217 Commonwealth Ave — the former Algonquin Club, built 1888
Goodman Philanthropies · Annual Learning Field Trip
Boston, MA
October 1 & 2, 2026
Where We're Staying
The 'Quin House · 217 Commonwealth Avenue, Back Bay
One of only eight guestrooms in the club
One of the club's lounges — where we'll spend much of the two days
Goodman Philanthropies Attendees
These ten attend every event. Individual events note any additional guests.
Goodman Family — 6 Possible Attendees · Awaiting RSVPs
- Bennett Goodman
- Meg Goodman
- Jared Goodman
- Julia Goodman
- Julia Schwartz
- Jamie Schwartz
Goodman Philanthropies Staff — 4 Possible Attendees · Awaiting RSVPs
- Pam Harder Executive Director
- Rachel Lipson Expert Advisor
- Sean Brazier Expert Advisor
- Heidi Johnson Expert Advisor
Trip Agenda
Six different events, starting mid-day Thursday, October 1 and ending mid-day Friday, October 2
Day One
Thursday, October 1
Thursday AM — Travel to Boston
Arrivals into Logan, then on to The 'Quin House · 20–30 min
12:30 – 2:00 PM
Visit to JVS Boston
One of our newest grantees — a $1.8M grant over three years for English 2 Employment, the nation's first comprehensive model combining English language acquisition with workforce development, reaching immigrants across Greater Boston's gateway cities.
3.0 mi · 12–20 min to Charlestown
2:30 – 4:00 PM
Bunker Hill Community College Tour & Student Panel
Dr. Pam Eddinger
President, BHCC · hosting
The largest community college in Massachusetts — more than 19,000 learners a year across credit, non-credit and dual-enrollment programs, from campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea. Its students are 64% students of color, 64% part-time, average 26 years old, and come from 94 countries. A federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution and a 2026 Achieving the Dream Leader College. We'll tour the campus and sit with students already in earn-and-learn pathways.
Pre-Read
Bunker Hill: our draft investment memo
5 min read
We are weighing a three-year, $1,245,000 grant for a degree apprenticeship accelerator: paid, employer-based pathways into five licensed healthcare occupations, built by a dedicated executive director and apprenticeship navigator.
Read the memo →
Community Colleges 101
4 min read
This is a 2-page fact sheet about community colleges across the US, and a deep dive on Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts in specific.
Read the fact sheet →
3.6 mi · 15–28 min back to Back Bay
5:15 – 6:15 PM
Private Art Tour of the 'Quin House Collection
Kate Chertavian
Private Art Curator · Tour leader
Given Meg and Bennett's interest in art, and the family's first visit to The 'Quin House. Kate Chertavian personally curated the collection for Paul and Sandy Edgerley.
6:15 – 8:15 PM
Dinner & Fireside Chat with Peter Blair, moderated by Gerald Chertavian
Gerald Chertavian
Founder & Senior Advisor, Year Up United · Senior Lecturer, HBS · moderator
Peter Blair
Associate Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education · Faculty Co-Director, Harvard Project on Workforce · guest of honor
An intimate dinner built around a fireside conversation on AI, work, and American economic mobility, with Harvard economist Peter Blair as guest of honor and Gerald Chertavian — who spent 25 years building Year Up United, our largest grantee — moderating. Twenty-five minutes of conversation, then your questions.
Day Two
Friday, October 2
9:00 – 11:00 AM
Breakfast with Gina Raimondo
Gina Raimondo
40th U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Joe Fuller
Professor of Management Practice, HBS · Co-Head, Managing the Future of Work · Moderator
Goodman Philanthropies is an early seed funder of RAISE US, the bipartisan nonprofit Secretary Raimondo co-founded with Governor Eric Holcomb to build America's workforce strategy for the AI economy. Our $500,000 founding grant was awarded in June 2026.
Pre-Read
Why We Invested in RAISE US
5 min read
Our write-up of the $500,000 founding grant to the bipartisan nonprofit Secretary Raimondo co-founded to rebuild America’s workforce strategy for an AI economy.
Read the memo →
Speaker Bios and Breakfast Attendee List
2 min read
Bios for Secretary Raimondo and moderator Joe Fuller, followed by every confirmed guest at the breakfast.
See the bios →
3.4 mi · 13–22 min to Harvard Square
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Lunch & Learn with Harvard Professor Raj Chetty
Raj Chetty
William A. Ackman Professor of Economics, Harvard · Director, Opportunity Insights
Our entire north star KPI is tied directly to his work — we measure our grantmaking against Chetty's definition of economic mobility: inflation-adjusted earnings at age 30 relative to one's parents. His team built the Opportunity Atlas, and he was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal and a MacArthur Fellowship.
Pre-Read
Raj Chetty and Opportunity Insights
3 min read
A one-page 101 on the researcher whose definition of mobility we measure ourselves against: inflation-adjusted earnings at age 30, against what their parents earned at the same age.
Read the 101 →
Opportunity Capital
10 min read
The two documents Opportunity Insights sent ahead of our visit, in full: the Opportunity Capital concept note and the Digital Twins methodological appendix.
Read both →
25–45 min to Logan
Friday PM — Return travel from BOS
Departures from Logan · last event ends 1:00 pm in Harvard Square
The Geography
Every venue sits inside a four-mile triangle, with The 'Quin House at the center
