Trustee Ron Shaich ’76 invests in University’s defining moment
This week, Clark President David Fithian ’87 announced that the University has received a $20 million gift from Ron Shaich ’76 — visionary business leader, benefactor, and Clark trustee — to support the implementation of the University’s strategic transformation plan announced last spring.
The gift, the single largest in Clark history, will be a key component of the University’s plan to refocus its academic programs around areas of institutional strength and to streamline and rightsize operations to create a more sustainable, relevant, and competitive educational model for a changing world.
“With this gift, Mr. Shaich is affirming the promise of our strategic plan to propel Clark into a new chapter of sustained relevance, excellence, and impact,” President Fithian said in a message to the community. “The leading role he is taking to support us philanthropically is a testament to his belief in the distinctive and distinguished nature of a Clark education. Put simply, I couldn’t be more inspired or grateful for this singular act of support for the institution he and so many others care so deeply about.”
A mix of endowed and expendable funds, the gift will help fortify expanded enrollment and financial aid initiatives; the continued progression of The Clark Experience; activities and efforts to raise awareness and visibility around the launch of Clark’s School of Climate, Environment, and Society; and other academic and programmatic initiatives called for in Clark’s strategic plan. These collective efforts enhance students’ educational experience and outcomes while also supporting faculty and programs in key areas of institutional focus.
“Mr. Shaich’s support for Clark will allow us to make important investments even as we continue the hard but necessary work of reducing expenses and rightsizing the institution,” President Fithian said. “His gift does not replace the need for financial discipline — it enhances our ability to align that discipline with bold action.”
“Clark, like all of higher education, is at a critical inflection point,” Shaich said. “The decisions we make and the actions we take today are determinative. I applaud the way in which President Fithian and the entire University are confronting this moment proactively, boldly, and with plan and purpose. And I am very proud to be part of moving Clark forward.
Ron Shaich’s entrepreneurial spirit was sparked during his undergraduate years at Clark when he founded the student-run General Store on campus.
In the years since, Shaich has proven to be a pioneering entrepreneur and business leader best known for founding and growing Panera Bread, and for reimagining the fast-casual dining experience in restaurants like Au Bon Pain, Cava, Tatte Bakery and Cafe, Life Alive, and Level 99. He also founded Act III Holdings, a personal investment vehicle focused on purpose-driven, sustainable brands.
He is the author of “Know What Matters: Lessons from a Lifetime of Transformations” (Harvard Business Review Press, 2023), in which he distills and shares lessons on leadership, transformation, and long-term thinking from his decades of business success.
His awards and honors include being named one of Boston’s Most Influential People (Boston Magazine), the Yale CEO Leadership Institute’s Legend in Leadership Award, Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and Restaurant Business Restaurant Leader of the Year, among many others.
A former chair of Clark’s Board of Trustees and a current trustee, Shaich has been an essential force for positive and enduring change at the University, strengthening Clark through his incisive counsel, sound leadership, and generous philanthropy. His previous $5 million gift made possible the 2016 opening of the Shaich Family Alumni and Student Engagement Center, a hub for campus operations and student success.
In 2014, Clark awarded Mr. Shaich an honorary degree. In his keynote address to students, he challenged the graduates to always ask the hard questions and discern what truly matters for a successful career and life, noting that they came to the right college to search for those answers: “Over the years,” he said, “I’ve come to believe a Clark education is powerfully different.”
