career summit

Career Summit Featured Speaker: Ed Hortelano ’83

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Registration for Career Summit 2018 is now closed. Students who are interested in attending but have not registered are welcome to stop by the registration table in the Hicks Student Center atrium before the session they would like to attend. Walk-ins will be accepted as space permits, especially on Saturday. See the Career Summit schedule online by clicking on ‘Agenda.’

A distinguished group of alumni will join Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists for Career Summit 2018. The event is two days of practical preparation April 6 and 7 for Life after K. Ed Hortelano ’83, a global vice president of research and development at Loparex, continues our series of features highlighting our speakers for the event. To learn more, visit our Career Summit 2018 news story.

Ed Hortelano ’83

Ed Hortelano
Since September 2015, Ed Hortelano has served as the global vice president for research and development at Loparex LLC.

Global Vice President, Research and Development at Loparex

Ed Hortelano began his career at Covestro (then Mobay) in New Martinsville, W.V., where he held positions of increasing responsibility in the U.S., Germany and China. Although he spent most of his Covestro career in research and technical roles, he also worked in production, sales and business development.

In October 2010, Ed joined the Global Non-Wovens Division of Bostik Inc. in Wauwatosa, Wis. He managed the global technical activities for the division and led the research activities for the hot melt, pressure-sensitive adhesive technology platform.

From May 2013, until his departure, Ed served as the chief technical officer for Bostik. Since September 2015, Ed has served as the global vice president for research and development at Loparex LLC. As the senior research and development executive for the company, he is working to build a global technical community and to improve the processes and delivery of new products and technologies.

Ed earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Kalamazoo College and a Ph.D. in physical organic chemistry from Wayne State University. He worked with Professor Ernest Eliel as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ed and his family live in Raleigh, N.C. When he is not working or traveling for work, Ed enjoys spending time with his family as well as running and biking around Raleigh.

Ed is scheduled to speak during the following sessions of Career Summit 2018:

  • Roadblocks and Potholes, 8:30 a.m. April 7
  • Mentoring Matters: What You Gain from Trusted Advisers, 10 a.m. April 7
  • Tips for Bringing Your Identity to Work, 10:45 a.m. April 7
  • Crafting a Whole Life: How Work Fits with Family, Community, Self-Care and Fun, 11:30 a.m. April 7

Other Scheduled Speakers

Career Summit Featured Speaker: Drew Dumsch ’90

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Registration for Career Summit 2018 is now closed. Students who are interested in attending but have not registered are welcome to stop by the registration table in the Hicks Student Center atrium before the session they would like to attend. Walk-ins will be accepted as space permits, especially on Saturday. See the Career Summit schedule online by clicking on ‘Agenda.’

A distinguished group of alumni will join Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists for Career Summit 2018. The event is two days of practical preparation April 6 and 7 for Life after K. Drew Dumsch ’90, the founder and president/CEO of The Ecology School, continues our series of features highlighting our speakers for the event. To learn more, visit our Career Summit 2018 news story.

Drew Dumsch ’90

Founder and President/CEO, The Ecology School

Drew Dumsch
Drew Dumsch ’90 is the founder and president/CEO of The Ecology School, a residential environmental learning center on the southern coast of Maine. He will be one of the featured speakers at Kalamazoo College’s Career Summit 2018.

Drew Dumsch is the founder and president/CEO of The Ecology School, a residential environmental learning center on the southern coast of Maine. Since its founding in 1998, The Ecology School has educated more than 175,000 children and adults and trained more than 350 ecology educators through the science of ecology and the practice of sustainability.

Drew is currently leading a capital campaign to purchase the 105-acre River Bend Farm in Saco, Maine, and over the next two years construct the most sustainable residential environmental learning center in the country. The Ecology School at River Bend Farm will include a full-scale agroecology farm operation, community environmental education programs, field ecology research and buildings constructed and certified under the Living Building Challenge and Living Community Challenge through the International Living Future Institute. River Bend Farm will be a 21st Century Education Center for Resilience, Healthy Communities and Conservation.

