ASU+GSV Summit Sessions

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Vivian Wu, Managing Partner, Ventures at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; Atin Batra, Director, Impact Investing at ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund; Matt Zieger, Chief Programs and Partnerships Officer at GitLab Foundation; and Esther Benjamin, CEO & ED at World Education Services.Philanthropy had increasingly begun borrowing from venture and open-source models, prioritizing speed, transparency, and proximity to the people it serves. This session brought together foundation leaders rethinking the fundamentals of philanthropic capital, including shorter funding cycles that enable rapid learning, ROI frameworks that guide decisions rather than constrain them, and collaborative models that invite educators and learners to help co-create public goods.Drawing on lessons from open-source communities and organizations, speakers explored how philanthropy can act with agility even without perfect data, break out of silos, and translate good intentions into meaningful progress at scale. The conversation examined how mission-driven organizations can adopt startup-speed principles while maintaining a focus on long-term public value and equitable impact.By redefining how philanthropic capital is deployed, this session highlighted a new playbook for foundations seeking to move faster, learn continuously, and build more responsive systems for social and educational innovation.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Deepanshu Arora, Founder & CEO at Toddle; Arif Karakus, CFO at Doping Technology; Joleen Liang, Co-founder at Squirrel AI Learning; Zara Zaman, Investor & Head of Platform at Emerge Capital; and Joy Chen, Senior Advisor at GSV Ventures and Stanford Accelerator for Learning.Some of the world’s most ambitious EdTech companies had been built not in Silicon Valley, but in intensely competitive markets around the globe defined by massive demand, rapid iteration, and high stakes for learners and families. As more of these companies looked beyond their home markets, this session explored why the path from local success to global relevance is anything but straightforward.This conversation brought together founders and operators at different stages of international expansion to examine what it truly takes to scale globally. Speakers discussed key challenges and strategic decisions spanning early market selection, product localization, partnerships, regulation, and organizational readiness. Panelists also shared lessons learned, ongoing missteps, and practical insights from navigating the complexities of expanding across borders.By exploring how leading EdTech companies move from dominant local players to globally relevant organizations, this session highlighted the operational, strategic, and cultural considerations shaping the next generation of international education innovation.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Kaylee Seely, Head of Immersive at Pearson Labs, Pearson; Elina Ollila, Deputy Center Director and Professor of Practice at Endless Games and Learning Lab at ASU; Nicole Staubli, Head of Education at Meta; and Jim Chilton, Board Director at SNHU Board.Immersive technology had long promised to transform learning, but this session explored how the real shift today is not hype—it is infrastructure. With game engines, spatial computing, and high-fidelity world-building tools now making it possible to construct persistent learning environments, speakers examined how students can increasingly explore, manipulate, and inhabit educational spaces in new ways.This conversation focused on how immersive learning is moving beyond one-off VR experiences into fully realized educational worlds. From digital twins of laboratories and historical sites to interactive simulations that mirror real systems, panelists discussed how the next generation of platforms is building environments where learning happens through participation rather than observation.Speakers also examined what it takes to bring immersive learning into real classrooms, including the technical stack behind these environments, the design principles that make virtual worlds educationally meaningful, and the practical realities of district adoption as immersive tools move from experimentation to infrastructure.By exploring both the promise and implementation challenges of AI + XR, this session highlighted how immersive technologies may finally be positioned to scale as meaningful educational infrastructure in the future of learning.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Brian Johnsrud, Director of Education at Adobe; Will Ji, Head of Customer Success at HeyGen; Gabrielle Rosemond, Head of Industry, Education & Services at TikTok; and Dan Quine, Senior Director of AI and Engineering at Learning Commons.As AI gained the ability to draft marketing copy, design graphics, generate video avatars, remix audio, and simulate entire creative workflows, this session examined a defining question: when creation becomes frictionless, what changes?Speakers explored how AI is reshaping authorship and ownership, whether prompting is emerging as a new creative skill, and how direction, taste, and curation are becoming increasingly important core competencies. The conversation also examined what happens to mastery when output becomes abundant and how professional creators must evolve in a world of infinite generation.By addressing the intersection of creativity, learning, and AI, this session highlighted how education and creative industries are redefining the skills that matter most when human imagination is augmented by increasingly powerful generative tools.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Carolina Recchi, CEO at EdSights; Lev Gonick, Enterprise Chief Information Officer at Arizona State University; Christina Yancey, Vice President at AIR (American Institutes for Research); Emily Smith, VP, Strategic Partnerships at CollegeVine; JC Bonilla, COO and Head of AI at Element451; and Tim Renick, Executive Director of the National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State University.As institutions pursued stronger engagement and retention, a new wave of Agentic AI tools promised personalized outreach, predictive support, and 24/7 responsiveness. This session explored the transformative potential of scalable connection, early risk detection, and enhanced student experience—while acknowledging that the reality is still unfolding.Speakers examined critical questions around whether student voices should serve as the key KPI, whether these systems can truly lower costs, empower staff, and increase persistence, and how institutions should evaluate the trade-offs between automation and meaningful human support. The conversation also addressed essential human considerations including privacy, authenticity, and agency as higher education navigates the line between automation and co-intelligence.By exploring both the promise and the complexity of Agentic AI, this session highlighted how colleges and universities are rethinking recruitment, retention, and student engagement strategies to build more responsive, ethical, and effective systems for learner success.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Kevin Guthrie, President at ITHAKA; Chris Ferguson, Executive Vice Chancellor of Finance and Strategic Initiatives at California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office; Abby Snay, Deputy Secretary, Workforce Strategy at California Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Brenda Thames, President/CEO at El Camino College; and Anna Silk, Partner at BCG.Across the country, colleges and workforce systems have been rethinking how learning is recognized so students can receive credit for the skills they gain through work, military service, apprenticeships, and industry certifications. This session explored how expanding Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), aligning credentials with industry demand, and improving credit mobility and the portability of learning records across institutions and employers can create faster, more affordable pathways into high-demand careers—particularly for working adults.Drawing on lessons from California’s large-scale credentialing reforms and Ithaka’s strategic research on student mobility, credit transfer, and outcomes, speakers highlighted practical strategies, emerging models, and policy enablers that other states and systems can adapt to improve equity, reduce time to completion, and strengthen economic mobility.By examining how credentialing systems can evolve to better reflect real-world skills and learner mobility, this conversation showcased how colleges, workforce leaders, and policymakers are building more flexible, inclusive pathways to opportunity for the future of work.