CAMBRIDGE, MA, UNITED STATES, November 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On October 15, 2026, the American Swiss Foundation (ASF) hosted its Innovation Forum: Developing the Workforce of Tomorrow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, bringing together leaders from government, education, business, and civil society to explore the future of workforce development in the United States and Switzerland.
The program opened with welcome remarks from The Honorable Lauren Jones (Young Leader 2017, ASF Innovation Fellow 2025-2026), Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
The first panel, AI, Emerging Technologies, and the Workforce of Tomorrow, featured Taylor Stockton, Chief Innovation Officer at the U.S. Department of Labor, and was moderated by Kirsten Detrick, Chief Representative USA at Basel Area Business & Innovation and a member of the ASF Stratton Prize Committee.
The second panel, From Classroom to Career: How States Are Building the Workforce of Tomorrow, explored how states are connecting education with workforce needs. Moderated by The Honorable Jane Swift, former Governor of Massachusetts and 2003 Stratton Laureate, the discussion featured The Honorable Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education; The Honorable Lauren Jones (Young Leader 2017, Innovation Fellow 2025–2026), Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development; and The Honorable Laura Fortman (Innovation Fellow 2025–2026), Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor.
The third panel, Private-Sector Leadership and Workforce Innovation, examined the role of businesses in developing talent and preparing workers for emerging opportunities. Moderated by Philippe Roesle, CEO & Consul of Swissnex in Boston and New York and a member of the ASF Stratton Prize Committee, the panel featured Stephanie Fink, Head of HR Operations, Total Rewards & HR Business Partner at CRISPR Therapeutics ; Shay Robinson (Young Leader 2025), Head of U.S. Partnerships & Early Careers at Aon and a member of the ASF Alumni Committee; and Kevin Kerls, Site Head of Lonza Portsmouth at Lonza.
The fourth panel, Mayors as Workforce Innovators, highlighted the role of local leadership in addressing workforce challenges and supporting economic opportunity. Moderated by Clarence Anthony, CEO & Executive Director of the National League of Cities, the discussion featured The Honorable Lily Wu, Mayor of Wichita, Kansas, and The Honorable Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Mayor of Vancouver, Washington.
The final panel, Rethinking Education for the Workforce of Tomorrow, featured Effy Vayena, Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations and Professor of Bioethics at ETH Zürich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The discussion was moderated by Matthew F. McKnight (Young Leader 2014), CEO of Perimeter and a member of the ASF Board of Directors.
H.E. Dr. Ralf Heckner (Young Leader 2001), Ambassador of Switzerland to the United States, delivered the closing remarks.
The Innovation Forum underscored the importance of collaboration among government, educational institutions, and the private sector in preparing the next generation of workers. By bringing together leaders from across the United States and Switzerland, ASF continued its commitment to fostering dialogue, exchanging ideas, and strengthening the bilateral relationship through shared learning and leadership.
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The American Swiss Foundation (ASF) is proud to introduce its 2026–2027 Innovation Fellows, a cohort of 13 Fellows: 12 U.S. Mayors & 1 State Secretary of Labor, participating in the second year of ASF’s Innovation Forum.
2026 – 2027 Innovation Fellows
Senior Fellows
Mayor Quinton Lucas (Young Leader 2023), Mayor, City of Kansas City, Missouri
Director Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes (ASF Innovation Fellow 2025-2026), Director & State Secretary of Labor, Department of Employment Services, District of Columbia
Mayor Daniel J. Rickenmann (Young Leader 2006), Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina
Mayor Malik D. Evans, Mayor, City of Rochester, New York
Mayor Carmalitha L. Gumbs, Mayor, City of South Fulton, Georgia
Mayor Tim Keller, Mayor, City of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Mayor Timothy A. Kelly, Mayor, City of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Mayor, City of Vancouver, Washington
Mayor Nadia Mohamed, Mayor, City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Mayor Jared C. Nicholson, Mayor, City of Lynn, Massachusetts
Mayor D.C. Reeves, Mayor, City of Pensacola, Florida
Mayor Debra Wimpee, Mayor, City of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Mayor Lily Wu, Mayor, City of Wichita, Kansas
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About the American Swiss Foundation
Founded in 1945 in response to World War II, the Foundation’s mission is to connect and engage Swiss and American leaders. Towards the end of the 20th century, two former U.S. Ambassadors to Switzerland, Shelby Cullom Davis and Faith Whittlesey, ushered in a new era for the small organization. They ultimately transformed the Foundation from an organization that was primarily social to one that focused on nurturing and investing in the next generation of leaders in both countries.
In 1975, Ambassador Davis assumed an active leadership role with the Foundation. He served as chairman and president until 1989, and as honorary chairman until his passing in 1994. In 1989, Ambassador Whittlesey became chairman and president of the Foundation and launched the organization’s flagship program, the Young Leaders Conference.
Today, Alumni of the past 35 conferences now number more than 1,800 leaders who shape the futures of the two countries, including members of U.S. Congress and Swiss parliamentarians, entrepreneurs and business executives, media professionals, and public policy experts.
Vanessa Beary, Executive Director
American Swiss Foundation
info@americanswiss.org
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