Written by Meena Anderson.
Chris Stafford, MBA at Houston Class of 2024, is reigniting the Weekend MBA program’s eQual chapter, an organization aimed at fostering community and solidarity among LGBTQ+ MBA students.
“When I started the Fall semester in Houston, I learned that eQual Houston had fizzled away during COVID-19 and needed fresh blood to give it a restart,” Chris says. “I know how important it is for community engagement and representation both internally and externally. I think it’s really important to have LGBTQ+ representation in the program and also for students to get involved in the local LGBTQ+ community.”
Alongside completing his MBA, Chris is employed at ExxonMobil. Prior to his MBA journey, he graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in 2010 and served as an Officer in the Navy Reserves.
Chris during his time in the Navy Reserve in 2011.
“The ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy (DADT) was still in place while I was a Midshipman at USMMA and for the beginning part of my time as an Officer in the Reserves, this policy required that I keep my identity as a gay man a secret and live my life ‘in the closet,’” Chris says. “I actually wrote my admissions essay to McCombs about the repeal of DADT and how it shaped my career. Serving under the DADT policy was not easy and surely presented lots of obstacles, but I am a stronger person for it.”
Chris and his husband, Tyler, kiss during their wedding.
Chris says his background in maritime operations and trading influenced his decision to apply to the Weekend MBA at Houston program.
“I really want to grow my business acumen and enhance my understanding of different aspects of business that I have yet to be exposed to. My employer is very supportive of me getting my MBA and I am really hoping to bring back to the office what I am learning at McCombs,” he says. “When trying to decide on where to go for my MBA, there were a few options locally here in Houston I was considering. I wanted a strong academic program with a large network, great reputation and prestige and a big school atmosphere.”
After settling in at the program, Chris and his classmates got in contact with the Dallas and Austin chapters of eQual, who were instrumental in helping reboot the organization for the Houston program.
“We plan to link up with both Austin and Dallas eQual groups more in the future and try to host some joint events,” Chris says. “We announced to our classmates on National Coming Out Day that eQual was back and that started the buzz. We had significant interest and were super excited to get it going.”
For the future of Houston’s eQual endeavors, Chris and other organizers in the group plan to engage with the local community and increase awareness about topics of diversity and inclusion.
Chris and Tyler pose with a rainbow Pride flag at Cross Fit.
“We plan to get involved in local philanthropic and volunteer endeavors, for example the Houston Pride Parade and Montrose Center,” he says. “We plan to bring in guest speakers to speak to eQual about inclusion and diversity in the workplace, and hopefully get local executives that identify as LGBTQ+ to speak to our cohorts about their experiences in the corporate world.”
Ultimately, Chris’ goal is to uplift and support the McCombs — and extended — LGBTQ+ community in both the corporate world and their academic ventures.
“Our main goal is to be a voice for the students in the Houston MBA program, especially those of us that identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community and our allies. We strive to protect and promote an inclusive and safe environment and celebrate diversity in all forms within the program. We want to leverage LGBTQ+ alumni to help mentor and recruit students that are a part of the eQual group, as well as act as a recruiting tool for the admission team to continue to admit diverse classes in the future.”
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