Tim Cook, Bill Gates to share podcast commencement speeches for graduates
The speeches will be published by iHeartMedia on May 15, ahead of National Graduation Day.
- Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Tim Cook joins a list of high-profile personalities offering wisdom and advice for 2020 graduates in a new podcast.
Graduates bummed to be missing out on commencement speeches due to the COVID-19 pandemic will still have the opportunity to (virtually) gain some wisdom for their next chapter in life. iHeartMedia is launching a podcast event called Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020, which will feature addresses from high-profile names including Apple CEO Tim Cook , Bill and Melinda Gates, Jimmy Fallon, Hillary Clinton and John Legend. Last month, iHeartMedia shared more than two dozen speakers lined up for the campaign, and added more to the list on Monday.
The speeches will be published May 15, ahead of National Graduation Day on May 17. They'll be available on iHeartRadio and wherever podcasts can be heard. Speeches will also be featured on iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations across the US.
"Because so many schools and colleges have moved to online learning to ensure the safety of their students, many graduates are missing their commencement ceremonies, traditionally such significant milestones in their lives," Conal Byrne, president of the iHeartPodcast Network, said in a statement. "High school and college seniors are always in need of inspiration, reassurance and life advice as they head into the next chapter of their lives, and that is especially true this year."
Speeches for the Class Of 2020 joins "some of the most experienced and inspiring people in the country today" to celebrate this year's graduates, Byrne said.
Other participants include Eli Manning, Chelsea Handler, DJ Khaled, Tim McGraw, David Chang and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert.
