WORCESTER—The man behind Panera Bread’s famous broccoli cheddar soup is helping Clark University cook up its own recipe for transformation.
Clark alumnus and business leader Ron Shaich ’76, founder of Panera and a current trustee, donated $20 million — the largest single gift in the university’s history — to support Clark’s ongoing strategic overhaul aimed at streamlining operations, strengthening academics and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Clark President David Fithian called the gift “a testament to [Shaich’s] belief in the distinctive and distinguished nature of a Clark education,” according to the university’s announcement Tuesday. “His support affirms the promise of our strategic plan to propel Clark into a new chapter of sustained relevance, excellence, and impact.”
The mix of endowed and expendable funds helps expand enrollment and financial aid initiatives, bolsters the Clark experience and promotes the newly launched School of Climate, Environment, and Society — a cornerstone of the university’s reorganization.
In the announcement, Fithian said the gift would help the university “make important investments even as we continue the hard but necessary work of reducing expenses and rightsizing the institution.”
Shaich, a longtime Clark trustee and former chair of the Board of Trustees, said he sees his investment as part of a pivotal moment for higher education. “Clark, like all of higher education, is at a critical inflection point,” he said in a statement. “I applaud the way in which President Fithian and the entire University are confronting this moment proactively, boldly, and with plan and purpose. And I am very proud to be part of moving Clark forward.”
Shaich’s entrepreneurial career spans several well-known brands, including Au Bon Pain, Cava, Tatte Bakery and Café, Life Alive, Honest Greens Barcelona, and Level 99. He now leads Act III Holdings, an investment firm focused on sustainable, purpose-driven ventures.
His previous $5 million gift to Clark funded the Shaich Family Alumni and Student Engagement Center, which opened in 2016 and serves as a hub for student success and university operations.
Shaich’s connection to Clark dates back to his undergraduate years, when he ran a student business, the General Store, that sparked his interest in entrepreneurship. In 2014, the university awarded him an honorary degree, citing his leadership and innovation.
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