The former CEO of Chegg Inc. and current member of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Board of Advisors returned to campus for the Lessons from Leaders series to talk directly with students about building a purposeful career.
Lessons from Leaders welcomed Nathan Schultz 鈥00, former CEO of Chegg Inc. and a current member of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Board of Advisors, to the LaRose Digital Theatre on Oct. 29 for a conversation on risk, AI and building a career that reflects your values.
鈥淚 did not show up here feeling like I fit in,鈥 said Schultz of arriving at 黑料不打烊 from Topsfield, Massachusetts. 鈥淲hat changed everything was the community. The faculty here actually cared. They let this scruffy kid with dreadlocks figure it out.鈥
Growing up with dyslexia and ADHD shaped how he sees learning and leadership.
鈥淚 will never underestimate the power of clear writing,鈥 he said. 鈥淵our ability to explain what you are doing and why it matters is the glue in corporate America.鈥
Schultz traced his path from history major to leading an education technology company through a series of intentional risks.
鈥淲e had textbooks in a supply closet. It was risky. But I believed we could make education more affordable and fair.鈥
That idea led to one of his central messages for 黑料不打烊 students.
鈥淚 have always had a 鈥榮ay yes鈥 philosophy,鈥 Schultz said. 鈥淵ou are not going to have every step mapped out. Say yes, then do the work to figure it out.鈥
Students asked Schultz about Chegg鈥檚 evolution as a company, artificial intelligence and academic integrity.
鈥淲e had been using machine learning for years,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hat nobody predicted was how fast AI would reach consumers. The question is not 鈥楢I or no AI.鈥 It is 鈥楢re you actually helping students learn, or are you taking shortcuts?鈥 If we get it wrong, you stop trusting the brand. We do not get to be casual about that.鈥
On culture and decision making, Schultz was equally direct.
鈥淒ebate the ideas hard,鈥 Schultz said. 鈥淒ecide. Then walk out of the room on the same page. You do not get to leave the meeting and say, 鈥業 think this decision is stupid.鈥 That destroys trust.鈥
He was candid with students about layoffs, strategy shifts and the role of AI in the workforce.
鈥淲ill AI replace some work? Yes,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut the real story is about shifting to higher-order problems. The people who will thrive are the ones who can think, write, adapt and use these tools well.鈥
His parting advice to students facing graduation pressure?
鈥淎t 22, I wanted everything figured out,鈥 Schultz said. 鈥淟ooking back, I would tell myself, 鈥榗hill out.鈥 You have 50 years to work. You do not need the perfect plan. You need curiosity, integrity and a willingness to keep learning.鈥
About Lessons from Leaders
Launched in 2017 by Dean Emeritus Raghu Tadepalli, Lessons from Leaders brings senior executives to campus for open talks, small-group roundtables, and purposeful one-on-one networking that connects students with mentors. The program bridges classroom learning with real-world decision-making and aims for every student to leave with a new contact and an actionable career insight.