Overview
The Wharton Asia Exchange (WAX) serves as a pre-professional community for students who have an interest in the Asia business landscape and are looking to develop their skills in business. WAX aims to fulfill the aspirations of students interested in learning more about Asian culture, markets, and professional opportunities. This bond will allow for the exchange of knowledge, the development of trust, and the foundation of a more fully integrated global business environment.
Our Values
Membership Development: In WAX, our first priority is to be a developmental resource for our members. Rather than hosting general body meetings (GBMs) out of obligation, we strive to make every meeting purposeful and to design events so that members leave having learned something new. Many of our GBMs also serve as workshops. Last spring, we invited 2 student founders to speak about their startups and how to get involved in entrepreneurship at Penn. In addition, we run biweekly investment workshops to teach students about finance through our Wharton Asia Investments arm.
Diversity (People & Careers): We have hosted Wharton Diversity and Inclusion events and invited Asian speakers to offer advice on issues that are very pertinent to Asian people. In addition, at Penn, there is pressure to conform to a relatively narrow career path. In order to broaden the scope of our students, we work to invite speakers from non-traditional backgrounds including retail, entertainment, hospitality, and start-ups.
Community & Support: It's easy to feel lost in a large club. As a result, WAX organizes family groups and smaller social events to make people feel connected. In our GBM: WAX Around the World, we had committee members cook a dish from their culture to share with the club. We ended with a spread of Malaysian Laksa, Thai omelets, and Lebanese yogurt. People were able to share and appreciate each other's backgrounds. Though WAX is a large club, we do our best to make our members feel part of a tight-knit family.