Award-Winning Entrepreneur Adam Braun, Business Leader Kathy Taylor to speak at USAO’s 2025 Giles Symposium
The University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma will welcome Adam Braun, an award-winning entrepreneur and bestselling author, alongside business leader Kathy Taylor, as keynote speakers for the 2025 Giles Symposium on Citizenship and Public Service on Friday, March 7.
The event will begin at 2 p.m. with a master class led by Braun, followed by Taylor’s master class at 3:30 p.m. A reception will take place at 5 p.m. before Taylor opens the evening program at 6 p.m. Braun’s keynote address will begin at 7 p.m., followed by a moderated Q&A and an optional book signing.
The events are free, but registration is required. View the full schedule and register online here.
“I’m honored to speak at USAO about the opportunity each of us has to become a force for positive impact in our communities and the world at large,” Braun said. “I’m excited in particular to share the most powerful lessons that I’ve learned over the years that recognize and celebrate the power of each generation, especially rising young leaders, to make an indelible mark for good.”
Braun, a three-time award-winning entrepreneur, bestselling author and internationally recognized speaker on leadership and innovation, founded Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit organization which facilitates education opportunities by building schools. It has built over 600 schools since its inception in 2008.
Braun is also the CEO of Clarasight, a technology company supporting corporate sustainability, and. His book, The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change, became a No. 1 international bestseller, and his work has earned him honors such as Business Insider’s 40 Under 40 and the Jefferson Award for Public Service.
Taylor is a business executive, former mayor of Tulsa, and a longtime thought leader in education and entrepreneurship. She has served as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Commerce, Tourism and Workforce and held leadership roles with Dollar/Thrifty Car Rental and multiple national boards. She founded Impact Tulsa to improve educational outcomes and co-founded the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation to support entrepreneurship and education initiatives. Taylor’s contributions to public service have been recognized by the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, and the U.S. Navy, among others.
“I am honored to be invited the Giles symposium at USAO to share with students the importance and impact of public service- both to the organization and to each person individually,” Taylor said. “Leading community change can happen at any age when you find your passion and your focus.”
For more information and to register, visit usao.edu/symposium.
The Ray, Mary & Nita Giles Symposium for Citizenship and Public Service
The USAO Foundation sponsors the Ray, Mary & Nita Giles Symposium for Citizenship and Public Service through endowment funds created by Oklahoma College for Women alumni Mary Martin Giles, her husband, Ray, and their daughter, Nita.
About the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma
As Oklahoma’s liberal arts college, the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma provides a distinctive education in the liberal arts and sciences, supporting both its interdisciplinary core curriculum and major fields of study with superior teaching. USAO fosters diversity of thought and practice to help students realize meaningful, purposeful and productive lives as global citizens in a rapidly-changing world.