Tuesday, September 15, 2020
The Power and Potential of Intergenerational Leadership Teams

Christine Beech
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, Ex Dir of the Kabara Institute of Entrepreneurial StudiesTo get the best thinking while relaunching our product with limited resources, we engaged The E1 Collaborative in Southeast MN to attract superstar interns from renown higher-ed institutions. COVID-19 caused corporate internship programs to tank, leaving top talent in the lurch to seek alternative opportunities. We engaged entrepreneurship programs at St. Olaf, St. Mary’s and Winona State to identify students who aligned with our needs. We then linked each intern with a seasoned leader on our team as a mentor, but also to gather valuable knowledge about our target market, audience and product roadmap. Our aim was to marry the wisdom of seasoned leaders with the fresh ideas and insights from emerging leaders, who also represent a segment of our target audience. Our session would include a virtual panel comprised of school representatives, interns and LGS leaders. The goal would be to share the experience of this intergenerational leadership model.