Celebrating Black History Month with Career Insight, Leadership, and Connection

March 6, 2026

As part of Baruch College’s celebration of Black History Month, more than 30 students recently gathered for a dynamic panel discussion on professional growth, resilience, and leadership.

The event, “Next Gen Leaders: Learning from Black Professionals,” created a space for honest conversation about building meaningful careers with authenticity, confidence, and pride. Panelists shared how they arrived at their current professions, offering students a behind‑the‑scenes look at the challenges, pivots, and triumphs that defined their paths.

Hosted by the Starr Career Development Center in collaboration with NABA+ and Alumni Relations, the program underscored Baruch’s commitment to celebrating Black excellence while strengthening connections between students and alumni.

Meet the Panelists

Three Baruch alumni and a thought leader with more than two decades of experience formed the panel.

Bacare Jamekay — Vice President, Citi

Bacare Jamekay (BA, Communications ’18) graduated from Baruch as a first-generation student and is now an experienced program manager and financial services leader. Prior to becoming Vice President at Citi, Jamekay held positions at Goldman Sachs, Meta, and Canon Solutions America. His work focuses on driving cross‑functional initiatives, supporting enterprise operations, and contributing to strategic organizational programs.

Saul Veras — Global Risk Analyst, Bank of America

Saul Veras (BBA, Computer Information Systems ’25), who was born and raised in the Bronx, works within Bank of America’s Global Risk Management organization. This division oversees the firm’s strategy and framework for managing major risk areas including market, credit, operational, liquidity, compliance, and reputational. Veras focuses on risk evaluation, regulatory alignment, data‑driven analysis, and enterprise‑wide risk mitigation.

Dieynaba Sy — Senior Sales Consultant, T. Rowe Price

Dieynaba Sy (BBA, Economics and Finance ’19) brings over a decade of experience in asset management, wealth advisory, and client strategy. She has worked across leading financial institutions including T. Rowe Price, BlackRock, Lazard Asset Management, Morgan Stanley, and Prudential. Sy holds the SIE and Series 7, 31, and 66 licenses, and has contributed volunteer leadership to NABA while mentoring Baruch students.

Gena Pemberton — CEO & Founder, iamGenaP Enterprises

Gena Pemberton is a cultural strategy consultant, career coach, and organizational leadership expert. As CEO and Founder of iamGenaP Enterprises, she advises organizations on culture transformation, inclusion‑centered leadership, and strategic change management. Her career includes senior roles in corporate finance and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, along with extensive nonprofit and board leadership.

Celebrating Black History Month at Baruch

The theme for Black History Month 2026 was “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” marking 100 years since the establishment of Black History Month, encouraging reflection on the power of Black history celebrations in transforming lives and communities.

“Next Gen Leaders: Learning from Black Professionals” was among numerous events—from film screenings to workshops to networking and a gala— in February to celebrate Black History Month. These initiatives reflect Baruch’s ongoing commitment to fostering inclusion, amplifying diverse voices, and creating spaces for meaningful engagement across the campus community.

Read about the origins of Black History Month and Baruch’s roster of events.