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Jamie Reffell, Chief Product Officer at Clever, Inc.; Dan Meyer, VP User Growth at Amplify; Christian Pantel, Chief Product Officer at D2L; Dr. Kimberly Smith, Executive Director at Jackson Public Schools; and Erin Mote, CEO at InnovateEdu.As AI and consumer platforms entered classrooms, the line between technology designed for engagement and technology designed for learning had become increasingly blurred. This session explored the design gap between consumer-grade tools and education-focused technology, examining how learning science, procurement, and policy shape what actually reaches students.Speakers discussed how rapid evidence and outcomes-based contracting can help schools distinguish between tools that simply make answers easier and those that make thinking deeper. Rather than debating whether technology belongs in schools, the conversation focused on defining what quality looks like when learning—not engagement—is the primary goal.By confronting the challenges of design, implementation, and accountability, this session highlighted what it takes to ensure educational technology supports meaningful cognitive development and stronger student outcomes in an AI-enabled era.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Dave Duke, SVP & Chief Product Officer at McGraw Hill; Annie Chechitelli, Chief Product Officer at Turnitin; Anne Jones, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at Arizona State University; Jenny Maxwell, Head of Education at Superhuman; and Camilla Roberts, Director, Honor and Integrity System; President Emerita, Kansas State University; and ICAI.In the age of AI, academic integrity had shifted from offensive cheating to defensive coping, as students navigated pervasive tools and unclear expectations. This session examined why detection alone would not solve the challenge and introduced an emerging paradigm: moving integrity upstream.The conversation explored how institutions can foster productive struggle and authentic learning by setting clear norms, using collaborative AI intentionally, and emphasizing the learning process over the final product. Integrity experts and technologists shared practical, real-world strategies for redefining academic integrity beyond surveillance and enforcement.By focusing on proactive system design rather than reactive detection, this session highlighted how schools and institutions can build a sustainable culture of integrity—one that supports authentic learning, clarifies expectations, and prepares students to engage responsibly with AI in education.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Sven Schütt, CEO at IU Group; Eilif Serck-Hanssen, CEO at Laureate; Laura Kakon, Former Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at Honoris United Universities; Abdujabbor Abduvohidov, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Central Asian University; and Lucy Stonehill, CEO at Alwin Education Limited.Around the world, higher education institutions have been growing and evolving under constraints that differ markedly from those in the United States. Drawing on experience across Europe, Africa, Latin America, and beyond, this session explored how many global university groups have built scalable models without relying on high tuition or rigid academic pathways. Instead, these institutions have developed flexible credit structures, employer-aligned programs, innovative financing approaches, and AI-enabled teaching and student support.This conversation brought together leaders of major non-U.S. higher education organizations to discuss what they have built, why it works, and which lessons matter most for institutions navigating change in any system. Speakers examined how global models are redefining access, scalability, and workforce alignment while offering practical insights for colleges and universities seeking to evolve in a rapidly changing educational landscape.By looking beyond the U.S., this session highlighted how alternative higher education frameworks can inform the future of institutional design, student success, and sustainable growth worldwide.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured John Danner, CEO at Flourish Schools; Renato Feder, Secretary of Education São Paulo at Secretaria da Educação do Estado de SP; Susana Martinez, Governor at Governor Susana Martinez; Victoria Pylvainen, Senior Vice President at LearningMate; Don Soifer, CEO at National Microschooling Center; and Michael Horn, Author of Job Moves.In a Multiple Choice world, accountability had to become smarter—and more urgent. As learning expanded across public, private, charter, microschool, homeschool, hybrid, and AI-enabled models, this session examined a critical question: not whether accountability matters, but how to design it to actually improve outcomes for kids. Speakers addressed the reality that too many students are still leaving school without mastery in reading, math, and core subjects.This conversation confronted the tension head-on by exploring which measures drive real learning, how to balance flexibility with shared expectations for mastery, and how accountability can evolve to support personalization without lowering the bar. Panelists examined the future of assessment in an increasingly diverse educational ecosystem and considered how smarter accountability systems can support innovation while keeping student outcomes at the center.As educational choice expands, this session highlighted the importance of building accountability frameworks that preserve rigor, strengthen transparency, and ensure that diverse schooling models remain focused on meaningful student achievement.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Amar Kumar, CEO at KaiPod Learning; Allison Serafin, Vice President at Building Hope Impact Fund; Kelly Smith, Founder/CEO at Prenda; Robin Winder, Chief Academic Officer at FlexPoint and Florida Virtual School; Caroline Allen, Chief Program Officer at Center for Education Reform; and Kerry McDonald, Author of Joyful Learning.The fastest-growing schools in America no longer looked like the schools of the past. Microschools, virtual schools, hybrid programs, homeschools, and other new models had moved from niche to mainstream as families demanded personalization, flexibility, and specialization—and as districts sought new ways to meet students’ needs. Educators were increasingly stepping into entrepreneurship and leveraging technology to expand access for their students.This session examined both the promise and the operational realities of building and scaling schools today. Speakers explored the policy and structural challenges leaders must navigate, including zoning codes, accreditation rules, evolving state policies, complex ESA payment systems, and tight capital markets. The conversation got real about the friction leaders face while spotlighting the conditions that allow innovation to flourish.As the next generation of schools is being built in real time, this session highlighted the leaders shaping what makes that growth possible and explored what it takes for new school entrepreneurs to successfully launch, sustain, and scale transformative education models.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Jason Palmer, Co-Founder & President at Socrait; Heather Anichini, President & CEO at The Chicago Public Education Fund; Jim O'Neill, President, Core and Supplemental Solutions at HMH; Jodi Feikema, Chief Academic Officer and Provost at American College of Education; Megan Mitchell, Teacher & EdTech Consultant at ABC Unified School District and Mitchell Method Consulting; and Mahnaz Charania, Chief of Transformation at TNTP.For decades, the magic of teaching—mentorship, relationships, and instructional judgment—had been increasingly crowded out by administrative burden, fragmented tools, and unsustainable expectations. As AI reshaped work across every sector, this session examined a defining question for education: whether technology can finally return time, focus, and humanity to educators, or deepen the strain.The speakers explored how teaching can evolve into a more sustainable, high-impact profession by redesigning the work itself. District leaders, degree-granting programs, funders, and builders examined how AI-enabled systems, new operating models, and educator-centered design can reduce operational friction, strengthen instructional presence, and improve student-teacher relationships. Rather than replacing teachers, these approaches aimed to decouple routine tasks from the core work of learning, allowing educators to focus on judgment, connection, and craft.Moving beyond the burnout narrative, panelists shared how schools and organizations are rethinking recruitment, development, and day-to-day practice to build a profession designed for longevity and purpose. The conversation explored what it takes to move past vacancy-filling and toward a future where teaching is once again a role of influence, growth, and deep human impact in an AI-enabled world.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Matt Miller, CEO & Co-Founder at OKO Labs; Kim Smith, CEO/Founder at LearnerStudio; Maria Ortiz, Assistant Superintendent of High Schools at City of Newark Schools; Colin Kaepernick, CEO at Lumi Story AI; and Greg Toppo, Senior Writer at The 74 Million.As AI increasingly took on routine cognitive work, the true advantage shifted to what only humans can do well: think about their thinking, exercise judgment, adapt in unfamiliar contexts, and frame problems worth solving. This session brought together education leaders, system builders, and innovators reimagining how schools cultivate the durable skills AI can’t replicate: metacognition, executive function, adaptability, discernment, and complex problem-solving. The conversation explored how new school models and emerging EdTech tools have moved beyond content mastery to help students learn how to learn. From classroom practice to system design, speakers examined what it takes to prepare students to work alongside AI—not in competition with it—and how K–12 education must evolve to develop the human capabilities that matter most in an AI-powered future.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Ali Bebo, Chief Human Resources Officer at Pearson; Omar Abbosh, CEO at Pearson; Gian Paolo Perrucci, Technology Officer at Pearson; and Sandra Loughlin, Chief Learning Scientist at EPAM Systems.The speakers explored why past conversations about the future of the learning leader have often missed the mark, and what becomes possible when learning leaders effectively partner with CEOs and technology teams around data, intelligence, and organizational capability. Dr. Sandra Loughlin examined how learning leadership must evolve beyond traditional models to better align with business priorities and enterprise transformation.The session also featured a fireside conversation with an exemplary CEO, CHRO, and CTO trio, illuminating what businesses truly need from the next generation of learning leadership. Through this discussion, the panel highlighted how today’s learning and people leaders can step into this expanded role with greater confidence, clarity, and influence by directly shaping organizational capability and strategic outcomes.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Matt Wilkerson, Founder & CEO at Extern; Heather Stefanski, Partner and Chief Learning and Development Officer at McKinsey; Stephanie Veck, Strategic Partnerships Lead, Economic Opportunity at American Institutes for Research (AIR); John Koelliker, CEO & Co-Founder at Leland; and Raymond Sass, Senior Vice President at Lightcast.The speakers explored how the so-called entry-level jobs crisis has shifted from a headline-driven problem to an urgent opportunity for redesign. They challenged the assumption that early-career talent must arrive fully “ready” and instead examined how leading employers are transforming real work into the primary engine for learning.The session discussed how embedded learning cultures, hands-on experience, and learning in the flow of work are helping close the experience gap by rethinking how people start, grow, and thrive in their first roles. From redefining what it means to be qualified to redesigning entry-level roles so contribution is immediate and learning is continuous, the panel highlighted how companies can build capability from day one while delivering real business value. Rather than reviving outdated models, the conversation focused on creating new frameworks where potential compounds over time.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Julie Stone, Chief Learning Officer at TTEC; Tigran Sloyan, CEO & Co-founder at CodeSignal; Ken Schumacher, Founder and CEO at Ropes; Nikki Eatchel, Chief Assessment Officer at Prometric; and Jennifer Lee, Partner at GSV Ventures.The speakers explored how contingent workers now make up nearly 40% of the workforce, creating new challenges for organizations seeking to maintain performance, trust, and culture as talent continuously rotates in and out. They examined how AI is reshaping the contingent workforce through Tinder-like talent marketplaces, rapid skills matching, verification systems, fraud detection, and real-time performance signals.The session discussed what it takes for contingent workers to be effective from day one, how skills-based hiring and assessment must evolve in a world defined by constant churn, and what this shift means for organizational culture, accountability, and long-term capability building. Through this conversation, the panel highlighted how employers can move beyond disposable labor models to build trust, quality, and alignment in an increasingly contingent workforce.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Vishaal Gupta, President, Enterprise Learning & Skills at Pearson PLC; Lydia Logan, Vice President for Global Education and Workforce Development at IBM Corporate Social Responsibility; Anshul Sonak, Principal Engineer at Intel; Guna Jayaraman, Chief AI Officer at Cornerstone; and Lawrence Stevens, Director, Learning & Skills Ecosystem at Cisco.The speakers explored how, as AI moves from experimentation into widespread enterprise adoption, organizations are discovering that the core challenge is not the technology itself, but rather building the skills and organizational readiness required to unlock its full potential. Drawing on insights from the AI Workforce Consortium, they reframed the conversation from simply adopting AI tools to redesigning work around outcomes by focusing on measurable value created through human-AI collaboration.The session examined how strategy, skills, and roles must be aligned to support enterprise transformation, while also addressing why individual productivity gains often fail to translate into organization-wide impact. Through this conversation, leading companies explored what contributes to this productivity gap and what it takes to redesign work in ways that generate sustainable enterprise value.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Portia Pratt, Senior Policy Analyst at National Governors Association; Lee Lambert, Chancellor and CEO at Foothill-De Anza Community College District; Kristin Hultquist, Past Chair at MSU Denver Board of Trustees; and Alison Griffin, Principal Consultant at FutureRise.The speakers explored how Workforce Pell is opening federal funding to short-term, non-degree programs, shifting the national conversation from access to accountability as policymakers and institutions face mounting implementation demands. They discussed how, with the public comment period recently closed and the final rule still pending, policymakers, governors, and institutions are racing to build the approval processes, accountability systems, and data infrastructure required to support this new era.The session examined where implementation currently stands, what remains unsettled, and what states, employers, and institutions must do now to prepare for Workforce Pell’s launch. Through this conversation, the panel highlighted the regulatory urgency, operational complexity, and infrastructure development necessary to ensure short-term credential pathways can scale effectively while meeting evolving accountability standards.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Destin Mizelle, Roadtripper at Roadtrip Nation; Enoch Ellis, Roadtripper at Roadtrip Nation; Tobias Brown, Roadtripper at Roadtrip Nation; and Jasmine Haywood, Strategy Director at Lumina Foundation.Inspired by Roadtrip Nation’s documentary Thriving: Black Men in Higher Education, the speakers explored the relationships and supports that help Black men thrive across college, career, and community. Through honest conversation and lived experience, they discussed the role of friendship and mentorship in building belonging, resilience, and long-term success.The session examined what it takes to move from support systems to opportunity systems, highlighting practical ways higher education leaders and industry partners can strengthen networks, expand pathways into entrepreneurship and innovation, and ensure the next generation of Black men has access not only to education, but also to the connections that sustain representation, mobility, and enduring success.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Hugh Yao, CEO at LingoAce Academy Inc; Max Azarov, CEO at Novakid; Karine Allouche, General Manager, Language Learning Worldwide and Skills GTM Europe at Chegg; and Alina von Davier, Chief of Assessment at Duolingo.The speakers explored how language learning apps did not simply add AI, but instead rebuilt around it earlier than almost anyone else in education. They discussed how these companies were already building AI-native experiences—including conversational practice, real-time feedback, deep personalization, and continuous engagement—before much of the broader education industry had fully understood what AI-native education could become.The session examined how language learning companies became the field’s native speakers, fluent in capabilities that many others are still learning to use, while also confronting the hard lessons that come with that fluency. The panel explored how the category previews where every AI-native education company may be headed: explosive growth, intensifying competition, and the challenge of building sustainable businesses when AI commoditizes core features overnight. Through this conversation, the speakers unpacked what language learning’s breakthroughs and market battles reveal about building durable AI-native education companies in an era of rapid technological change.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Justin Wenig, Founder & CEO at Starbridge.ai; Diana Heldfond DiGia, CEO and Founder at Parallel Learning; Vinay Bhaskara, Co-founder at CollegeVine; and Erik Edwards, Partner at Cooley LLP.The speakers explored how securing a strong Series A+ round is only the beginning for AI-first EdTech companies, as the real challenge lies in successfully scaling within today’s rapidly evolving market. They discussed what has been resonating most with both customers and investors as category leaders work to solidify their market positions.The session examined how founders are proving unit economics, deepening customer retention, building durable competitive advantages, and staying ahead in an increasingly competitive AI landscape. Through this conversation, the panel unpacked what it takes not only to raise capital, but also to scale effectively and sustainably as AI-first companies navigate their next stage of growth.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Fernando Bleichmar, CEO at Risepoint; Chris Lynne, President at University of Phoenix; Jeffrey Conlon, Chief Executive Officer at Unitek Learning Education Group, LLC; Elizabeth Chou, Partner at Leeds Illuminate; and Adnan Nisar, Senior Partner and Co-Head of Knowledge and Learning Solutions at The Vistria Group.The speakers explored how the greatest needs in education often exist within the most regulated spaces, where structural barriers can leave major opportunities for impact frustratingly out of reach for private investors. They discussed how federal funding restrictions on non-degree programs, evolving compliance requirements, and broader regulatory complexity have historically pushed private capital away from education and economic mobility sectors.The session examined how investors and operators are finding ways to break through these barriers through innovative delivery models in underserved communities, technology platforms bridging education and employment, and strategic approaches to navigating policy constraints. Through this conversation, the panel unpacked not only where private capital can invest in education, but also how to navigate regulatory complexity while creating meaningful pathways to opportunity and long-term impact.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Jaime Casap, Co-Founder at Purpose Lab; Alisa Sommer O’Hara, Global Head of Learning & Education Partnerships at Google; Tom Sayer, CEO and Co-Founder at Ello; and Dan Carroll, Co-founder and Advisor at Clever.The speakers explored how frontier AI labs including Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft have been rapidly expanding their education product ecosystems—embedding AI into learning platforms, building education workflows, and making tools increasingly free, bundled, and ubiquitous. They examined how these shifts are placing pressure on traditional EdTech business models while simultaneously creating new opportunities for startups.The session discussed where EdTech companies can still carve out durable positions as platform giants double down on education, and how startups can leverage frontier labs not only as competitors but also as enablers that allow them to build faster and smarter. Through this conversation, the panel unpacked where founders should focus, which business models are under the most pressure, and how to build, partner, and scale successfully in an era increasingly shaped by AI platform giants.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Ron Levin, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures; Carole Ackermann, Chairwoman of the Board and President of EHL Board of Trustees at EHL Hospitality Business School; Ariel Hersh, Investment Director at SEEK Investments; and Nana Kyei, Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey.The speakers explored how the capital backing EdTech is changing rapidly as traditional venture models evolve and a new generation of investors emerges. They discussed how operators-turned-investors, family offices, evergreen funds, strategics, philanthropies, and hybrid capital players are reshaping the landscape with different time horizons, incentives, and definitions of success.The session examined how the EdTech capital stack is being rebuilt, who these new investors are, and what they are seeking that others may overlook. From patient capital and platform plays to impact-driven returns and operational alignment, the panel unpacked how this shift is transforming company-building and what founders need to understand to raise capital, build partnerships, and scale successfully in the next era of EdTech.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Ronit Levani Morad, Senior Director & Chief of Staff for Google Research at Google; Lydia Logan, Vice President for Global Education and Workforce Development at IBM Corporate Social Responsibility; Dan Schneider, Enterprise Platform Product Specialist at NVIDIA; Matthew Rascoff, Vice Provost at Stanford University; and Bridget Burns, CEO at University Innovation Alliance.The speakers explored how AI is compressing the time between question and discovery, reshaping not only how research is conducted, but also who is prepared to participate in AI-enabled innovation. They examined how research is evolving, how researchers and students are being trained, and how universities and institutions must adapt as much of the traditional bench work can now be executed by algorithms.The session discussed the new mandate facing institutions: attracting and developing AI-fluent talent across disciplines, equipping students with the skills to operate within agentic and AI-enabled workflows, and ensuring that breakthrough research moves efficiently from lab to real-world application. The panel also explored how the architecture of science is changing, how the distinction between builders and users is blurring, and how curricula, incentives, and talent pipelines must evolve to produce a workforce capable not only of generating knowledge, but of applying it responsibly while translating it into economic opportunity, workforce mobility, and broader societal impact.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Steve Shapiro, Founder and AI Advisor at FinetuneAI and Prometric; Drew Bent, Education Lead at Anthropic; Nate Ober, Generative AI Strategist at Amazon; Raman Malik, VP of Product at Perplexity; and Narine Hall, Leading AI Product Strategy at Instructure.The speakers explored how autonomous AI agents have come to dominate the narrative around the next phase of automation, while real-world deployments have revealed a far more mixed story. They discussed how teams running agentic systems in production have encountered fragile reasoning chains, shallow contextual grounding, and rapidly escalating compute costs as these systems scale.The session distinguished hype from reality by examining where AI agents are delivering durable value, where they are breaking down, and which design choices are determining the difference. Through this conversation, the panel provided practical insight into the current state of agentic systems and what truly matters as organizations move from experimentation to implementation.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Pat Yongpradit, General Manager, Global Education and Workforce Policy at Microsoft; Miriam Vogel, President & CEO at EqualAI; Kim Majerus, Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector Global Education and U.S. State & Local Government at Amazon AWS; Larz May, Founder and Executive Director at #HalfTheStory and Co-founder & CEO at Ginko; Paul Gollash, SVP, Global Mobility Solutions at ETS; and Daphne Li, CEO at Common Sense Privacy.The speakers explored how trust has become the defining barrier to meaningful AI adoption in education. They discussed how the sector remains early in the trust curve, where skepticism is high and concerns around hallucination, bias, overconfidence, and opaque data handling continue to fuel distrust among educators and families.The session examined how trust can be built not through marketing, but through transparent governance, explainable decision pathways, and evidence that withstands scrutiny. The panel addressed critical questions around model selection, evaluation frequency, data storage, access controls, and measurable proof of improved outcomes. Through this conversation, the speakers highlighted how trust can be intentionally engineered into AI-powered products through transparent data policies, rigorous evaluation frameworks, and clear evidence of impact.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Brandon Busteed, CEO at Edconic; Frank Shushok, President and CEO at Roanoke College; Vanessa Kenon, Associate Vice President Technology Compliance and Community Engagement at University of Texas at San Antonio; Courtney Hills McBeth, Chief Academic Officer and Provost at Western Governors University; and Paul Fain, Editor at Work Shift.Only 3 percent of U.S. learners participated in apprenticeships, even as employer trust in degrees declined and AI disrupted traditional “first jobs.” Workforce Pell, federal reforms, and renewed employer demand created a pivotal moment for scaling employer-aligned experiences for recent college graduates. This session convened university leaders, edtech builders, and policy architects to examine the fusion of work and study, the shift to competency-verified hiring, and the creation of durable industry ecosystems.Panelists addressed structural barriers and outlined a practical roadmap for building career and work pathways that could move the labor market. The discussion explored how higher education could better align learning with employment, helping students navigate a rapidly changing workforce while building durable systems that support long-term economic mobility.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Matthew Winters, Artificial Intelligence Education Specialist at Utah State Board of Education; Mary Beck, President at Distinctive Schools; Sari Factor, Vice Chair & Chief Strategy Officer at Imagine Learning; and Amanda Bickerstaff, CEO at AI for Education.The speakers discussed how the rapid spread of GenAI has brought schools to an unprecedented inflection point. While districts may not have had all the answers yet, the need to act was clear. The session explored how the education system could move beyond reactive measures toward intentional planning, policy, and practice that put student needs—not technology—first.The conversation also delved into Beyond the AI Inflection Point: Shaping the Future of Education, a new report and toolkit designed to help schools navigate this complex journey. Emerging from a strategic convening of experts and students, the project chronicled the story of “Central Schools,” a fictional district whose three possible paths to 2030 illustrated how decisions made today could lead to vastly different outcomes for students, teachers, and the community.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Justin Lall, Principal at Gallup, and Stephanie Marken, Senior Partner at Gallup.This session explored what happens when the generation with the most exposure to AI becomes less convinced of its value. New national research from Gallup in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures revealed a striking paradox: while Gen Z continued to engage with AI, confidence in its impact was slipping. Excitement and optimism were down, skepticism was rising, and many young people were increasingly questioning whether AI was helping or hurting their learning, creativity, and future readiness.The speakers examined findings from one of the first national, longitudinal studies tracking Gen Z’s relationship with AI over time—offering a timely look at how attitudes, behaviors, and expectations were evolving as AI became more embedded in school, work, and everyday life. For leaders rethinking learning, workforce preparation, and student success, the implications were significant—and increasingly hard to ignore.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Matt Sigelman, President at Burning Glass Institute; Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School; Allison Dulin Salisbury, CEO at Humanist Venture Studio; Shad Ahmed, Economic Mobility Lead at Anthropic; and Michael Horn, Author of Job Moves.The speakers examined the growing labor divide emerging between cognitive work that AI can automate and tacit work that remains deeply human. They explored which jobs were already seeing real displacement and which were being transformed, challenging common assumptions from analysts, CEOs, and workers about AI’s role in the workforce.The session also discussed how the geometry of organizations is changing as AI hollows out certain layers, what skills gain value as machines learn to reason, and who absorbs the transition costs of large-scale labor reallocation. Through this conversation, the panel unpacked how AI is reshaping work, organizational structures, and economic mobility in real time.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Brett Pollak, Executive Director at UC San Diego, and Courtney Giordano, Associate Chancellor at UC San Diego.Higher-education leaders were navigating an increasingly noisy AI marketplace while seeking affordability, institutional autonomy, and demonstrated results across both enterprise operations and learning environments. In this fast-paced session, UC San Diego shared how TritonAI—the evolution of its award-winning TritonGPT platform—was becoming a full AI services hub built by universities, for universities.The speakers explored how TritonGPT grew from a single chatbot into a platform serving more than 73,000 users at zero per-query cost, and where it was headed next. TritonAI extended the platform into an AI Tools Hub with an Agent Builder for low-code automation, shared enterprise connectors via the MCP Server Hub, a reusable Agent Skills Library, Developer APIs, and a pre-packaged tools pipeline that brought transcription, captioning, OCR, and campus-specific services into everyday operations.The session demonstrated purpose-built AI services already in production, from contract review that reduced legal processing from hours to minutes, to AI-powered campus search, public-facing chatbot widgets, and instructional AI tools for faculty and students. Attendees also heard about UC San Diego’s pioneering work in agentic AI—multi-agent systems that plan, coordinate, and execute with human oversight. Operating as a turnkey SaaS platform, TritonAI was already powering AI across several institutions through shared infrastructure, championing the philosophy that universities should not have to navigate the AI landscape alone.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Preston Cooper, Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute; Dan Greenstein, Senior Vice President and Chief of Industry Transformation at Ellucian; Anne M. Kress, President at Northern Virginia Community College; Barbara Mistick, President at NAICU; and Phil Hill, Publisher of the On EdTech Newsletter at PH&A.Federal higher education policy was shifting in unprecedented ways under OB3 (“Big Beautiful Bill”). Institutional Accountability represented the primary change affecting the majority of institutions participating in Federal Student Loan and Pell Grant programs—something entirely new in U.S. higher education. Other OB3 provisions, most notably new loan limits and the introduction of Workforce Pell, compounded the impacts of these changes. This session examined how higher education had entered a new era and why education leaders needed to prepare for both the opportunities and the risks.The discussion outlined what was changing, what was not, and how these policy adjustments affected institutional program portfolios, enrollment planning, and financial exposure. Panelists explored the implications of expanded workforce funding alongside tighter graduate lending, with a focus on practical considerations for institutional leaders.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Carol Rava, Vice President – Education Grantmaking at Ascendium Education Group; Scott Pulsipher, President at Western Governors University; Carlos Carvalho, President at University of Austin; Pierre Dubuc, Cofounder and CEO at OpenClassrooms; and Stig Leschly, President at Postsecondary Commission.Innovation was urgently needed in U.S. higher education, yet many incumbent institutions struggled to change. With 98% of college students attending institutions that were more than 20 years old, and 94% attending institutions that were more than 40 years old, the sector faced a significant challenge. Alongside efforts to improve existing colleges, this session examined why higher education also needed innovative, high-performing new institutions—designed to deliver strong economic outcomes for students and to compete for learners seeking better postsecondary options.In this panel discussion, practitioners and advocates from across U.S. higher education explored the case for a new generation of colleges and universities and the practical requirements needed to make them viable, including changes to accreditation and oversight frameworks.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Brian O. Hemphill, President at Old Dominion University; Pradeep K. Khosla, Chancellor at UC San Diego; Jeremy Singer, President at College Board; Tim Cleary, Chief Strategy Officer at Risepoint; Sian Leah Beilock, President at Dartmouth; and JP Novin, CEO at Plexuss.com.With graduate unemployment rising and employer skill demands evolving faster than traditional curricula, higher education faced a hard reality: there was no single “golden ticket” to future employment. Institutions instead needed to rethink how education supported adaptability, continuous learning, and long-term relevance in an AI-enabled economy.This session convened university presidents and leaders from technology and workforce-facing organizations to examine how institutions were redesigning learning at both the classroom and programmatic levels. The discussion explored embedding AI literacy, aligning credentials with changing skill needs, and expanding flexible, short-form, and lifelong learning pathways that supported ongoing reskilling and upskilling. Panelists shared evidence-based strategies to help learners navigate a volatile labor market—while ensuring higher education continued to deliver durable value for students and employers.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Krista Newkirk, President at University of Redlands; Bhushan Heda, CTO/COO at Emeritus; Stephen Green, Chief Partnerships Officer at Noodle; Noe Ortega, Commissioner at Massachusetts Department of Higher Education; and James DeVaney, Associate Vice Provost and Founding Executive Director of CAI at University of Michigan.Artificial intelligence was compressing decision timelines across higher education, often faster than governance and planning could absorb. This session examined how the challenge was not whether to act, but how to decide wisely: which AI choices demanded enterprise alignment, where local experimentation was essential, and how institutions could learn deliberately rather than react episodically. The speakers explored how governance, investment, and experimentation could work together to enable AI adoption that was responsible and durable—balancing urgency with stewardship, innovation with trust, and speed with long-term institutional integrity.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Harrison Keller, President at University of North Texas; Preston Cooper, Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute; Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO at Center for Education Reform; and Stig Leschly, President at Postsecondary Commission.As new delivery models, credentials, and learning pathways emerged, long-standing accreditation frameworks were tested in both policy and practice—raising fundamental questions about quality, accountability, and the pace of innovation. This session brought together institutional leaders, accreditation innovators, and higher education policy advocates to examine where current accreditation models were constraining progress and what needed to evolve. Panelists explored the shift toward outcomes-focused accreditation, the role of evidence and transparency in assuring quality, and how oversight practices and policy could better support responsible experimentation without lowering standards. The conversation moved beyond whether accreditation should change to how it could: aligning accountability with real learning outcomes, enabling innovation that expands access and affordability, and ensuring accreditation remained a safeguard for students while adapting to a rapidly changing postsecondary landscape.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Bryan Lively, CEO at Fusion Academy; Denise Gallucci, President at Red Apple Education; Smita Deorah, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at LEAD Group; Ryan Delk, CEO and Founder at Primer; and Nate McClennen, CEO at Getting Smart.The speakers explored how great schools took vision and craft, but learning ecosystems extended that impact at scale. They examined how, as AI accelerated personalization and choice expanded access, school networks were emerging as powerful systems for aligning culture, governance, capital, and instructional design across diverse learning environments.This session brought together operators and investors who had built, scaled, and sustained high-performing learning ecosystems to discuss how these networks could shape the future of education. Panelists examined how innovation could be paired with coherence at scale, ensuring that expanded choice and personalization did not lead to fragmentation, but instead strengthened quality, consistency, and student outcomes.At its core, this conversation focused on what it took to design and sustain scaled learning ecosystems that balanced entrepreneurial innovation with operational excellence. By aligning strategy, infrastructure, and instructional vision across networks, the session highlighted how high-performing ecosystems could become a defining force in the next era of education.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Paul Escala, Superintendent of Schools at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Stephanie Elizalde, Superintendent of Schools at Dallas Independent School District; Michael Felton, Executive Director at St. George Municipal School Unit; Sonn Sam, National Director of Partnerships at Big Picture Learning; Heather Tow-Yick, Superintendent at Issaquah School District 411; and Kevin Huffman, CEO at Accelerate.The speakers explored how large-scale, legacy education systems continued to serve the vast majority of K–12 students nationwide while operating in a fundamentally different environment shaped by rapid technological change, shifting enrollment patterns, and growing demands for personalization. They examined how system leaders were responding with urgency and creativity as institutional evolution became a catalyst for innovation.This session focused on how established systems could measure what mattered, use flexible funding tools to accelerate learning, and make the operational shifts required to thrive in increasingly complex educational landscapes. Panelists discussed how district and system leaders were embracing innovation from within by rethinking strategy, infrastructure, and implementation while balancing scale, accountability, and responsiveness.At its core, this conversation examined what it would take to build vibrant educational systems within a pluralistic ecosystem. By surfacing the strategies already working inside large systems and exploring how to scale them intentionally, the session highlighted how legacy institutions could remain adaptive, innovative, and central to the future of K–12 education.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Jess Wang, Chief Operating Officer at Presence; Amanda Kocon, Chief Strategy and Operating Officer at Edmentum, Inc.; Christine Glandorf, Vice President of Business Development at Outschool; Jinal Jhaveri, Founder and CEO at SchoolMint; Lauren Bender, Chief Commercial Officer at Odyssey; and Dante Iacovella, Co-Head of Education Software at William Blair.The speakers explored how the go-to-market playbook in education was being fundamentally rewritten as funding increasingly followed students. They examined how the system was shifting from centralized procurement to family-driven demand, unlocking new pathways for growth, impact, and innovation across the education ecosystem.This session focused on how this transformation was powering digital marketplaces, ESA platforms, and direct-to-parent engagement while reshaping how educational products were discovered, trusted, and used. Panelists discussed how leading companies were designing for a B2B2C future, where success depended not only on institutional adoption, but also on effectively reaching and serving families as empowered decision-makers.The conversation examined how forward-looking teams were turning choice into a growth engine by adapting to rapidly evolving marketplace dynamics. At its core, this session explored the significant opportunity emerging as education became more consumer-driven—highlighting how leaders who understood where the marketplace was headed could help define what excellence looked like in a world of real choice.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured James Rhyu, CEO at Stride; Aylon Samouha, CEO at Transcend; Christopher Neilson, CEO at Tether Education; Garrett Smiley, CEO at Sora Schools; Cady Ching, Chief Executive Officer at Summit Public Schools; and Robin Lake, Director at CRPE.The speakers explored how, within a Multiple Choice ecosystem, AI held real promise to personalize learning, streamline operations, support family navigation, and increase the effectiveness of flexible funding. They examined how AI had not only enhanced existing systems, but had also enabled entirely new school models to emerge and thrive.This session focused on how AI could help students find the right learning environments, connect families to services, and deepen engagement across diverse educational models. Panelists discussed how AI was being implemented across emerging providers and multiple-choice systems to expand opportunity, strengthen responsiveness, and improve educational fit for students and families.At the same time, the conversation emphasized that how these tools were designed, governed, and deployed mattered deeply. Speakers examined the importance of building trust, transparency, and equity into AI systems from the start, ensuring that innovation remained human-centered and responsibly implemented.At its core, this session explored the fusion moment between technological capability and thoughtful leadership—highlighting how responsible AI adoption could strengthen learning, expand opportunity, and support more dynamic, equitable K–12 ecosystems.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Steven Wilson, Senior Fellow at Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research; Margaret “Macke” Raymond, Program Director at Stanford University; Oliver Sicat, CEO at Ednovate; Amy McGrath, Managing Director at ASU Preparatory Academy; Dana Peterson, CEO at New Schools for New Orleans; and Kirianne Suriano, Senior Director of Strategic Operations at CSUSA.The speakers explored how, three decades into the charter movement, charter schools were facing a defining moment. They examined how the next era demanded innovation through specialization, personalization, and measurable impact, while also confronting critical questions about performance, equity, and long-term opportunity.This session examined performance data alongside lived operator experience to assess where public charters had delivered transformative outcomes and where they needed to evolve to remain engines of opportunity within a pluralistic education system. Panelists discussed where charter schools had successfully innovated and outperformed, where progress had been uneven, and what lessons could shape the next generation of charter design.The conversation focused on what charter innovation should prioritize moving forward if charters were to continue driving access and excellence. At its core, this session examined how the next chapter of the charter movement must be written with greater clarity, rigor, and ambition—ensuring that innovation translated into durable outcomes for students and stronger educational systems.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Barry Malkin, CEO at Carnegie Learning; Jon Laven, Co-Founder and COO at Snorkl; Melina Uncapher, CEO and Founder at SETA-ED; Kip Glazer, Principal at Mountain View High School; and Kristin Vincent, Vice President of Product at Learning Commons.The speakers explored how, in a world where AI could help students at every step, one of the hardest questions had become when not to help. They examined the critical tension emerging as AI became embedded in classrooms: whether these tools were accelerating learning or quietly removing the productive struggle that made learning stick.This session focused on how productive struggle showed up in AI-assisted learning environments and where the line lay between meaningful support and cognitive shortcutting. Panelists discussed what rigor truly meant when students had access to instant feedback, hints, and solutions, and how learners could still build conceptual understanding, perseverance, and metacognition when scaffolds were always within reach.Bringing together perspectives from learning science, instructional design, classroom practice, and education technology, the conversation examined how educators and system leaders could design instruction that preserved challenge while leveraging AI to personalize learning and expand access. At its core, this session offered a grounded look at how AI could be used intentionally—not to replace thinking, but to deepen it—through principled design, smart implementation, and a clearer understanding of when to step in, when to step back, and how to ensure AI strengthened rather than softened the learning experience.

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.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Rahul Kalita, Co-Founder at Tutored by Teachers; Ben Caulfield, CEO at Eedi Labs; Susanna Loeb, Professor at Stanford University; Antoinette Mitchell, State Superintendent at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, District of Columbia; and Liz Cohen, Vice President of Policy at 50CAN and author of The Future of Tutoring.The speakers explored how tutoring had long been one of education’s most powerful—and most elusive—levers for improving student outcomes. They examined how decades of research had shown that high-quality tutoring could dramatically accelerate learning, yet at scale, that promise had repeatedly fallen short. Systems had struggled to sustain it, students had often not seen the hoped-for gains, and tutoring too often remained fragile, episodic, or disconnected from core instruction.This session focused on how AI had entered the equation not as a silver bullet, but as a forcing function. Panelists discussed how AI could diagnose faster, personalize more precisely, and deliver feedback at scale, while also making it impossible to ignore that technology alone could not fix weak instructional design or unclear accountability. In an AI-enabled world, they examined whether tutoring could finally be built in ways that truly delivered learning.The conversation explored whether AI could meaningfully strengthen tutoring or whether it simply exposed systems that were never built to last. Speakers examined the conditions that made tutoring durable, how tutoring could be better integrated with instructional systems, and what accountability should look like when the goal was not mere participation, but real and measurable gains for students. At its core, this session focused on the learning students are owed—and what it would take to finally deliver it.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Rebecca Kockler, Founder at Magpie Literacy; Nick Gaehde, President at Lexia; Kelly Butler, Senior Advisor at ReadingUniverse.org; Dr. Miatheresa Pate, Chief Academic Officer at New York City Public Schools; and Brooke Stafford-Brizard, Senior Vice President for Innovation and Impact at the Carnegie Foundation.The speakers explored how, over the past decade, the Science of Reading had driven important progress in early literacy by reshaping instruction, curriculum, and professional learning across the country. While many districts were seeing real early gains, they examined a harder question coming into focus: why those gains so often faded as students moved through later grades, and how literacy growth could endure over time.This session focused on the durability of literacy improvement as one of the field’s greatest challenges. Panelists discussed how early success was too often built on isolated skill gains that failed to transfer, while fragmented tools and short-term measures masked whether students were becoming stronger readers across grades. They examined how coherence across curriculum, assessment, intervention, tutoring, and coaching remained elusive even as expectations for measurable results continued to grow.Drawing from research, district implementation experience, and market insight, the conversation highlighted a shared reality: lasting literacy progress depended on aligned instructional approaches, sustained support for educators, clearer signals of what was actually working over time, and the discipline to move beyond fragmented solutions. At its core, this session examined how the question was no longer whether early literacy improvement was possible, but what it truly took to make those gains last.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Sawyer Altman, CEO at Goblins; Ahsan Rizvi, CEO at Kiddom; Chonghao Fu, CEO at Leading Educators; Angie Gaylord, Chief Academic Officer at Dallas ISD; and Lewis Leiboh, Deputy Director of K–12 Research & Development at the Gates Foundation.The speakers explored how recent NAEP results delivered a sobering message: math performance had not rebounded, and in many states, it continued to slide. They examined how the takeaway was clear—adopting High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) was necessary, but far from sufficient.This conversation focused on the reality that sustained gains only emerged when systems were coherent: when curriculum, instructional practice, professional learning, technology, and a deep understanding of student thinking moved in sync. Panelists discussed how fragmentation blunted impact, while coherence unlocked it.District leaders, practice-based instructional experts, and builders of next-generation math and technology platforms examined what it truly took to translate HQIM into measurable outcomes. From classroom-level insight to system-wide infrastructure, speakers explored how districts could align the right materials with the right supports to accelerate learning—especially for the students who needed it most.At its core, this session moved beyond adoption to execution, offering a clear-eyed look at how coherence could become the catalyst for stronger math outcomes and a more equitable future.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Taylor Stockton, Chief Innovation Officer at the U.S. Department of Labor; and Michael Ioffe, Co-Founder and CEO at Arist.The speakers explored how, as AI reshaped the economy, access to foundational AI skills was becoming a prerequisite for participating in the future of work. They examined a bold new partnership between the U.S. Department of Labor and Arist designed to deliver AI skilling through accessible, bite-sized lessons via one of the most ubiquitous communication channels: text messaging.This fireside chat focused on how meeting workers where they were could unlock scalable pathways to skill-building, particularly for individuals with limited time, limited access to traditional learning formats, or barriers to more conventional workforce development systems. Panelists discussed how innovative distribution models could expand opportunity, accelerate AI skill adoption, and help more Americans navigate and benefit from the rapidly evolving AI era.At its core, this conversation examined how broadening access to foundational AI literacy through practical, accessible infrastructure could help make America AI-ready at scale—ensuring that workforce transformation reached every worker, not just those already positioned to benefit.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Ulrik Juul Christensen, CEO at Area9 Lyceum; and Peter Fox, Head of Learning at Citibank.The speakers explored how, as AI reshaped roles and accelerated the pace of change, organizations were facing a familiar but newly urgent challenge: closing the gap between completing training and demonstrating real capability. They examined how preparing employees for high-stakes, rapidly evolving challenges required approaches that resulted in true and visible capability—not capability that was merely assumed or self-proclaimed.In this session, Ulrik Juul Christensen explored how mastery-based approaches were helping organizations ensure employees could apply what they had learned in practice. Drawing from collaboration with organizations including Citi, the conversation examined how learning leaders were evolving the ways critical capability was built, observed, and validated—challenging long-held assumptions and introducing new models aligned with the realities of modern work.Together, the speakers reflected on what it took to shift toward mastery in practice and what this evolution meant for how organizations developed talent, evaluated readiness, and navigated an increasingly dynamic workforce landscape. At its core, this conversation focused on building enterprise capability systems that moved beyond training completion toward demonstrated mastery in an AI-accelerated world.

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Justin Singh, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Cengage Work at Cengage Group; David Kafafian, Chief Operating Officer at Clasp; Sarah Favreau, Vice President of Workforce Solutions at Stepful; Mehul Patel, CEO at NASM, Ascend Learning; and Jake Bryant, Partner at McKinsey & Company.The speakers explored how, as traditional entry-level pathways became less reliable and worker displacement accelerated, industries were facing a dual challenge: how to direct early talent into durable careers and how to redirect displaced workers at scale. They examined how healthcare, despite severe workforce shortages, had emerged as a proving ground for how this could work.This session focused on how leading workforce learning companies were collaborating with employers and policymakers to design visible, stackable pathways into AI-durable work—from early-career pipelines to reskilling and advancement. Panelists unpacked the credential structures, incentives, and partnerships that were making these transitions possible, while highlighting how healthcare was building more resilient and navigable talent systems.At its core, this conversation examined what other industries could learn from healthcare about designing career pathways that supported continuous mobility, long-term resilience, and scalable workforce transformation. By aligning credentialing, employer demand, and policy innovation, the session highlighted how organizations could build talent systems prepared for disruption while creating sustainable opportunity in an AI-shaped labor market.