Profiles

Seeds of a legacy

In 1874, Jupiter Gilliard purchased 476 acres of land for what would become Gilliard Farms, pledging allegiance to the Union militia during Reconstruction to obtain the property. Today, the farm is one of the remaining 32,653 Black-owned farms in the U.S. For 150 years, Black-owned Gilliard Farms has remained both ahead of its time and rooted in history. Here's its story.

A Landmark Dealmaker

Attorney Lisa Lim ’86 says Wellesley instilled in her a drive to solve complex problems and create opportunities for communities. In our interview, she discussed her almost 30-year legal career and describes how her education helped her become a prominent New York City real estate dealmaker.

Wellesley Magazine • July 20 2024

Design With Community in Mind

Architect Tonja Adair ’92, co-founder of Splice Design, an architecture firm with offices in New York City and Atlanta, says her experience at Wellesley still shapes her career. During her time at the College, where she majored in architecture, Tonja learned the importance of active involvement in the community. Immersed in the College’s diverse international student community, she learned to facilitate conversations with people from a variety of backgrounds. That would help her in her community when she pursued sustainable design after leaving her large architecture firm position.

Championing DEI in the workplace

Michael Cherny (he/him), Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), and Charley Butler (she/her), Chief Pension Officer, received the 2023 Women in Capital Market's Champions of Change award for their contributions as leaders pushing advancement boundaries in the Canadian finance industry.
Both executives have brought organization-wide value by helping Ontario Teachers' to continue to embed DEI deeply into its culture. Here's their story.

Fintech Equality Coalition Engages Black Fintech CEOs

In August 2020, Jon Stein, founder and then-CEO of Betterment, spearheaded the launch of the Fintech Equality Coalition to address inequities across fintech. Stein was galvanized by the political environment in America to seize an opportunity to make change. "Sometimes movements are catalyzed by events,” Stein said. “We thought it was time to take action as a company and a community." Here's his story.

The Hartford EMPOWER — Leadership Training With a Dual Approach - Fairygodboss

The Hartford’s innovative leadership development program helps both participants and managers enhance their leadership skills and create an inclusive environment for all. It's well established that corporate America, including the financial services industry, lacks diversity in management. Learn here one thing The Hartford is doing to address the problem.

Taming the Savage Culture: A Q&A with Tim Mulligan

Tim Mulligan reshaped the venerable San Diego zoo from a place employees hated to work to one where its workers are more focused, healthy and engaged. Today, as the zoo celebrates its 100th anniversary, it does so in an award-winning environment that’s more profitable than ever. In this Q&A, he tells you how to achieve the same results for your organization. (Also printed in "HR Magazine.")

Union School: An innovation in education

In 1874, Jupiter Gilliard’s purchase of 476 acres of land in Brunswick, Ga., for what would become Gilliard Farms, demonstrated his remarkable strategic vision, recognizing property ownership as a platform for building community wealth and influence. This sophisticated approach manifested when the family dedicated an acre to establish Union School in 1907.

Using Natural Stone in the Minnesota State Capitol Restoration Project - Use Natural Stone

After a century of active use, almost any building will begin expressing the groans of advanced aging, with internal and external structures steadily failing. The Minnesota State Capitol building was no exception. In 2013, the centenarian structure, constructed in 1905 by Cass Gilbert, had reached a severe deterioration point. Its crumbling façade, with chunks of marble threatening to fall and injure visitors, became particularly dangerous.To preserve the architectural integrity of this historic...

Building Off the Land: A Look at Historic Natural Stone Farmhouses - Use Natural Stone

In the 18th and 19th century, homes were built from what was available nearby. In many parts of the country, the most easily accessible material was natural stone. Because of the durability of this material that comes straight from the earth, many of the stone farmhouses from that era still exist. Here is the story of two of them.

Profiles & Place-Based Stories