March 9, 2006
Country's leading social entrepreneur to speak at Clark
Bill Strickland explores transformative power of the arts in community
Worcester,
Mass. - "Rebuilding Communities, Reshaping Lives: The Transformative
Power of the Arts and Entrepreneurship," will be presented in a free, public
lecture by Bill Strickland, America's leading social entrepreneur, at 7:30
p.m., Thursday, March 23, in Razzo Hall, the Traina Center for the Arts at Clark
University.
Arts innovator, MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, adviser to U.S. Presidents and the National Endowment for the Arts, social entrepreneur, inner-city revitalizer, job creator, workforce educator. All these terms are used to describe Bill Strickland, but none captures the essence of this remarkable social activist and business leader.
The founding editor of Fast Company magazine writes: "Bill Strickland is quite simply the most inspiring human being and one of the most mesmerizing speakers I have ever met. Not because he is brash or boastful, but because he uses his authentic personality to communicate a powerful message of change, hope, and making a difference."
Strickland is President and CEO of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and the Bidwell Training Center, Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA. Through these organizations, he works to re-shape communities and to give young people an opportunity to develop their artistic talents, prepare for 21st Century jobs, and break the insidious cycle of poverty. His work is supported by numerous foundations, major corporations, the legendary musical producer Quincy Jones, and eBay founder Jeff Skoll.
Based in Pittsburgh, with new operations in San Francisco, Baltimore, Kansas City and Cincinnati, his impressive organization now includes a 350-seat performing arts center, a world-class recording studio, art studios, a computer technology center, vocational training facilities, and a medical technology complex.
Strickland's MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant recognized his enduring leadership and ingenuity in the arts, as did his Presidential appointment to the Council of the National Endowment for the Arts. He serves on numerous boards, ranging from Americans for the Arts to the Carnegie Endowment to the Mellon Financial Corporation. He has lectured on the arts, community development, and social enterprise at Harvard Business School, Stanford, Northwestern, and the Harvard School of Education.
Strickland holds a BA, cum laude, in American history and international relations from the University of Pittsburgh.
Strickland's campus visit is sponsored by Clark's new Innovation & Entrepreneurship program, developed by entrepreneur-in-residence George Gendron, who for twenty years served as editor-in-chief of Inc. Magazine. Additional support is provided by the Melville Arts and Business Fund. The new program is designed to provide students from any major a rigorous set of entrepreneurial experiences and to give them the opportunity to explore the process of starting something new. Students in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship program develop a dramatically broadened awareness of their opportunities after graduation, and are better prepared to take responsibility for their own professional and economic destiny. Students have an opportunity to merge their passion with the ability to shape an economically sustainable career plan.
For more information, contact GSOM, 508-793-7543.