Starbucks & Hershey Executives to speak at Gordon College

This fall’s incoming class of college students will be 30 years old in 2030, and by many estimates, more than two-thirds of these graduates will work in careers and roles that do not exist today. To prepare students well for a workplace where creativity will be the currency, Gordon College is pleased to announce a year-long initiative, Work Ahead: Ready for 2030, and launch event on April 12 featuring Starbucks Chairman Mike Ullman and Chief Growth Officer Mary Beth West of the famous chocolate maker, The Hershey Company.

Work Ahead: Ready for 2030 is intended to guide discussion about the knowledge, skills and aptitudes future college students will need as the subsequent generation of the global workforce and imminent shift in the economy. Featuring current research and forecast findings presented in a series of interview or TED Talk-style events, senior business leaders like Ullman and West will inform deliberations on the topics through Gordon’s Global Advisory Council, comprised of alumni and friends of the College with significant international business experience. The Council’s series of working sessions over the next year will help shape Gordon’s next strategic plan. This amalgamation of insight from thought leaders, presentations and working sessions will help inform curricular innovations necessary for the future of work intelligence.

The April 12 kick-off event will explore a simple and direct question of the Starbucks and Hershey Chocolate executives: What will the world of work look like in 2030? Moderating the conversation will be Andy Crouch, partner for theology and culture at Praxis. The event is free and open to the public and will begin at 10:25 a.m. in the A. J. Gordon Memorial Chapel at Gordon College.

Additional organizations and businesses assisting with the research collection and presentations for Work Ahead include advisors from companies like Google Inc., PepsiCo, and the John Templeton Foundation. Participation from executives, including Boston-based emotional artificial intelligence pioneer Rosalind Picard (M.I.T. Media lab), can also help corporations understand the reciprocal benefits of businesses and colleges working together to shape a new higher education landscape—a Higher Ed 2.0—so that these graduates will flourish in the jobs of the future.

“I’m thrilled to welcome thought leaders like Mike, Mary Beth, Andy and others to Gordon College as we bring an informed, faith-based, liberal arts perspective to this national conversation about the future of work,” says Gordon President Michael Lindsay. “Their combined expertise and our forward-thinking momentum not only benefit college students who are preparing for tomorrow’s jobs but current leaders who will be creating them.”

Gordon’s Chapel is located at 255 Grapevine Rd. Ample free event parking will be available. For information, contact the Office of College Communications at info@gordon.edu or visit the Gordon College website, www.gordon.edu/workahead.