Ford Thirty Under 30 Class of 2019 Meets Up for First Time
Thirty young professionals convened at Ford World Headquarters in March to meet one another — as well as Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford — in the first official gathering of the 2019 class of Thirty Under 30. This marks the fourth year of the Thirty Under 30 program, which aims to bring together Ford employees under the age of 30 and link them with nonprofit organizations.
“What we’ve learned since the program first began in 2016 is that the next generation has a very different view of the world, especially when it comes to philanthropy,” said Jim Vella, president of the Ford Fund. “They want to change the world in a bigger, more impactful way that goes beyond making donations.”
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In the initial meeting, the 30 Ford employees met with members of the Henry Ford Learning Institute for a crash course in design thinking and with Mary Culler, who is leading Ford’s development project in Corktown. Bill Ford, who was integral in launching the program in 2016, joined the group for lunch to share his insight in where the automotive industry is going.
This year’s class includes employees representing 11 different skill teams at Ford — ranging from Marketing, Sales, and Service to Product Development — and originating from six states as well as Canada. These employees will team with organizations in southeast Michigan and Ontario to help neighborhoods in need through projects aimed at providing services, beautification, and addressing development and housing needs.
“I’m not a Michigan native, but in the two years I’ve lived in Detroit I’ve developed a deep connection with my new home,” said Erin Rose Briggs, who works in Ford’s Product Development department. “I can’t wait to partner with a local organization who knows the people here even better and really immerse myself in the community and engage in a real way with a larger, more diverse group of people.”
Ford will also launch a similar pilot program in Mexico this year, in which five employees will join the Thirty Under 30 for the program-concluding showcase in October.
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