With each year that passes there are more and more BIC graduates doing great work all over the world. Each year we publish brief “Alumni Updates” where our alumni can tell us some about their post-BIC lives. In addition to these annual updates, we post interviews with our alumni. Today we are excited to post an interview with Caleb Gardner (’05). We hope you enjoy, and if you are interested in being interviewed for a future blog post, email us at BIC@baylor.edu.
What year did you graduate from Baylor? What did you study?
I graduated in 2005, and I majored in History and minored in Music.
Tell us some about your career and journey since graduating from Baylor.
I’ve had a winding career path in marketing, strategy and innovation. After going back to school for my MBA, I worked for nonprofits, startups, and professional firms like Edelman and Bain & Company, but some of my most meaningful years were spent running digital strategy for President Obama’s political advocacy group, OFA. A few years ago, I co-founded an innovation consulting firm, 18 Coffees, and now run our consulting practice and business development.
How has your BIC education influenced your life and/or work since leaving Baylor? Do you have any favorite memories from your time in BIC?
Multi-disciplinary critical thinking has been key to my career path – because my career didn’t exist when I graduated! Having a passionate curiosity about how the world works stems directly from my time in the BIC, and has been an incredible career advantage.
I think my favorite memories from the BIC happened outside of the classes themselves – in hallways, study rooms, and cafeterias, where ideas would spill over into passionate debates. A hallmark of anyone in the BIC was a commitment to engaging with the material, and not just being in class for the sake of being in class.
Do you have any advice for current BIC students?
The workplace is changing at an incredible pace, and the narrative that you can carry with you from your BIC education into any interview is the ability to be an adaptable critical thinker.
The best time to start telling your story and thinking about how future employers will see you was yesterday. The second best time is now.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Part of landing on your feet after you graduate is building the right network. I’m always happy to help.
