Jason Jay | Senior Lecturer and Director, Sustainability Initiative, MIT Sloan School of Management

Tom Kochan | George Maverick Bunker Professor of Management; Professor, Work and Organization Studies, MIT Sloan School of Management

Zeynep Ton | Adjunct Associate Professor, Operations Management, Co-founder and President, Good Jobs Institute, MIT Sloan School of Management

Managed by Q is an office management company founded in 2014 to support office operations, including cleaning, maintenance, administration, IT, security, and supplies. From the beginning, Managed by Q was committed to implementing "The Good Jobs Strategy" by hiring and empowering their workers (or "operators"). In this panel, we will explore the decision by Managed by Q to employ their Operators instead of using a gig economy model. Aamir will discuss the origin story of Managed by Q, what makes the company's model successful, and what challenges his team faces running the operational day to day of Q Services (the company's in-house office management division).

Sarah Kalloch (Moderator) | Executive Director, Good Jobs Institute, MIT Sloan School of Management

Aamir Sarwar | VP Services, Managed by Q

In the face of a rapidly evolving labor landscape, matching workers with demand can sometimes feel like chasing a moving target. This panel will discuss innovative solutions to support employee training, including internal and industry-wide perspectives. The panel includes speakers from private and public sectors to analyze what's worked, what hasn't, and how to move forward.

Faris Natour (Moderator) | Director of Human Rights & Business Initiative, UC Berkley Center for Responsible Business

Joan Abbot | Assistant Director, BEST Hospitality Training

Francisco Rodriguez | Manager, Integrated Robotics, DeLaval North America

Rya Conrad-Bradshaw | Senior Director, Grads of Life, Year Up

Audrey Lum | Chief of Clinical Services, Union Health Care NYC

How does data collection and subsequent reporting affect a company's motivation to provide good jobs (be a high-road employer)? What are the business implications of gathering data and reporting on it to external stakeholders?

Alison Omens (Moderator) | Managing Director, Programs and Strategic Engagement, Just Capital

Tom Woelfel | Director, PCV Insight, Pacific Community Ventures

Amanda Kizer | GIIRS Manager, B-Lab

Clara Brenner | Managing Partner, Urban Innovation Fund

The retail and hospitality sectors employ an increasingly high percentage of the American workforce, and companies in these industries have mixed track records with regards to the quality of jobs provided. Some retail and hospitality companies have recognized the fundamental link between empowering their employees and providing high levels of service to the customers in their stores, restaurants, and hotels. In this panel, we will hear from executives and employees from companies that have been leaders in viewing their customer-facing employees as assets to be empowered, not costs to be minimized. We will hear their different approaches to empowering employees, the success these policies have achieved, and the challenges of implementing large-scale change to employee policies.

Bethany Patten (Moderator) | Associate Director, MIT Sustainability Initiative

Katie Bach | Director Global Strategy, Starbucks

Todd Miner | Meat Manager, Costco

Catriona Eldemery | Sr. Director of Human Resources, Four Seasons

Chip Huffman | Director, Internal Communications, Union Square Hospitality Group

While the unemployment rate has remained low in recent years, quality jobs continue to be out of reach for many Americans who face barriers to employment, including opportunity youth and formerly incarcerated individuals. Through this panel, we will hear from companies that have successfully attracted, retained, and developed people with barriers to work. Panelists will discuss the business and social value generated through inclusive hiring strategies, providing the audience with practical tools to recruit and develop these untapped talent pools.

Nicole Trimble (Moderator) | Executive Director, Impact Hiring Initiative, FSG

Mark Estrada | Assistant Vice President, Global Human Resources & Talent Acquisition, State Street

Mike Brady | CEO and President, Greyston Bakery

Gail Gershon | Executive Director, Community Leadership, Gap Inc.

David Rolf | President SEIU 775, SEIU Seattle Chapter

Tom Kochan | George Maverick Bunker Professor of Management; Professor, Work and Organization Studies, MIT Sloan School of Management

After a brief orientation and overview on the meaning of a Living Wage, this panel will showcase a diverse set of actors and their experiences pursuing or advocating for a Living Wage, within the primary context of the United States labor market. From their own perspective, panelists will discuss the motivation, opportunities, and strategies involved in paying a Living Wage, as well as the deep-seated challenges and their vision for moving forward.

Mimi Turchinetz | Assistant Deputy Director, Boston Office of Financial Empowerment

Nicholas Ashford | Professor of Technology and Policy, MIT School of Engineering

Peter MacKinnon | President, SEIU Local 509

Katrina Jazayeri | Owner, Juliet

Explore how new forms of organizing are transforming business from the outside. Discuss new tactics for organizing, what works / what hasn’t, what’s changed about organizing, and how technology is changing the way workers (and other stakeholders) organize and make change. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of how workers can engage employers and other stakeholders effectively.

Barbara Dyer (Moderator) | Senior Lecturer and Executive Director, MIT Sloan Good Companies, Good Jobs Initiative

Abhi Adhikari | Founder, Workership

Brian Lang | President, UNITE HERE Local 26

Neil Gladstein | Director, Strategic Resources Department, International Association of Machinist & Aerospace Workers (IAM)

Described as one of the “most important social-impact success stories of the past century” by the Harvard Business Review, this fireside chat will focus on the Fair Food Program, forged by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in partnership with companies such as Whole Foods Market, Walmart, Yum Brands, and many more. In this panel, an activist and agricultural worker will be in conversation with a VP from Compass Group to discuss the challenges and opportunities in improving labor standards for agricultural workers.

Eric Woods (Moderator) | Founder, Paladin Ventures

Gerardo Reyes-Chavez | Farmworker, Organizer, Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Cheryl Queen | VP, Communications & Corporate Affairs, Compass Group

While many companies are at the forefront of promoting good jobs, the private sector alone cannot create the structural change our society needs. Policymakers and advocates must also play a crucial role in promoting job quality. Through this panel, we will learn about effective strategies to partner across the private and public sectors to achieve “wins” for workers such as paid sick days, fair scheduling, and robust benefits.

Holly Fechner (Moderator) | Partner & Burling LLP

Ben Olinsky | Vice President, Center for American Progress

Sharon Block | Executive Director, Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program

Vicki Shabo | VP Workplace Policies and Strategies, National Partnership for Women and Families

Jesse Mermell | President, Alliance for Business Leadership

The closing keynote will be a fireside chat with Doug Rauch moderated by Bruce Kohl.

Bruce Kohl (Moderator) | Senior Producer, Digital WGBH

Doug Rauch | Founder/Presidents, Daily Table

Jason Jay | Senior Lecturer and Director, Sustainability Initiative, MIT Sloan School of Management

Join us at Scholars for a networking reception!

http://www.scholarsbostonbistro.com