Drew has had leadership positions with the Maine Environmental Education Association and the New England Environmental Education Alliance and is also active with the North American Association of Environmental Education and the Residential Environmental Learning Centers national network. Drew earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Kalamazoo College and his master’s degree in English from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Drew is scheduled to speak during the following sessions of Career Summit 2018:

  • Roadblocks and Potholes: Surmounting Inevitable Challenges, 8:30 a.m. April 7
  • Start-Up 101: From Dream to Successful Venture, 10 a.m. April 7
  • Social Entrepreneurship: Finding Solutions to Community Problems, 10:45 a.m. April 7
  • Crafting a Whole Life: How Work Fits with Family, Community, Self-Care and Fun, 11:30 a.m. April 7

Other Scheduled Speakers

Career Summit Featured Speaker: David Rust

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Registration for Career Summit 2018 is now closed. Walk-ins will be accepted if space becomes available.

A distinguished group of alumni will join Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists for Career Summit 2018. The event is two days of practical preparation April 6 and 7 for Life after K. All students are welcome, regardless of their major, and are encouraged to attend. David Rust, a former director of operations strategy at Lyft, continues our series of features highlighting our speakers for the event. To learn more, visit our Career Summit 2018 news story.

David Rust

David Rust
David Rust launched Lyft’s first markets and helped write the playbook for its national expansion. He will be one of the featured speakers April 6 and 7 at Kalamazoo College’s Career Summit 2018.

Former Director of Operations Strategy, Lyft

David Rust is an experienced operator who has helped scale some of the fastest-growing marketplace businesses, including Lyft. David joined Lyft in February 2013 as the 25th employee and helped drive the company’s growth nationally to an $11 billion-plus valuation.

Early in his four-year tenure at the company, David launched Lyft’s first markets and helped write the playbook for national expansion. David then went on to launch Lyft’s internal strategy team and drove key initiatives including Lyft’s self-driving car pilots and partnership with General Motors.

Prior to Lyft, David led marketing and city expansion for one of the early pioneers in the car-sharing industry, Wheelz.

David graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and enjoys making time to invest in his side passions, whether they be playing salsa music or backpacking in the California outdoors.

David is scheduled to speak during the following sessions of Career Summit 2018:

  • Dinner and Opening Plenary, 6 p.m. April 6
  • Mentoring Matters: What You Gain from Trusted Advisers, 10 a.m. April 7
  • Social Entrepreneurship: Finding Solutions to Community Problems, 10:45 a.m. April 7
  • Crafting a Whole Life: How Work Fits with Family, Community, Self-Care and Fun, 11:30 a.m. April 7

Other Scheduled Speakers

Career Summit Featured Speaker: Carolyn DeWitt ’04

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Registration for Career Summit 2018 is now closed. Students who are interested in attending but have not registered are welcome to stop by the registration table in the Hicks Student Center atrium before the session they would like to attend. Walk-ins will be accepted as space permits, especially on Saturday. See the Career Summit schedule online by clicking on ‘Agenda.’

A distinguished group of alumni will join Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists for Career Summit 2018. The event is two days of practical preparation April 6 and 7 for Life after K. Carolyn DeWitt ’04, the president and executive director of Rock the Vote, is the third in a series of features that will highlight our speakers for the event. To learn more, visit our Career Summit 2018 news story.

Carolyn DeWitt ’04

President, Executive Director at Rock the Vote

Carolyn DeWitt
Carolyn DeWitt ’04, a passionate and lifelong champion of the democratic process in the U.S. and abroad, has a diverse background in government, politics, international development, education and in the financial sector.

A passionate and lifelong champion of the democratic process in the U.S. and abroad, Carolyn DeWitt ’04 has a diverse background in government, politics, international development, education and in the financial sector.

It was during her time in South Africa, meeting with parties critical to the collapse of the apartheid system and the subsequent building of a democratic state, that Carolyn witnessed the power of youth movements. Convinced of the absolute necessity of a health democracy for marginalized groups, she continued on to work in Kenya, participating on the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission during an election year. Carolyn also served as senior international advisor to a youth political movement and potential presidential candidate in Madagascar.

