The ABANA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable subsidiary of ABANA and was established to promote the advancement of education and social equity, through scholarship and mentorship directed at students with heritage (or demonstrated interest/experience) in MENA regions.
Seed-funding for the ABANA Foundation were provided by proceeds from the 2023 ABANA Legacy Award Dinner honoring John Mack, former Chairman & CEO of Morgan Stanley. These funds will be used to institutionalize and expand the ABANA Fellowship Program now under the auspices of the ABANA Foundation and newly christened:
History of ABANA Fellowship
The original ABANA Fellowship was established nearly 10 years ago to support Arab and Arab-American MBA students in the US and Middle East. Many fellows found full-time careers through connections they made through the program and many joined ABANA as members on their own once their complimentary membership expired.
Thanks to the creation of the ABANA Foundation and the financial support it received from the John Mack Legacy Award Dinner, the John Mack ABANA fellowship will expand on these roots. The new fellowship will target prospective and first-year MBA students with heritage or demonstrated interest/experience in the MENA regions, and with demonstrated interest in pursuing a business or financial career. It will have a competitive application process with minimum GMAT/GRE test score requirements and essay questions.
The new fellowship award consists first and foremost of a $15,000 stipend for up to two years (those who receive the fellowship for their first year will automatically receive it for their second year!). Fellows will also be granted access to all of ABANA’s network and events, as well as a dedicated mentor from ABANA’s network of highly accomplished finance professionals, during their fellowship period. Most importantly, all fellows will participate in a multi-day summit in New York City allowing them to connect with and learn from top leaders in finance and related industries. ABANA Foundation will also cover all lodging and food costs for the fellows during the summit.
ABANA is incredibly proud of its creation of the ABANA Foundation and John Mack ABANA fellowship as they reflect ABANA’s commitment to its purpose and community. ABANA is also grateful to all those who contributed and made this possible. To join this endeavor and make a donation to the ABANA Foundation benefitting the Fellowship program, please send an email to foundation@abana.co.