The Baumhart Center's Emily Nordquist on Setting New DEI Standards

We’re proud to be partners with Loyola University Chicago's Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise & Responsibility. The Center prepares leaders to tackle society's most pressing challenges through education, programs, and research. Recently, there have been a few changes at the Baumhart Center including Emily Nordquist’s appointment as Interim Director and the launch of their new Leading for DEI cohort program. We interviewed Emily to learn more about this initiative, her new role, and the future of the Baumhart Center.

Congratulations on being named the Interim Director of Loyola University Chicago's Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise & Responsibility! What does your job entail?

Thank you! I am excited to continue working alongside our extraordinary team at the Baumhart Center to accelerate social impact in business. As an interdisciplinary center, we prepare leaders from across sectors to leverage business tools to tackle society’s most pressing challenges through education, engagement, and research. Our team is committed to that mission and we are eager to amplify our impact in the months ahead. We are especially excited about welcoming our next Baumhart Scholars MBA cohort this fall and launching the Leading for DEI 2021 cohort in partnership with Loyola’s Institute for Racial Justice.

What does your professional background look like? How have your past career experiences informed how you think about DEI?

 I have always been passionate about profit and purpose. I have an undergraduate degree in business economics and an MBA. As an Asian American woman (raised by hippies), I simultaneously grew up with a strong commitment to civic engagement and advancing social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. After college, I knew I wanted to leverage my economics degree for social impact, so I began my career working for an affiliate of the largest community development financial institution in the country. I had the opportunity to see the power of finance, a business tool, to accelerate social impact. I became focused on impact and curious about the wide spectrum of social enterprise and responsibility. This ultimately led me to the Baumhart Center. I had the opportunity to work alongside our founding director on an advisory council as a graduate student and I eventually joined Center full-time as its senior program manager. I was committed to amplifying our DEI work and served as our program director for our inaugural Leading for DEI cohort. In my, now dual, role, my commitment to accelerating DEI has only strengthened. 

How do you define diversity, equity, and inclusion? What is your philosophy? 

When it comes to business, I think it’s important to acknowledge the role capitalism and business have played in creating and amplifying inequity. There is a responsibility for business leaders to examine this history and impact and lead us toward a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable economy. This means senior leaders actively deciding to advance DEI in their workplaces and investing what it takes to get there. Business leaders must see business, and their leadership, as levers we need to pull to address the greatest challenges we face today – from climate change to racial injustice. I don’t think business leaders have another choice if they want to lead into the future. We must equip people to lead differently and to re-imagine the purpose of business. 

What is something you’ve accomplished in your career that you're proud of? 

I am extremely proud of graduating our inaugural Baumhart Scholars MBA cohort this year. We are so proud of them. They have been our partners, co-designers, and co-conspirators. They are leading such impactful work in Chicago and beyond.

The Baumhart Center recently started a new "Leading for DEI" cohort program. Tell us more about it! 

Leading for DEI is a first-of-its-kind cohort-based program offered by Baumhart Center and Loyola’s Institute for Racial Justice. The cohort experience equips executives with the values, knowledge, and tools to design and implement enterprise-wide DEI strategies. The program marries the Institute for Racial Justice’s research and deep understanding of systemic inequity, racism, and xenophobia with Baumhart's expertise in change management and higher-purpose business leadership. Leading for DEI engages leaders to explore how DEI can enhance each business function—from human resources to supply chain to executive governance—and add social, financial, and societal value.

What does the future of the Baumhart Center look like? 

We are setting new standards for business and business education. This means continuing to prepare leaders for extraordinary impact as well as growing our reach and national thought leadership.

Thank you Emily and congratulations on all of the great work you’re doing!