Full Name
Stephen White, Esq.
Job Title
Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel
Company
Center for Science and Industry (COSI)
Speaker Bio
Mr. Stephen White, Esq. works to inspire others to dream more, do more, and become more. He serves as the Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel at the Center for Science and Industry (COSI), a science center named number one in the nation by USA Today four years in a row, and a museum named as the IMLS National Medal in 2023.
During his career, he founded the theory of “Servant Learning” as an engagement strategy to help bridge the “Skills Gap Canyon” and workforce education gaps.
In his role at COSI, he is oversees the development of optimizing the entrepreneurial business model for the organization, creating and implementing a global strategy for public partnerships at the city, state, and federal levels, and leading the execution of COSI’s Strategic Plan.
A signature initiative during his career was the creation of the Learning Lunchbox Model of Engagement, which seeks to, among things, help “feed hungry lives and feed hungry minds.” Stephen serves as the executive lead for the Learning Lunchbox model of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEM), an innovative program of informal learning through community partnerships to help bridge the education gap and digital divide for underserved youth by delivering educational kits to the most vulnerable alongside critical human services, such as foodbanks. These STEM kits are developed in partnership with the White House, NASA, U.S. Department of Energy, and more, with over 350,000+ being distributed across the globe.
Stephen is the recipient of several awards, including Harvard’s Young American Leadership Program, American Alliance of Museum’s Nancy Hank’s Leadership Award, U.K. Global Blooloop 50 Influencer, Midwest Museum Association Promising Leadership Award, 40 Under 40, Elite Lawyer, Columbus CEO Future 50, the John Glenn Young Alumni Achievement Award, and more.
He has over a decade experience in partnerships and policy, including serving as General Counsel in the U.S. Senate, where he worked on critical areas of public policy to help address issues such as workforce development and education.
As a first-generation student, Mr. White earned three degrees, all from The Ohio State University, including his B.A. in English and Political Science, J.D. from the OSU Moritz College of Law, and his M.A. in Public Policy and Management from the OSU John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and holds a Certificate in Advanced Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has served as an adjunct professor at the OSU Moritz College of Law covering nonprofit law and leadership, as well as several state and federal boards including as current Chair of the International Space Station User Advisory Subcommittee on Education and board member with the Association of Children’s Museums.
He has served as a speaker at the White House, Statue of Liberty, SXSW EDU, U.S. Department of Education, TEDx, Ecsite, and more, examining innovative strategies on partnerships to help address workforce development and education equity.
Reach him at Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/in/stephenmauricewhite, on Twitter at @StephenWhiteOH, and via email at swhite@cosi.org.
During his career, he founded the theory of “Servant Learning” as an engagement strategy to help bridge the “Skills Gap Canyon” and workforce education gaps.
In his role at COSI, he is oversees the development of optimizing the entrepreneurial business model for the organization, creating and implementing a global strategy for public partnerships at the city, state, and federal levels, and leading the execution of COSI’s Strategic Plan.
A signature initiative during his career was the creation of the Learning Lunchbox Model of Engagement, which seeks to, among things, help “feed hungry lives and feed hungry minds.” Stephen serves as the executive lead for the Learning Lunchbox model of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEM), an innovative program of informal learning through community partnerships to help bridge the education gap and digital divide for underserved youth by delivering educational kits to the most vulnerable alongside critical human services, such as foodbanks. These STEM kits are developed in partnership with the White House, NASA, U.S. Department of Energy, and more, with over 350,000+ being distributed across the globe.
Stephen is the recipient of several awards, including Harvard’s Young American Leadership Program, American Alliance of Museum’s Nancy Hank’s Leadership Award, U.K. Global Blooloop 50 Influencer, Midwest Museum Association Promising Leadership Award, 40 Under 40, Elite Lawyer, Columbus CEO Future 50, the John Glenn Young Alumni Achievement Award, and more.
He has over a decade experience in partnerships and policy, including serving as General Counsel in the U.S. Senate, where he worked on critical areas of public policy to help address issues such as workforce development and education.
As a first-generation student, Mr. White earned three degrees, all from The Ohio State University, including his B.A. in English and Political Science, J.D. from the OSU Moritz College of Law, and his M.A. in Public Policy and Management from the OSU John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and holds a Certificate in Advanced Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has served as an adjunct professor at the OSU Moritz College of Law covering nonprofit law and leadership, as well as several state and federal boards including as current Chair of the International Space Station User Advisory Subcommittee on Education and board member with the Association of Children’s Museums.
He has served as a speaker at the White House, Statue of Liberty, SXSW EDU, U.S. Department of Education, TEDx, Ecsite, and more, examining innovative strategies on partnerships to help address workforce development and education equity.
Reach him at Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/in/stephenmauricewhite, on Twitter at @StephenWhiteOH, and via email at swhite@cosi.org.