Back home in the U.S., on the national political stage, Carolyn coordinated satellite media booking operations at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, training teams of volunteers and staffs and coordinating surrogate media appearances alongside DNC and Obama for America staff. On the local government level, Carolyn has worked as chief of staff at the Office of Chicago Alderman Daniel Solis, and as deputy campaign manager and finance director for the 25th Ward Regular Democratic Organization.

Shortly after relocating to Washington, D.C., Carolyn took up the position of director of special projects for a thriving start-up that sought to leverage technology to provide clinical services to persons with special education and development needs in less-developed countries. She has also provided services for therapists working in DC public schools. For the 2014 election cycle, Carolyn served as chief of staff at Pivot, a political communications firm.

Carolyn studied international and African studies, political science, psychology and women’s studies and earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and international and area studies from Kalamazoo College. She sits on the board of Coworker.org.

Carolyn is scheduled to speak during the following sessions of Career Summit 2018:

  • Dinner and Opening Plenary, 6 p.m. April 6
  • Thriving as a Woman in the Workplace, 10 a.m. April 7
  • Social Entrepreneurship: Finding Solutions to Community Problems, 10:45 a.m. April 7
  • Crafting a Whole Life: How Work Fits with Family, Community, Self-Care and Fun, 11:30 a.m. April 7

Other Scheduled Speakers

Career Summit Featured Speaker: Brad O’Neill ’93

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A distinguished group of alumni will join Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists for Career Summit 2018. The event is two days of practical preparation April 6 and 7 for Life after K. Brad O’Neill ’93, the CEO and co-founder of Depot Global Inc., is the second in a series of features that will highlight our speakers for the event. To learn more, visit our Career Summit 2018 news story.

Brad O’Neill ’93

CEO and Co-Founder, Depot Global Inc.

Brad O’Neill
Brad O’Neill ’93 is a successful serial entrepreneur who specializes in enterprise technology companies. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of Depot Global Inc.

While a student at Kalamazoo College, Brad O’Neill worked as a feature writer and Backpage editor of The Index, studied abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo and wrote his Senior Individualized Project, “An Analysis of Neoconservative Thought and Evolution in Modern America: Impressions from the American Enterprise Institute.” He has remained very engaged with K as an alumnus and currently serves on the College’s Board of Trustees. In addition, Brad created and made possible K to the Bay in 2014, which became the model for subsequent career treks at the College as well as the inaugural Career Summit in 2017.

Brad is a successful serial entrepreneur who specializes in enterprise technology companies. He is currently CEO and co-founder of Depot Global Inc. after most recently serving as senior vice president, Global Sales and Success, at SurveyMonkey. He joined SurveyMonkey in August 2015 through the acquisition of TechValidate, a marketing content automation company that he co-founded and built into a high-growth, profitable global market leader. Prior to TechValidate, Brad was a founding investor in StumbleUpon, a leader in content discovery, leading its acquisition by eBay in 2007. He has held many sales and revenue leadership positions at companies including the data clustering software company PolyServe, acquired by HP, and StorageNetworks, which he helped build and take public on the Nasdaq in 2000.

Brad received his bachelor’s degree in political science at K and graduated magna cum laude. He is scheduled to speak during the following sessions of Career Summit 2018:

  • Dinner and Opening Plenary, 6 p.m. April 6
  • Start-Up 101: From Dream to Successful Venture, 10 a.m. April 7
  • Building a Company: How Founders Launch and Grow Companies, 10:45 a.m. April 7
  • Mentoring Matters: What You Gain from Trusted Advisers, 11:30 a.m. April 7
  • Charting Your Course: How to Make the Most of the Career Summit, 1:30 p.m. April 7

Other Scheduled Speakers

Career Summit Featured Speaker: Bill Duane ’94

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Registration for Career Summit 2018 is now closed. Students who are interested in attending but have not registered are welcome to stop by the registration table in the Hicks Student Center atrium before the session they would like to attend. Walk-ins will be accepted as space permits, especially on Saturday. See the Career Summit schedule online by clicking on ‘Agenda.’

