“From day one, joining GSB Pride felt like coming home.”

Maggie Gratz, MBA ’24, is no stranger to mission-driven work. After earning her master’s of public policy at the University of Virginia, she has taught English in Sri Lanka, ran a mayoral campaign in Baltimore City, and led refugee resettlement efforts in the US.

“I was drawn to the social sector by a deep conviction that every community already possesses the passion and knowledge to flourish,” she says. “Each experience has underscored my belief in the power of trust and adaptability when aiming for lasting change, and these lessons continually guide my efforts to lead with integrity, responsiveness, and reliability.”

Working at Global Refuge, a refugee resettlement nonprofit, provided Maggie the opportunity to work closely with the private sector. “Collaborating with these colleagues was as humbling as it was eye-opening [in large part] because it was evident that we often spoke different languages.” The epiphany pushed her to Stanford GSB where she aims to bridge the gap across sectors and empower organizations to operate at even higher levels of excellence and impact.

At Global Refuge, Maggie built more than just programs for refugees — she also built spaces for LGBTQ+ members to come together. Desiring a community where queer employees could be their authentic selves, she led efforts to expand the organization's affinity groups, which “was a chance to take what was familiar to me — building something from scratch — while experiencing a first for me professionally: a queer community I could learn from, grow with, and invest in.”

Taking her love for community building to Stanford, Maggie joined @gsbpride. From retreats to small group dinners, she’s continued to build spaces for the Pride community to thrive. “As part of Pride leadership, I’ve been reminded that even in spaces dedicated to inclusivity, it takes genuine intention and effort to ensure each person feels welcomed.”

“GSB Pride has reinforced my understanding of unconditional love. We’ve shared loads of laughs and some tough times too, always reminding each other that life should be fully lived.”