dominated school, which is not common in a lot of business work environments, so we felt that this club would facilitate the transition for women into more traditionally male-dominated spaces.”

Through engaging workshops, inspiring guest speakers, and interactive skill-building sessions, the Women in Business club aims to equip members with the tools, knowledge, and confidence needed to excel in their careers. Their actions and events vary in function of the interests of the members, but so far, the club, only in its second year, has already teamed up with AUP’s ACE Center to hold CV and LinkedIn workshops; toured a woman-owned fashion brand and studio from A to Z, thanks to a connection of Professor of Management, Kate Yue Zhang, the club’s faculty advisor; and toured station F, the world’s largest start-up incubator located in Paris.

At AUP, opportunities to build connection are countless, and clubs offer the possibility to do most anything that interests the members. Clubs also connect with other clubs to cross their interests. Recently, Farra helped organize a movie night and hosted guest lectures on topics such as business law and intellectual property law and art, in conjunction with the Law Society.

Poupak Sepehri is a Paris native who, following her AUP degree, obtained an MBA from NYU and is now Founder & CEO of Flame HR. Juliet Carter, an American who stayed in Paris upon graduation, obtained an MBA from Oxford University’s Said Business School and founded Carter Consulting. And Cornelia Weissfloch became a financial broker and started her own company with her husband; she is currently CFO and Owner of Enciris Technologies & White Tip Technologies. Kate Yue Zhang studied journalism and had a series of international experiences before earning a PhD and going on to become a professor; she is also a board member of an industrial company in China.

Whether students came to explore potential career paths or were simply interested in gaining insights from experienced professionals, the chance to meet these successful women in business was truly appreciated by all who attended. The panel did not only welcome club members; other students—including male students—turned up as well. “The event was a unique opportunity to hear about diverse professional experiences and career journeys across industries,” tells Farra, who emphasizes that she is still deciding which career path to pursue. “The panel helped reassure us that we have time to explore,” she adds. “The panelists all insisted that you don’t have to be set on what you want to do the moment you graduate. We are so young. They encouraged us to take our time to explore different things, to do whatever we can until we find what makes us happy.”

Farra’s leardership at AUP—and her math skills—have certainly put her on the right track in that respect. Earlier on in her AUP experience, she held an internship in the Student Leadership Office, where she was in charge of processes and reimbursements and worked with the Finance Office on accounting. Next semester, her last before graduation, she plans to become a part-time student in order to focus on a second internship as well as on her senior thesis for her Economics degree. While her next steps are uncertain, Farra knows she wants to be in business and has surrounded herself with the right kind of people to help her make that happen.

“We wanted to create a community to explore all the possibilities in business and all the potential careers—business and art, business and fashion, HR and consulting…” she explains. “And I know the network we are building through the Women in Business club, will help us go far.”