CEO of GiveOut Emily (Em) Scott grew up as a self-professed surf rat on Sydney’s northern beaches, and always struggled with a deep feeling that being gay was wrong and that she wouldn’t fit in.
Throughout her undergraduate studies, Scott struggled with mental health issues and the pressure to perform both academically and on a sporting level. Coming to terms with her sexuality left her feeling very isolated and alone.
“The biggest challenge as an undergraduate was partly internal in questioning my sexuality but also not having people around me who were queer,” she says.
However, when returning to university in 2021 to study an Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) @ UNSW Business School MBA, Scott was able to reclaim her university experience and support others who were also grappling with their identity. Today, Scott believes the need for a greater focus on inclusion is more important than ever.
“While awareness and acceptance have improved for LGBTQIA+ students, we’ve seen a backlash against LBGTQIA+ rights globally, and in Australia. We’re seeing more inclusion and awareness in high schools, universities and workplaces, but we’re also seeing more vocal aversion. The opposite ends seem to be getting further apart,” says Scott.
Creating a positive experience for LGBTQIA+ students
By the time Scott enrolled at AGSM, she was out, stronger and more resilient than in her undergraduate years.
“It was really beautiful going back and doing my MBA because I came in as a very proud out woman. I absolutely loved it.”
Scott was determined to improve the university experience for other LGBTQIA+ students and found staff and faculty very open to learning and making changes.
“From day one, they wanted to learn and be better, and help,” she says.
Throughout her MBA, Scott was a staunch advocate for LGBTQIA+ students. In her role as Director of Pride@AGSM, she organised social and networking events to help LGBTQIA+ students find community and support their transition from university to the workplace.
“We did a LGBTQIA+ in tech event and a LGBTQIA+ CEO event. It was great to platform role models for students and their careers. We also did some fun things like going to the Mardi Gras parade as a whole cohort and equipping other students the opportunity to become great LGBTQIA+ allies.”
Since graduating in 2022, Scott has continued to maintain her close relationship with UNSW Business School and in 2024 facilitated an interactive workshop for staff and faculty to improve inclusion for LGBTQIA+ students as part of Pride Month in June.
The workshop brought staff together across the whole business school, including both professional and academic faculty members.
The importance of a safe and welcoming environment for students
One topic of discussion was the impact of first impressions on LGBTQIA+ students and how to ensure they feel safe from the start.
“First impressions can really impact students’ sense of safety so it’s important to think about the early things people see and hear about the uni. Who are the people you come across? Do they have training in being inclusive? Are there visible signs in O-Week that this is a safe place for them? When lecturers start on day one, what are they doing to show this is a place for everyone?”
The workshop also covered the importance of visibility, not just among students, but faculty – something that would have made her undergraduate experience much easier.
“Staff are so important to creating a safe environment. For students, seeing staff out and proud has so much power. It would have made a huge impact to me as a student.”
The session also provided an opportunity for staff to learn from each other and start building a community of practice.
“Thanks to the UNSW Business School EDI team for hosting the workshop, and to the staff who showed up and were more than empathetic, had a willingness to learn and wanted to understand more of what students might be going through,” Scott says.
“UNSW Business School faculty knows there’s more work to be done, but they’re all committed to making UNSW a safe and inclusive place for students who are out and those who are in the process of coming out.”
Gaining the skills to support global communities
It was during her own journey of coming out and searching for a community that she first got involved with the not-for-profit sector.
While working as a management consultant, she started volunteering for Out for Australia, supporting LGBTQIA+ young people in the workplace. Eventually, she became the CEO in May 2018.
The experience inspired her to go back to university and study an MBA.
“I realised I didn’t want to be consulting any more. I wanted to work in a not-for-profit organisation. I also wanted to take a break from just writing strategy and move into implementation,” she says.
AGSM’s Leadership Excellence Scholarship: LGBTI Leadership Award was one of the reasons Scott decided to study there, as these scholarships promote AGSM and UNSW’s commitment to creating more inclusive educational environments where members of the LGBTQIA+ can thrive.
Receiving the prestigious The Luminis AGSM Wharton Business Innovation Scholarship instead helped provide a deeper sense of security for Scott. By knowing the course fees were covered, she felt she had the freedom to think about what she really wanted to do, rather than being constrained by financial considerations.
Gaining the skills to support communities
Now Scott is the CEO of GiveOut – an award winning LGBTQIA+ led community foundation supporting the entire rainbow non-profit sector in Australia.
Her role is broad, encompassing strategy, implementation, board reporting, governance and finance – all topics she covered in her MBA.
“I’m the HR department, the strategy department and (at times) the marketing department. I’m also the accountant. My MBA taught me the key things about all these areas and gave me the confidence to take this job,” she says.
In particular, her AGSM MBA gave her the strong financial management skills essential for her role – and ignited a love of accounting.
“I always liked maths and numbers, but I’d never done accounting before. Now I feel really comfortable managing budgets and doing the accounts in a way that I never would have before.”
GiveOUT recently held its annual GiveOUT Day campaign, Australia’s annual day of giving to LGBTQIA+ non-profit organisations and initiatives, raising a record $450,000 for 121 participating organisations.
Scott was also recently awarded a Churchill Fellowship to travel to the US and UK and learn more about LBGTQIA+ philanthropy from more established organisations.
“In Australia, philanthropy is a younger sector compared to the US and UK, especially LBGTQIA+ philanthropy,” Scott says.
“My learnings will be directly relevant to my role at GiveOUT, but also relevant to the broader philanthropy sector in Australia, the broader LBGTQIA+ community sector and other marginalised communities that may struggle to get access to traditional philanthropy.”