A distinguished group of alumni will join Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists for Career Summit 2018. The event is two days of practical preparation April 6 and 7 for Life after K. Bill Duane ’94 is the first in a series of features that will highlight our speakers for the event. To learn more, visit our Career Summit 2018 news story.

Bill Duane ’94

Retired Superintendent of Well-Being at Google

Bill Duane
At Google, Bill Duane and his team created worldwide programs to move the needle on well-being at the individual, team and organizational level.

Bill Duane works at the intersection of individual resilience and organizational effectiveness, particularly in innovative and/or chaotic environments. As an engineering executive for Google earlier in his career, Bill was responsible for worldwide production engineering for Gmail, G Suite and WebSearch Infrastructure, leading a team of 130 people across five countries.

Though an amazing, interesting and rewarding ride, it also contained more burnout than was OK, which sparked a curiosity about how burnout worked. As he investigated burnout, Bill discovered a deep interest in the biological, psychological and interpersonal mechanisms of happiness, effectiveness and well-being which led him to create the role of Google’s Superintendent of Well-Being. At Google, he and his team created worldwide programs to move the needle on well-being at the individual, team and organizational level, partnering with various teams in the Google ecosystem to make it part of the culture.

After 12 years at Google and 25 years in corporate environments, he is taking his expertise to a more diverse set of individuals and organizations. Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology from Kalamazoo College.

Bill is scheduled to speak in these Career Summit sessions:

  • Dinner and Opening Plenary, 6 p.m. April 6
  • Mentoring Matters: What You Gain from Trusted Advisers, 10 a.m. April 7
  • Tips for Bringing Your Identity to Work, 10:45 a.m. April 7
  • Serendipity: Making the Most of Unexpected Opportunities, 11:30 a.m. April 7.

Other Scheduled Speakers

K Plans Career Summit 2018 for April 6, 7

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About Career Summit 2018

A distinguished group of K alumni will join Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists for Kalamazoo College’s Career Summit 2018. The event is two days of practical preparation April 6 and 7 for Life after K. All students are welcome and encouraged to attend this special event.

Kalamazoo College Career Summit 2018
Kriti Singh ’17 attended Kalamazoo College’s Career Summit last year. “As a senior who will soon transition into the workplace, it was inspiring for me to hear that your career is a lot more than your first job,” she said about her experience at the event.

Through interactive break-out sessions, themed panel discussions and networking opportunities, students of all majors will gain priceless information about the global job market.

Led by Brad O’Neill ’93, creator of K to the Bay and the CEO and co-founder of Depot Global Inc., this exclusive opportunity to connect with industry leaders takes place at K so as many students as possible may participate.

Confirmed speakers for Career Summit 2018 include:

Video: Career Summit Brings Execs, Thought Leaders to K

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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.

K Plans Career Summit for April 7 and 8

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A select group of K alumni who are leaders in their fields will join Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists for Kalamazoo College’s Career Summit 2017 — two days of practical preparation for Life after K.

K Career Summit
Kalamazoo College alumnus Brad O’Neill (center), a serial entrepreneur and investor, will lead K’s Career Summit on April 7 and 8.

Through interactive break-out sessions, themed panel discussions, and networking opportunities, students of all majors will gain priceless information about what to do (and what not to do) to position themselves for success in a fast-changing and unpredictable global job market.

Led by Brad O’Neill, creator of K to the Bay and a serial entrepreneur and investor, this exclusive opportunity to connect with industry leaders takes place on the Kalamazoo College campus so as many students as possible may participate.

The scheduled speakers are:

  • Jeanne Blondia ’87: Vice president of finance and treasurer, Stryker Corp.;
  • Jonathan Carr: Director of finance, SurveyMonkey Inc.
  • Priyanka Carr: Vice president of strategy and operations, SurveyMonkey Inc.
  • 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.

For more information, visit the Career Summit schedule of events.