The Dallas Business Journal has selected a Naveen Jindal School of Management alumna as one of its 2022 Leaders in Diversity Awards honorees. Lisa M. Ong, MS’14, president and founder of Wishing Out Loud, was one of 11 business leaders selected for the award, along with five companies.

Ong holds a Master of Science in Management and Administrative Services from the Jindal School. Along the way, she earned two graduate certificates — an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Governance from the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance and a Graduate Certificate in Executive and Professional Coaching. She credits all of these programs for helping her develop the skills she needs to succeed in her work

“JSOM gave me priceless preparation for my work today,” she said.

Ong, an entrepreneur, executive coach, strategy consultant and speaker focuses her work on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). She said that earning both the degree and the certificates gave her the frameworks necessary to understand organizational development and behaviors

“DEIB is change management,” she said. “Having the combination of education such as that I received at the Jindal School is valuable to help others navigate sustainable change in the DEIB space.”

As the face of Wishing Out Loud, Ong delivers a range of services geared toward helping organizations better understand and implement diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging more successfully.

“Coaching skills, consulting skills and connections are crucial to be able to consistently deliver my professional services,” she said. “JSOM helped me gain all of those skills and opportunities.”

The executive coaching training she received at JSOM stood out to her.

“Many people claim they are a ‘coach’ but do not carry the globally recognized credential as an ICF credentialed coach,” she said. “JSOM’s program prepared me to pass my International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coaching exam to become a Professional Certified Coach (PCC).”

Jindal School students, both undergraduate and graduate, gain access to a vast network of classmates and instructors and involved community members. Ong said she stays connected with a network of other executive coaches through JSOM’s ongoing monthly virtual coaching forums.

“I receive ongoing learning and exposure to coaching experts to earn continuing coaching education credits to renew my coaching license,” she said. “JSOM also invites me to their complimentary monthly virtual consulting forums so that I hear from expert consultants on strategies for success in that dimension.”

Ong is heavily involved with ICF North Texas, a professional organization for professional coaches that welcomes students into its ranks. She said she has benefited from meeting other local JSOM alumni who are active members in this chapter.

When asked why it is critical to have a mentor who is focused on DEIB, Ong said that we learn from what we are exposed to and see in action.

I remind my DEIB consulting clients, it’s not the strategy but the daily inclusive habits that we build into the culture, that allows the strategy to thrive and grow,” she said. “I use talent gardening analogies that we have to keep planting the seeds but also testing the soil and training the gardeners, too. If we can be better at spotting barriers to full inclusion or how our biases are getting in the way, we can make better decisions and change.”

Ong credits her religious faith for helping her learn “to be more grounded on how to be fully present — to be still and listen.” She also remains active at UT Dallas and JSOM to give back to an academic community that she says gave so much to her. She speaks once a year at a UTD chapter meeting of Ascend — a PanAsian business professional membership organization — or JSOM’s Meteor Mentoring program, or both. She encourages JSOM students to take advantage of their free student membership in the Texas Society of CPAs as a great way to network with her and other alumni in the accounting profession.

“I encourage everyone to get involved as a volunteer in the many organizations on campus and in our community that can use their time, talent, and treasure,” she said. “Additionally, I know that I always receive more than I give when I volunteer. It refuels me when I see the good that happens when we build community and connections together.”