To bring Week of Belonging to a close, the Economic Justice and Wellbeing: Empowering Communities Through Opportunity panel brought together professionals who are committed to reducing barriers within their communities.

Meet the Panelists:

Kim Belliston – Organizational Development and DEI Administrator at Zions Bancorporation, specializing in enterprise technology and operations. Bellingston transitioned from the nonprofit sector to corporate America, becoming deeply involved in creating belonging.

Erika Carlsen – Director of Culture Operations at the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, Carlsen is a community activist and founder of the Ballpark Action Team. With a background in mindfulness and leadership, she works to promote trust-driven funding practices for nonprofit organizations.

Amanda Morton – Vice President of Relationship Development at Cypress Credit Union, Morton is passionate about financial education and community support. Her early challenges with credit cards inspired a passion for financial education, focusing on making personal finance more accessible.

With moderation by Sophie Stout, Associate Director of the Office of Student Engagement and Belonging at the David Eccles School of Business, the panelists shared their unique perspectives on how economic justice is connected to access, policy, and community support.

Key Takeaways:

• Economic Mobility and Accessibility
  • Designing systems that accommodate a wide range of needs can encourage more people to engage in the economy and open up opportunities for success. This includes workplace practices such as providing options to work remotely and accessible transportation.
• Barriers to Financial Opportunity
  • Early financial education through schools, community programs, or financial institutions gives people the tools to make educated financial decisions and plan for the future. Without that guidance, many people struggle with topics like credit, saving money, and managing a budget.
  • Through the In A Pinch initiative, the David Eccles School of Business offers Financial Literacy workshops that cover many topics such as spending plans, credit basics, and investing. To learn more about In A Pinch, click here.
• Community and Resource Access
  • Individuals need more than just access to resources, they need support in knowing how to use them. Supportive environments, community engagement, and 1-1 financial guidance helps individuals reach their long-term financial goals.

The Economic Justice and Wellbeing panel showed how real change can happen when communities have the tools, support, and access they need to succeed. The speakers shared practical ways to break down barriers and their stories made it clear that helping people reach economic stability takes unity across schools, workplaces, and communities.

As Week of Belonging comes to a close, this conversation serves as a powerful reminder of what belonging looks like in action: listening, learning, and lifting others up.

Business Student Government (BSG) is committed to creating a community of belonging where everyone feels empowered to be an impactful leader. Feel free to connect with us on instagram @ecclesbsg or our Linkedin to keep up with our events and initia

Valery Ramos