Emily Easton has supported Greater West Town Community Development Project (GWTP) since 2021. Emily first learned about GWTP from a friend who was working there. As she learned more, she wanted to support the work being done at GWTP. “I love that there’s a clear pathway to connect directly to industries,” said Emily in an interview for this blog. Building pathways for tomorrow’s workforce has been central to Emily’s career, having spent 15 years in higher education.

Emily is now the Director of Education and Workforce Development at the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) at the University of Chicago. The mission of the CQE is to connect leading academic talent, top scientific facilities, and prominent members and partners to advance the science and engineering of quantum information, train the quantum workforce of tomorrow, and drive the local and national quantum economy.

While higher education has been a pillar of her career, she is quick to acknowledge that there ought to be many career paths that lead to success. “Professional experience is often more important than a formal credential,” said Emily. This is illustrated by the occupational training programs at GWTP that focus on wood product manufacturing and shipping/receiving; the kinds of hands-on skills that Emily seeks to tap into to grow the field of quantum science and engineering in Chicago. Growing the future workforce of Chicago is something that Emily shares with GWTP, especially for the Black and Brown communities that have been historically left out of such technological and workforce advancements.

Emily sees GWTP as an excellent steward of donations, commenting, “Every dollar counts towards doing the great work y’all do.” You can join Emily in supporting the crucial work of GWTP by visiting gwtp.org/donate. And you can learn more about the Chicago Quantum Exchange at chicagoquantum.org/.