Press Room

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed to Headline The Atlantic’s Second Annual Future of Work Summit on October 5 in Atlanta

Speakers joining include Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson, Great Place to Work CEO Michael Bush, Theia Washington Smith of the Atlanta Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, MailChimp Chief Culture Officer Marti Wolf

Washington, D.C. (October 2, 2017) -- The Atlantic will convene experts and thought leaders on October 5 in Atlanta for the second annual Future of Work Summit. The half-day event, which will take place at Biltmore Ballrooms (817 West Peachtree Street), will explore the roles that the government, educational institutions, and the private sector can play to better equip the American workforce with the right skills and training for the jobs of tomorrow.

The event will open with a keynote conversation with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, followed by panel discussions focused on the challenges of preparing current and future generations to work in an increasingly skills-based economy. Among the topics covered: what policymakers can do to support efforts to train future workers, how future generations can close the skills gap, how education institutions can adapt to satisfy the demands of modern labor, the impact of the tech sector’s rise on the middle-class, why workplace diversity and inclusion helps drive productivity and innovation, the future of manufacturing, and the changing nature of American workplace culture.

All conversations will be moderated by The Atlantic’s Steve Clemons, Alison Stewart, and Gillian White. A full agenda for the Summit follows below.

This event is open to the press. To request a media credential, please contact
Brandon Stallings at [email protected] or (202) 266-7347.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT: The Atlantic’s Second Annual Future of Work Summit
WHEN: Thursday, October 5; 8AM-12:30PM ET (Registration opens at 8:00 a.m.)
WHERE: Biltmore Ballrooms (817 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308)
LIVESTREAM: www.theatlantic.com/live/events/future-of-work/2017/

AGENDA

(**Subject to Change**)

8:00 a.m.

Registration & Breakfast

8:40 a.m.

Welcome

  • Margaret Low, President, AtlanticLIVE

8:45 a.m.

Atlanta’s Story

  • The Honorable Kasim Reed, Mayor, City of Atlanta

    • With: Steve Clemons, Washington Editor at Large, The Atlantic

9:00 a.m.

Redefining Education

  • Gretchen Corbin, Commissioner, Technical College System of Georgia

  • G.P. “Bud” Peterson, President, Georgia Tech

    • With: Gillian White, Senior Associate Editor, The Atlantic

9:25 a.m.

Inclusive and Vibrant

  • Theia Washington Smith, Executive Director, The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative for the City of Atlanta

  • Marti Wolf, Chief Culture Officer, MailChimp

    • With: Gillian White, Senior Associate Editor, The Atlantic

9:45 a.m.

Credentials Matter (Underwriter perspective produced by Lumina Foundation*)

  • Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO, Lumina Foundation

  • Joan Lynch, Chief Content and Programming Officer, WorkingNation

9:55 a.m.

Retooling the Workforce

  • Kevin Nolan, President and CEO, GE Appliances

    • With: Steve Clemons, Washington Editor at Large, The Atlantic

10:15 a.m.

The American Worker

  • Michael Brown, Research Scientist, Georgia Tech Research Institute; Army Veteran

  • William “Kipp” Glenn, Former Carrier Plant Employee

  • Stephanie Klang, Professional Driver, Contract Freighters, Inc.

  • Zaria Walker, Assistant Manager, Juma Ventures

    • With: Alison Stewart, Contributing Editor, The Atlantic

10:40 a.m.

Stretch Break

11:00 a.m.

The Tech Pipeline

  • Karan Chopra, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, Opportunity@Work

  • Beth Cobert, CEO, Skillful; Former Acting Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management

  • Mark Orttung, CEO, Nexient

    • With: Alison Stewart, Contributing Editor, The Atlantic

11:30 a.m.

The Meaning of Work

  • Michael Bush, CEO, Great Place to Work

    • With: Gillian White, Senior Associate Editor, The Atlantic

11:45 a.m.

The Jobs of Tomorrow

  • Peter Harrison, CEO, Snagajob

  • Jody Greenstone Miller, Co-Founder and CEO, Business Talent Group

  • Sree Ramaswamy, Partner, McKinsey Global Institute

    • With: Alison Stewart, Contributing Editor, The Atlantic

12:15 p.m.

Closing Thoughts

  • Margaret Low, President, AtlanticLIVE

*Denotes sessions produced by our underwriters, and not by The Atlantic’s editorial team.

Additional details are available at The Atlantic’s Future of Work event page.

The Lumina Foundation is a Presenting Level Underwriter for the second annual Future of Work Summit. Georgia Power is a Contributing Level Underwriter.

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