What happens when a 150-year-old public university on a mission to be the best for the world joins forces with a challenger candy brand determined to make joy healthier? You get a story of values turned into value, where tradition meets disruption and purpose fuels growth.
 
Join R. Ethan Braden, Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Texas A&M University, and Tyler Merrick, Aggie entrepreneur and founder of Joyride Sweets, as they explore how unlikely partners can create both cultural relevance and commercial impact. Together, they’ll unpack how the Aggie community is creating a powerful blueprint for how legacy institutions and modern challenger brands alike can combine purpose and creativity to resonate with audiences, win attention, and scale meaning.
 
Learn how Texas A&M is rewriting the playbook for higher education marketing through its Force for Good platform, while Joyride charts a path from startup to Target shelves by challenging category norms with a mission-driven, better-for-you product. And discover how shared values, the power of influence, and a belief that brands should make people’s lives not just sweeter—but better—can drive growth that matters.