The WBUR Festival: Full Schedule

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10:00am EDT

The Future of Innovation in Massachusetts

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

Tsai Performance Center

What’s ahead for the world’s most dynamic biotech, pharmaceutical and life science companies.

Speakers

Julie Kim

President, U.S. Business Unit & U.S. Country Head, Takeda

Julie Kim, president of Takeda’s U.S. Business Unit and U.S. country head, oversees a portfolio of gastroenterology, neuroscience, plasma-derived therapies and rare diseases. With 30 years in healthcare, she’s held leadership roles across therapeutic areas, market access, general... Read More →

Scott Kirsner

Columnist, MassLive & Contributor, WBUR

Scott Kirsner has spent more than 25 years working as a business journalist and contributing editor at the Boston Globe, Wired Magazine, Fast Company, Variety, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Boston magazine, and other publications. He has covered many Massachusetts companies on... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Business

11:00am EDT

The Color of Capital: Closing the Gap for BIPOC Founders

Friday May 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Booth Theatre

Meet the changemakers working to ensure that BIPOC entrepreneurs in Massachusetts have the resources to build thriving businesses and lasting legacies.

Speakers

Betty Francisco

CEO, BII

Betty Francisco is a business executive, impact investor and community leader with more than 24 years of experience. She is known as a powerful convener and changemaker. In 2022, Boston Magazine named Betty as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Boston and the Boston Business... Read More →

Nicole Obi

President & CEO, Black Economic Council of Massachusetts

Nicole Obi is the President & CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA)whose mission is to drive economic equity and prosperity for Massachusetts to achieve inclusive growth through advocacy, programming, and strategic partnerships that enable Black-owned businesses... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Business

3:30pm EDT

Higher Education Today

Friday May 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall

Two college presidents discuss how they’re navigating this turbulent moment in higher ed.

Speakers

Evan Smith

Senior Advisor, Emerson Collective

Evan Smith is a senior advisor at Emerson Collective, working closely with journalists and funders around the country to support the local news ecosystem. He’s also a Professor of Practice at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches... Read More →

Danielle Holley

President, Mount Holyoke College

Danielle R. Holley is the twentieth president of Mount Holyoke College. A noted legal scholar and educator, Holley served as Dean of the School of Law at Howard University (2014 - 2023) prior to joining Mount Holyoke. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law... Read More →

Dr. Melissa Gilliam

President, Boston University

Dr. Melissa Gilliam is Boston University’s eleventh president. She is a physician and interdisciplinary researcher focused on adolescent health and well-being. She joined Boston University from The Ohio State University, where she served as executive vice president and provost... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA

Business