David Kelley Joins Gateway Public Schools for the 2014 Matters of the Mind Luncheon

IDEO's David Kelley will join Gateway Public Schools for the 12th Annual Matters of the Mind Luncheon on Thursday, October 16, 2014, at Gateway High School in San Francisco's Western Addition in support of Gateway Public Schools' fundraising efforts.

"David Kelley's belief in the creative potential in each of us inspires our work at Gateway," said Executive Director Sharon Olken. "Each day we hope to nurture our students' creativity, as well as help them to recognize and strengthen their own innovative capacities."

Mr. Kelley will speak at the Luncheon following a mid-morning VIP reception and presentation by Gateway students from both the middle and high schools. Gateway Public Schools has served the San Francisco community since 1998 with a mission to prepare college-bound learners regardless of race, income, or learning style. More than 96% of Gateway High School graduates have Gone on to colleges across the country and the world (double the statewide rate).

As founder of IDEO and the d.school at Stanford, David Kelley has spent his career building innovative cultures that expand the role of design in the world. By applying a groundbreaking methodology called design thinking, IDEO has worked on thousands of products, services, and organizations that have had a lasting impact, from the first Apple mouse to homes for wounded veterans to an entire school system in Peru. In 1978, David co-founded the design firm that ultimately became IDEO. Today, he serves as chair of IDEO and is the Donald W. Whittier Professor at Stanford, where he has taught for more than 30 years. What matters most to him is unlocking the creative confidence of people and organizations so they can innovate routinely.

About Gateway: Fifteen years ago, a group of San Francisco parents had the dream of creating a school that would be a gateway to college for all students regardless of race, income, or learning style. They founded Gateway High School, a college preparatory, public charter school in San Francisco, focused on serving an academically disadvantaged student population. Since then, more than 96% of Gateway graduates have Gone on to college. We expanded our model with the addition of Gateway Middle School in 2011. Gateway was founded on the paired principles that all students can learn at high levels and that all students learn differently. By serving as a model public school organization, we hope to demonstrate that public education can and does work for diverse learners, share best practices, and serve as a catalyst for change within the public sphere.

The Annual Matters of the Mind Luncheon is the major fundraising event for the year for Gateway Public Schools. Previous speakers have included author and journalist Michael Lewis, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and award-winning author, historian, and CNN legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin.