The Power of Partnership: Fusion as a Force Multiplier for Impact

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Adora Mora, Chief of Staff at Curriculum Associates; Steven Dorsey, Superintendent Area E at San Diego Unified School District; Devon Gadow, Vice President of National Consulting at TNTP; Brittany Miller, Chief Innovation Officer at The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting; Karl Rectanus, CEO at Really Great Reading; and Nancy Gutiérrez, President and CEO at The Leadership Academy.The speakers explored how the most meaningful progress in education did not come from isolated efforts, but from fusion—when partners across sectors combined strengths in ways that fundamentally changed what was possible. They examined how true partnership was not simply additive, but transformative: not 1 + 1 = 2, but 1 + 1 = 11.This session featured two fireside conversations between cross-sector partners, including district and state leaders, EdTech founders, and nonprofit innovators. Each pairing offered a candid look at how partnerships were formed, how roles and responsibilities were shared, and how fusion became a force multiplier for impact. Panelists discussed what changed when incentives aligned, trust was built, and execution was shared.The conversation focused on how partnership-driven fusion strengthened implementation, accelerated learning, and enabled innovation at scale. By bringing together diverse expertise through intentional collaboration, this session highlighted how thoughtfully designed partnerships could change the equation itself—delivering more durable results for students, educators, and systems.