Marriott Executive in the Classroom Series: Nick Bayer, Saxbys

Nick Bayer

Saxbys
CEO and Founder

Details

November 17, 2022
10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Mathematical Sciences Building (MATH) 175

When Nick Bayer founded Saxbys in 2005, he didn’t want it to be like any other coffee company. Over the years, Saxbys has found its true identity as a pioneering education and opportunity company fueled by great coffee and hospitality.

Since 2005, Saxbys, a Certified B Corporation, has grown from one corner cafe to a nearly 30-unit, Philadelphia-based business with a singular mission: Make Life Better. 

For Nick, making life better is achieved through bringing people together, whether as consummate Little League team captain, one of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s “Most Admired CEOs,” or through community building and placemaking in Saxbys’ cafes.

From its cafes to its headquarters, Saxbys’ core values are imperative to the business and guest experience, especially as it launched and grew The Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform (The Saxbys E.L.P.). In 2015, in partnership with Drexel University, Saxbys opened the nation’s first entirely student-run business, with one student per semester earning full academic credit, a salary, and bonuses to run the on-campus cafe as the Student Cafe Executive Officer (Student C.E.O.).

The E.L.P. emboldens the next generation of entrepreneurs by providing undergraduate students with dynamic, hands-on experience as a complement to traditional, in-classroom learning. In just five years, the E.L.P has grown from one cafe to over 15, and is on pace to double its footprint by 2023. 

Beyond Saxbys, Nick holds a number of leadership positions in higher education and in the Philadelphia community. He is currently the Entrepreneur in Residence at Cornell University–his alma mater–in their School of Hotel Administration. He is also an adjunct professor at Drexel University and the Executive in Residence at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. Nick serves on the Board of The Franklin Institute, Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region, the Community College of Philadelphia, Drexel University’s Close School of Entrepreneurship, and the Corporate Council for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He also serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

Nick has been named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, “Social Entrepreneur of the Year” by EY, and one of the “100 Most Powerful Business Leaders in Philadelphia” by the Philadelphia Business Journal. He resides in Center City Philadelphia with his wife Hally and his son Luke.