The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable
GlobalMindED closes the equity gap by creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline through connections to role models, mentors, internships for low-income students, returning adults, First Gen to college and inclusive leaders who teach them, work with them and hire them.
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First Gen Becomes Ph.D. Leading at Medtronic and the Medical Device Industry, Meet: Dr. Michael O'Connor
Dr. Michael O’Connor has been with Medtronic for over 20 years. In 2023 he was named an American Institute for Medical, Biological, and Engineering fellow. Dr. O’Connor is also the inventor of US Patent 5,545,151, a catheter having hydrophobic properties. In November 2021, he became a World and America’s PMO Leader of the year award winner.
You are a First Gen success. What were your early years like? How did you get to college in the first place?
I went to college right after high school and wanted to pursue a professional soccer career. I had already attended Lakewood College, receiving my Associate of Arts degree. Then, I completed a two-year Quality Control Technology Diploma at 916 Vo-Tech and an Associate of Science Degree. After that, I completed my Bachelor of Arts in business and later a Minor in Project Management. Later, I decided to attend graduate school at the University of St. Thomas for a Master’s Degree of Science in Technology Management and complete a Master’s of Science Degree in Project Management at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. I also completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of Phoenix. Finally, I completed my Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, with a Major in Project Management from the University of Maryland, College Park, A. James Clark School of Engineering. I utilize my education over the years to fulfill the Medtronic mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life as Senior Research Program Director, Program Management in Cranial & Spinal Technologies, Enabling Technologies for Medtronic.
What promotion pathways have you scaled, and how have those led to your current role at Medtronic?
I have worked in Research and Development, Manufacturing, Quality, Technology, Science, Clinical, Regulatory, and many other areas. Making connections in these areas began over 33+ years of work in the medical device industry. I have mainly worked in product development and project management and have been named a Medtronic Technical Fellow. In addition, I have mentored many students over the years to guide them into roles that are both rewarding and that they can be passionate about.
What services do you perform outside of work, and how is that fostering opportunities for those without networks?
I have volunteered for many boards, non-profits, and universities to utilize my education, background, and experience. One of the universities where I teach graduate school is the most diverse university in Minnesota. My students work on real-world problems and deliver a successful project to a non-profit at the end of the course. The non-profits we work with are also diverse in many ways. My students learn about leadership, serving others, giving back, and how they can make a short-term impact in the lives of others outside of the corporate world.
How can GlobalMindED and Medtronic enable millions of students to become as successful as you are in your personal and professional life? What do we need to do societally to make this happen?
We can all create a partnership that will help people in our organizations. GlobalMindED focuses on a global innovation network that closes the equity gap through education, entrepreneurship, employment, and economic mobility to create a capable, diverse talent pipeline. Medtronic is focused on restoring health, alleviating pain, and extending life with three key strategic objectives, Therapy Innovation, Globalization, and Economic Value.
We need to take one step at a time to make an impact through our organizations. Communication is the first step that can create the most effective outcome. The partnership would be the next step to determine how our two organizations can create an innovative process to connect students, jobs, and inclusive leaders. And the last step is building a network of leaders in organizations to make the connection that will allow diversity, communication, partnership, and innovation across both organizations and beyond.
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SAVE the date for the next "Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable" Event: STEM Stars, Stellar Success Stories,
April 18 4:00 ET
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If you missed the last one, Female College Presidents: Breaking Barriers in Higher Education, you can view it here.
Dynamic, inspirational college presidents who have led the way for women in higher education share their lived experiences, innovative practices, and vision for higher education
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Female College Presidents: Breaking Barriers in Higher Education, a Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable presentation Click HERE
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Dr.Ryan Ross; Assoc. V. Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity, & Inclusion, Colorado Community College System
with:
Dr. Colleen Simpson, President
Front Range Community College
Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, President
Cankdeska Cikana Community College
Dr. Rochelle Ford, President
Dillard University
Sandra J. Doran, JD, President
Bay Path University
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Join us in Denver June 7-9 for GlobalMindED 2023
GlobalMindED 2023 June 7-9 Denver Sheraton
To get a feel for the conference experience, please see this brief video by The PhD Project from the 2022 GlobalMindED Conference, and the Complete 2022 Program
The 2022 Conference:
- 800+ attendees
- 140 students from 41 universities/colleges
- 300+ speakers from 65 universities/colleges and 47 businesses
- 130 universities/colleges represented
- Majority of panels featured at least one student
- 74 % diverse speakers
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The GlobalMindED Inclusive Success NetworkTM had another banner year of growth, impact, and outcomes for First Generation, poverty-affected and minoritized students. Here are some of the highlights:
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Return of in-person GlobalMindED conference with record attendance and the largest First Gen Leadership Class ever of 122 student leaders. See PhD Project brief video of the event.
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Our fourth annual Inclusive Leader Awards recognized 15 DEIB leaders across sectors.
- Almost all our 100+ panels and sessions of 2022 featured a student.
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Of the 300+ speakers, 73% were diverse leaders sharing their thoughts.
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We held our first Industry Marketplace Career Exploration Arena at GlobalMindED 2022 with 40 companies, giving K-12, college students, educators, and leaders a way to learn about emerging fields and careers. Join us for the next one at GlobalMindED 2023.
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Our first satellite event at Georgia Institute of Tech was livestreamed via the Atlanta PBS affiliate.
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We became an official initiative of the Foundation for the Support the United Nations (FSUN) and will hold our first UN event on March 22, 2023.
- ·We served ten colleges with the GlobalMindED Success Collaborative connecting students at each HBCU, MSI, HIS and Tribal College with role models, mentors, internships, and jobs.
- We had partners/volunteers from Microsoft, Salesforce, Rubrik, HP, Stanford MBA and more.
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We spoke at the White House Initiative for HBCUs with sponsor Hewlett Packard.
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Our team, Board, Colorado Board and Executive Leadership Council are all majority diverse serving a majority diverse population of emerging leaders.
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We continued to publish our daily newsletter and conduct monthly virtual Equity events, led by people of color with majority diverse panelists and students. These are the role models for our students.
- Our annual operating budget increased by 67% emerging COVID strong.
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We doubled our staff from four to eight as we grow to scale our impact.
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Our Young Professionals grew to 40 strong, with a ten-person leadership cabinet made up of, but not limited to, graduates of our programs who are now working professionals.
- Since 2015, we have successfully connected 1,200+ students to internships and jobs.
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Our founder, Carol Carter, was recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in Denver by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and one of the Most Admired CEOs by the Denver Business Journal.
We are grateful for the support, inclusive leadership, and financial contributions of our community and sponsors who work tirelessly to open doors for the students we serve, the institutions who support them, and the businesses and non-profits who are committed to hiring a capable, diverse talent pipeline. We look forward to seeing all of you June 7-9 at our best event yet, GlobalMindED 2023 - Transforming Boundaries: Creating Systemic Access and Equity. The Inclusive Leaders Awards Dinner is June 7, followed by the conference June 8- 9 at the Denver Downtown Sheraton.
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