Bauer Begins “Inspiring Minds” Series with Make-A-Wish Foundation CEO
University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business launched a new lecture series called “Inspiring Minds.” The series– held twice a year in the spring and fall– will be centered around a CEO, inventor, entrepreneur or political leader who is doing something inspiring on a national or international level. The lectures are open to Bauer students and alumni as well as to community members; a full description can be found in the school’s recent press release.
The first speaker in the series was Make-A-Wish President and CEO David Williams. Williams, a Pennsylvania native, moved to Houston in the early 1980s to pursue a career at Shell Oil Company. He left Shell 1983 to join the Houston Food Bank where he stayed for 11 years before moving on to Habitat for Humanity International.
In 2005 Williams made his move to Make-A-Wish Foundation. There he leads its 62 chapters as well as a national staff in their goal of granting wishes to children with life-threatening diseases. Under his leadership Make-A-Wish Foundation has increased their overall revenue, including contributions from chapters from $100 million to $300 million.
“David Williams really is the perfect person to help us launch ‘Inspiring Minds,’” Bauer College Dean Latha Ramchand said. “Bauer students should be inspired not only by his journey to success and the fact that he studied on the same campus as them, but also by the nature of his work and how he has chosen to apply his business education to serve others.”
