Making a Difference and Making a Living Conference at The Hub CoWorks

Around 75 people attended the first-annual Making a Difference and Making a Living (MADMAL) Conference on Thursday, November 6 – ranging from high school students to lifelong learners. This full-day, hybrid conference was supported by the Vermont State College System’s Chancellor’s Innovation Fund in partnership with Community College of Vermont, Vermont State University and the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region. Presentations were delivered by prominent Vermont business leaders – eight of them alumni of the Vermont State College System – who shared insights on how higher education shaped their careers and opened doors to opportunities along the way.

The day’s speakers were Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak; Dylan Giambatista, Director of Public Affairs at Vermont Gas Systems; Kelly Mesler, CEO of Everwell Consulting; Elizabeth Mauch, Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges System; Vermont State Representative John Kascenska; Julie Hulburd, Commissioner of the VT Cannabis Control Board; Vermont Deputy Attorney General Robert McDougall; Libby Duane Adams, Chief Advocacy Officer & Co-Founder of Alteryx; Wes McEntee, Manufacturing Technician at Hazelett Strip-Casting Corp.; Jessica Duncan, Director of Career Development and Innovation at Vermont State University; and Keynote Speaker Kevin Chu, Executive Director of the Vermont Futures Project – with introductions from VTSU President Dave Bergh, CCV President Joyce Judy, and recorded closing remarks from broadcaster Darren Perron from the WCAX studio.

The day’s ten sessions took place across The Hub’s Streetside Conference Room and both the Killington and Casella Learning Labs. The Opera House Community Workspace was opened to the attendees for opening remarks as well as gathering for breakfast and lunch. The technology in our conference rooms allowed as many as 70 more individuals to attend virtually from across the state of Vermont. Recordings of the day’s sessions are available to watch at www.madmalvt.org/on-demand.

We appreciate the opportunity to host this powerful event and look forward to seeing how it grows in the future.

Read more about the MADMAL conference in the Rutland Herald.