Emmanuel Hyppolite ’11

Stories Of Impact

Emmanuel Hyppolite ’11

Emmanuel is a hard worker and an avid businessman. But being a businessman, says Emmanuel, does not mean forfeiting faith or the need to give back.

Associate Director out of the San Francisco office of the United Kingdom based business Turner & Townend Emmanuel Hyppolite ‘11 has several letters after his name: CAPM (Certificate in Applied Project Management), CCMP (Contract & Commercial Management Practitioner) and MBA (Masters in Business Administration). These all signify two things: Emmanuel is a hard worker and an avid businessman. But being a businessman, says Emmanuel, does not mean forfeiting faith or the need to give back.

Every day, Emmanuel recalls the relevance of his “Strategic Marketing Management” class, which was taught by Associate Professor and Chair of Business in Vanguard’s Professional Studies program Trish Fisher. “With where the world is right now, and having so many things remain uncertain, I think not being afraid to talk about my faith at work directly stems from the principles I received in Trish’s class and other classes at Vanguard.”

Faith and business can seem like separate fields in today’s world, but Emmanuel strikes home that although it can sometimes seem more comfortable to leave faith out of business, the two are inextricably linked. In his role, Emmanuel has direct influence with employees under his direction, and he uses his faith daily to help him make decisions and communicate with his colleagues. “Having an ethical backbone in business is hard, but understanding how faith can play a direct role in business allows me to give back to my community in multiple ways through generosity and impacting lives.”

Emmanuel supports Vanguard by serving on the Alumni Council and through giving – including making a gift of $300 on Vanguard Giving Day.

“I’ve been giving to Vanguard since I graduated,” shares Emmanuel Hyppolite ’11, who received a BA in business administration. “I was fortunate that my first job matched what I gave…so I could maximize my giving.”

Giving to the business and communications program on Vanguard Giving Day was a ‘no brainer’ for Emmanuel. ” As someone who also serves on the Golden Gate University Alumni Board, I know how important giving is for universities.”

Emmanuel also is passionate about giving back by providing mentorship and guidance to Black students and young professionals. He personally understands how important it is to see students that look like him come through the programs and begin to create opportunities for more diverse and Black-owned business owners.

“A lot of the alumni are just trying to figure out how we can give back to students who look like us…creating opportunities for students to reach out to us and ask questions or start a conversation is something that can set them up for success beyond Vanguard’s campus…Asking the question, ‘do I want to work for someone else? Or myself?’ can be a massive game-changer as a Black or ethnically diverse student,” explains Emmanuel. “The business landscape is changing, and Black students need support for navigating getting a job, knowing what being the only Black person in the room feels like, and what it could mean to build generational wealth opportunities.”

Emmanuel is passionate about getting the conversation started and offering as much support and encouragement for current students and alumni to get involved and find ways to create internships with more diverse leadership.

“We’re all in this together, and as a community we need to realize it’s not about us; it’s about getting outside our preconceived notions and allowing that to benefit the community.”