A powerful voice for change

Ifeoluwa “Ife” Ekunsanmi has a passion for helping others and a desire to create change in her community.

Ekunsanmi finished her bachelor of science in business degree in December 2019 at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, but not before she left an indelible mark on the Carlson School of Management. During her time as an undergraduate, Ekunsanmi participated in numerous campus organizations while constantly striving to create inclusive environments on campus.

As an officer in Women in Business, a student-run organization open to all Twin Cities students, Ekunsanmi led an effort to broaden the group’s membership base to include more women of color. As a peer career coach in the Undergraduate Business Career Center, she helped Carlson School students prepare for job searches, interviews, and networking. And she also served as a Carlson School Undergraduate Student Ambassador and in the Minnesota Student Association.

Ekunsanmi, who received several scholarships during her time as a student, says she treasures the time she spent building up her peers’ confidence, assisting them in finding their passion, enhancing self-understanding, and achieving their potential.

For her impact at the U, Ekunsanmi was named the 2020 winner of the Tomato Can Loving Cup award, the most prestigious award the Carlson School of Management can bestow on an undergraduate student.

"There are so many amazing students in my class and to be recognized with this award is incredible," she says.

By winning the award, Ekunsanmi is eligible for a half-tuition scholarship to the Carlson School Full-Time MBA program following two years of professional work experience. She currently works in a business management role for General Mills and is based in Seattle.

The Tomato Can Loving Cup Award dates back to 1929 when students asked Dean Russell Stevenson to present an outstanding service award to a senior. As a joke, Henry Hilton, ’29 BSB, fashioned a trophy from a tomato soup can nailed to a wooden candlestick that belonged to his mother. To Hilton’s surprise, Stevenson presented him with his own creation, which became known as the Tomato Can Loving Cup Award. The increasingly rickety soup can is given each year.

When she’s able, Ekunsanmi will receive the one-of-a-kind award in person. Until then, she’s confident her classmates will keep succeeding.

"One of my favorite quotes is from [the poet] Erin Hanson, who said, ‘what if I fall? oh but my darling, what if you fly?’" Ekunsanmi says. "During these times, it’s so easy to feel like we may fall, but I have no doubt that as a class, we will fly."