Twelve top executives, entrepreneurs and thought leaders from high-tech, venture capitalism, and health care related fields came to Kalamazoo College on April 7 and 8 for the College’s inaugural Career Summit. They interacted with about 120 students, while challenging the students to find their calling.
The event included receptions, a dinner, breakout sessions and panel experiences. Some presenters were alumni and others were friends and business connections of alumni. They were:
- Jeanne Blondia ’87: Vice president of finance and treasurer, Stryker Corp.;
- Val Cole ’83: Retired senior executive, Apple Inc.; consultant and philanthropist;
- Amy Courter ’83: National president, Women in Defense; chief operating officer, inerTRAIN;
- Lindsey Haswell: Director of litigation, Uber Technologies;
- Ed Hortelano ’83: Global vice president for research and development, Loparex;
- Terri Kline ’80: President and chief executive officer, Health Alliance Plan of Michigan; executive vice president, Henry Ford Health System;
- Om Malik: Partner, True Ventures; founder, Gigaom;
- Michael McFall ’93: Co-president and chief executive officer, BIGGBY COFFEE;
- Brad O’Neill ’93: Senior vice president of global sales and success, SurveyMonkey Inc.; creator, K to the Bay; serial entrepreneur and investor;
- Hilmon Sorey: Co-founder and chief revenue officer, CareerSofia;
- Elena Verna: Senior vice president of growth, SurveyMonkey Inc.; and
- Jeff Wycoff: Co-founder and managing partner, Fort Point Capital Partners.
O’Neill was the visionary behind the two-day event. It served as yet another Kalamazoo College offering, building on an array of experiences targeting employment outcomes.
O’Neill also established K-Treks when, in 2014, he invited four students to San Francisco to learn first-hand about technology careers. Since then, K-Trek programs have grown and expanded to New York City and Chicago, providing students with hands-on, outside-the-classroom opportunities. As a result, the students learn to network and discover their prospective careers. The Career Summit was designed to provide similar experiences, except this time, the professionals came to the students.