Rising Stars

K-State alum Duane Webber and his family back the College of Business’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging work with a $1 million gift.

A $1 million gift will support the College of Business’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) efforts, building a new generation of leaders from all backgrounds. Along with other DEIB programs, the gift from Duane Webber and Dominika Korytek will strengthen the Rise Up program. Rise Up brings together high-potential students with business partners looking to improve diversity and inclusion in the business world.

“Rise Up, and our DEIB efforts in general, are unique in that they are more than recruiting efforts and academic support programs. We implement proven systems that aid our Rise Up Scholars in building inclusive communities and foster a sense of belonging. Belonging means feeling like you can bring your entire, full self to work or school and be respected,” according to Olivia Law-DelRosso, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging.

“The training that the Rise Up Scholars engage in helps them not only find success academically and professionally but also feel grounded and confident in who they are, so they can grow into tremendous leaders. The Webbers’ incredible gift opens a whole new set of doors for our efforts.”

Duane Webber is a Partner at Baker McKenzie, an international law firm with 13,000 employees at more than 70 offices worldwide. He specializes in tax dispute resolution with the IRS and other tax authorities. He earned undergraduate degrees from Kansas State’s College of Business Administration.

Dominika Korytek is a Partner at McDermott Will & Emery, focused on international tax planning with an emphasis on technology companies.

“When I was in school, I wanted to be involved in everything. My fingers were in everything,” Webber said. “All those opportunities weren’t always available to everybody else for a number of reasons – who they were, where they were from, their background. I wasn’t smart enough to understand it at the time, but I felt it. My experience in college propelled an evolution in my thinking and what I would focus on…in terms of making sure the organizations I’m part of and support surround themselves with different ideas in order to arrive at the best solutions because of a diversity of perspectives.”

The couple made their gift in honor of Duane’s father Allen Webber and his grandfather Howard Webber. Son, father, and grandfather were all K-State graduates.

Allen Webber spent decades as a CPA and partner at a regional accounting firm in Kansas. He was a stalwart Kansas State athletics fan – earning a reputation as the “Towel Man” for the purple towel he swung in support of the teams – and he was the first inductee into Kansas State University’s Accounting Hall of Fame.

Howard, meanwhile, founded and ran Webber Supply, a farm equipment store that served western Kansas. “My business sense all came from him and then through my father,” Webber said.

Duane and Dominika were deeply involved in the gift’s development and have continued to engage in the DEIB programming that it supports.

“You get what you put in,” Korytek said. “We want to hear what KSU is doing so we can spread those ideas around. It’s a chance for us to grow too. We can learn what is successful and share it with the other organizations we work with. That exchange of ideas has already been impactful.”

Encouraging Great Leaders

“Rise Up is really the shining star of all our efforts,” according to Law-DelRosso, “And because the gift broadly supports DEIB, we’ll have the flexibility to grow and expand our work in ways that will have the most impact for years to come.”

The Rise Up program is now in its second year. It already includes 70 undergraduate and graduate student scholars – well above the initial target of 50. Anyone who supports fostering DEIB can join, and the program is designed for students who identify with any underrepresented and historically marginalized group. They receive financial and academic support, leadership training guided by business best practices, and goal setting and accountability. They take part in health and wellness programming and learn about and celebrate each other's diverse identities.

Rise Up also helps student scholars reach their personal goals for college, their careers, and their lives. Professional mentors and personalized career coaches help them get great jobs, “which is what so many of them are very focused on. These are ambitious future leaders,” Law-DelRosso said.

In the program’s first two years, Rise Up scholars have had 100 percent job placement upon completing their degrees.

While in school, scholars meet twice a month for group coaching. They also meet individually with mentors from the K-State alumni network and local businesses. Scholars work on setting goals and holding themselves accountable. Those include academic goals, as well as goals for the ambitious programs and enterprises that they frequently launch while part of the program.

“One of the most important parts of this gift for the Webber family is to encourage these students to be great leaders in their careers and in their communities,” said Ashleigh LaBarge, a former member of the K-State Foundation team who worked closely with the Webbers on the gift. “That attitude improves our world and trickles down to future generations.”

Rise Up Scholars in Action

Rise Up provides academic, financial, and professional-development support for the students who participate. Many scholars also launch their own initiatives that reflect their passions and ways of improving the K-State experience for other students who are part of historically marginalized communities. Here are a few examples.

Brooklyn Fondaw, junior, marketing
Brooklyn Fondaw created and coordinated B-Proud (Business Proud), the first LGBTQ+ and Ally career fair. The event provided the opportunity to network and build connections. “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it can be hard to identify companies where I and others can feel confident that we will be in a comfortable working environment," Fondaw said. With the support of Rise Up, Fondaw hosted a successful fair in 2023 with more than 30 companies attending, some from as far away as Texas.

Negil McPherson III, junior, marketing
As the President of K-State’s Black Student Union, Negil McPherson III recognizes the opportunity and value of alumni mentoring current students. With the support of Rise Up, Negil is building a platform where Black alumni and Black K-State students can connect for career advice relevant to their identities, experiences, and goals. “The ‘BSU Yellow Pages’ revolves around creating a database with alumni’s contact information,” McPherson said. “Rise Up has shown me to focus on intentionality when constructing something that students are expected to use. I’m excited to use the resources and expertise in Rise Up to help me fulfill one of my goals during my BSU presidency.”

Summer Murphy, junior, finance and accounting
Just over 40% of K-State students report not having adequate food. That’s troubling, but it’s about on par with other universities. And, unfortunately, the vast majority have not used food assistance services. Summer Murphy’s goal is to help make accessing food assistance easier. Partnering with the campus food pantry, Cats Cupboard, and with assistance from Rise Up, she is developing ways to create a “re-fuel” area in the business building.