Can corporations impact social change? Or maybe the better question is, are they obligated to?

Ken Chenault, former CEO and Chairman of American Express and award-winning executive leader, joins host Rachel Romer and special guest Adam Grant to discuss on this episode of Opportunity Divide, a show from Guild.

Guild CEO Rachel Romer and best-selling author Adam Grant speak to Ken Chenault, chairman and managing director of General Catalyst, about disrupting higher education, skills-based hiring, and promoting diversity in the workplace. They discuss the negative impact of a zero sum mindset created by the higher education movement and how shifting the focus from excluding people to including them can lead to more innovative and successful companies. Additionally, they talk about the importance of giving people opportunities through retraining and reskilling, rather than relying solely on credentials while touching on mentorship, promoting diversity, and providing opportunities for all individuals in the workplace.

Key takeaways from our conversation with Ken:

Opportunity is created by your leadership. Focusing on skills and learning can create transformative opportunities for individuals without college degrees and reduce inequality in the workforce.
Mentorship is a two-way street. Both being a good mentor and selecting mentors based on their good judgment can have a profound impact on the mentee's success.
Meritocracy can cause blind spots. Diversity and inclusion are not only morally important but are also beneficial for organizations in terms of innovation and resilience. Focusing on a meritocracy alone can lead to bias and favoritism, so acknowledging the importance of diversity is crucial.

This episode features a conversation on skills-based hiring, leadership, diversity, and responsible innovation that will enable you to provide better opportunities for your frontline employees. Join us!

More resources from Guild

About Ken Chenault:

Kenneth I. Chenault is the Chairman and a Managing Director of the venture capital firm, General Catalyst, and former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express Company, a position he held from 2001 to 2018. As a managing director of General Catalyst, he focuses on investing in fast-growing companies that have the potential to become large, fundamental institutions. He also provides invaluable guidance to portfolio companies, particularly to those with an eye towards global markets and responsible innovation, as they scale their teams and products. Under his leadership at American Express, the company built one of the world’s largest customer loyalty programs – Membership Rewards – and earned global recognition as a leader in customer service. Ken is recognized as one of the business world’s experts on brands and brand management.

Ken Chenault on Entitlement Programs and Corporate Responsibility