Delta CEO Ed Bastian is bringing back his one-on-one discussion series for another round of conversations worth navigating. The first season of Gaining Altitude ended on a high note, but don’t worry – there’s more to come.  

Delta CEO announces $2M grant to Atlanta-based HBCU Spelman on ‘Gaining Altitude’

The Delta Air Lines Foundation announced a $2 million grant to Spelman College for the Center for Innovation and Arts as part of the Spelman Ascends campaign. The grant totals $500,000 a year for four years, helping fund the historically Black college's integration of the arts into its already robust STEM education programs for women.

Bastian launched the series in the depths of the pandemic. Inspired by companywide employee town halls that focus on the issues of race and equity after the murder of George Floyd, Gaining Altitude features impactful guests who can speak to a broad audience of Delta customers, employees, media, and the general public. 

The series navigates important and sometimes difficult conversations about topics that matter to our world, including servant leadership, entrepreneurship, sustainability, mental health and diversity, equity and inclusion.   

“From sustainability to education to leading from a place of purpose and everything in between, each guest has made an impact on me. But there’s always so much more we can learn from one another,” Bastian wrote in a social media post. 

Bastian announced that the series will return for a second season later this year. Stay tuned for more details.  

You can catch the whole first season with CEO and philanthropist Tristan Walker, hospitality entrepreneur Danny Meyer, former GM CEO Mary Barra, Jopwell CEO Porter Braswell, philanthropist and NFL star Larry Fitzgerald and former Spelman College president Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell on the Gaining Altitude website.