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UCL BME alumni network visits Facebook HQ

27 June 2018

On Tuesday 26 June, the UCL BME Alumni Network visited Facebook’s London headquarters to discuss the BME experience in the digital space.

The UCL BME Alumni Network visit Facebook's London Headquaters (2018.6.27)

Whether it is AI, data protection or the ‘generation selfie’ – Facebook has made a deep impact on our lives. Social media has given a voice to underrepresented groups. But, it has also given anonymity to those looking to spread charged messages. The event, attended by 40 members of our BME Alumni Network, was a great opportunity to quiz Facebook employees on what it is like to work in the industry.

The evening began with a warm welcome from Natalie Clue, Chair of the BME Alumni Network, who first introduced Marvin Makanga, a Product Management Recruitment Manager at Facebook. Marvin spoke about how humbling it is to influence the lives of Facebook’s 2.2 billion users. His advice to the audience; push yourself beyond what you think is possible.

The event centred on the BME experience in the workplace. The panel discussed the low numbers of BME individuals they had come across whilst working in the tech industry and how different this felt at Facebook. Marvin talked about how his previous experiences are a constant driver to influence positive change through his current role.

Marvin Makanga said: “Some companies are born diverse and some are made diverse. We need to make it part of the culture.”

Pearl Oguchi, Facebook Quality Assurance Lead, inspired us with her thoughts on how community has the power to bring people together. When the panel discussed how the imposter syndrome can especially affect BME individuals, Pearl encouraged the audience to believe in themselves, expressing that Facebook allows her to be just another person making a difference in the world.

Finally, when discussing advice you would give your younger self, Facebook Executive Assistant Hannah Shomade and Facebook Software Engineer Manal Hussein talked about the importance of mentors and encouraged the audience to find a mentor.

If you would like to find a mentor then join UCL’s Alumni Online Community, an exclusive mentoring and networking platform for members of the UCL community.

For more information about opportunities to engage with the BME Alumni Network community, please register your interest here or find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UCLBMEAlumni.

Established by UCL graduates, the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Alumni Network is a supportive community of alumni who self-define as BME. This group empowers its alumni by inspiring them to develop productive long-term relationships, helping to create positive change in the everyday lives of BME individuals.