ASU+GSV Summit

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Rajagopal "Raj" Echambadi, President of Illinois Institute of Technology; Drew Bent, Education GTM at Anthropic; Shiren Vijiasingam, Chief Product Officer at Instructure; and Marni Baker-Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera. The conversation was moderated by Saurabh Sanghvi, Partner at McKinsey.

This dynamic panel explored how artificial intelligence is transforming higher education far beyond automating administrative tasks. Panelists discussed how AI is enhancing the student experience, optimizing institutional operations, and expanding global access to education. From campus-wide infrastructure innovations to groundbreaking collaborations between academia and the tech industry, the conversation offered a forward-looking perspective on how AI is shaping the future of learning and the evolving role of higher education institutions in a digital world.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Ed Smith-Lewis, SVP of Strategic Partnerships & ICB at UNCF; Agenia Clark, President of Fisk University; and Yolanda Page, President of Stillman College. The conversation was moderated by Jonathan Durfield, CEO of SMASH.

The panel explored the future of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as engines of innovation, community development, and student success. Against a rapidly evolving educational landscape, speakers shared forward-looking strategies to ensure HBCUs thrive in the next decade. From embracing digital transformation and expanding entrepreneurship to building holistic student support systems, the session highlighted how HBCUs can continue to lead as powerful centers of excellence, equity, and impact.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Rachel Janfaza, Founder of The Up and Up and Up and Up Strategies; Robin Lake, Director at CRPE-ASU; Jeff Livingston, CEO and Founder of EdSolutions and CEMD; and Alex Swartsel, Managing Director of Insights at JFFLabs, Jobs for the Future. The conversation was moderated by Korah Wiley, Director of Solutions Strategy & Innovation at Digital Promise.

The panel explored how artificial intelligence is expanding access to education, financial support, and essential services—particularly for communities historically marginalized by traditional systems. From AI tools that help families navigate public benefits to financial guidance platforms that promote economic mobility, panelists shared real-world innovations with the power to drive equity and inclusion. The discussion also examined critical questions around access, bias, and accountability, emphasizing how AI can serve as a force for empowerment when developed and deployed responsibly.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Stephanie Hall, Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Phil Hill, Publisher of the On EdTech Newsletter and Founder of Phil Hill & Associates. The conversation was moderated by Goldie Blumenstyk, Contributing Writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The panel examined the power dynamics and regulatory landscape shaping the future of online higher education. From the influence of federal policy to the expanding role of private industry, speakers unpacked the tension between innovation and oversight. With rapid technological change and increasing scrutiny on student outcomes, the session explored who is truly driving the future of digital learning and what today’s decisions mean for institutions, learners, and the evolving higher ed ecosystem.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Liam Pisano, Managing Partner at EduLab Capital Partners; Norman Rodriguez, CEO & Co-Founder of TierOne; Joseph Sapien, Executive Director of the STTE Foundation; and Jeff Cott, Founder & CEO of Trailblazer. The conversation was moderated by Amanda Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer & Founder of Latinos for Education.

The session explored how LatinX leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs are actively shaping the EdTech landscape with bold vision and inclusive innovation. Panelists discussed the unique opportunities and systemic challenges facing LatinX professionals in education technology, offering strategies for expanding equitable access, elevating underrepresented voices, and building solutions that reflect the diversity of learners. Through personal insights and professional experience, the conversation celebrated the critical contributions of LatinX changemakers and called for continued collaboration to ensure a more inclusive and resilient EdTech future.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Arvind Nagarajan, Founder and CEO of Astra; Adam Peshek, Senior Director & Fellow, Education at Stand Together Trust; and Denise Gallucci, President of Red Apple Education. The conversation was moderated by Adam Newman, Founder & Managing Director at Tyton Partners.

The session explored how private schools are emerging as powerful innovation hubs, fueled by the rapid growth of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Panelists examined how choice-driven funding is empowering families and enabling private institutions to experiment with cutting-edge teaching models, personalized learning platforms, and novel curricular approaches. With states like Florida and Utah paving the way through policy, private education is serving as a testbed for practices that could drive system-wide transformation. The conversation also addressed key challenges around scale, quality assurance, and equity, considering how innovations in private education might shape the broader future of learning.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Kyla Johnson-Trammell, Superintendent at Oakland Unified School District; Angélica Infante-Green, Commissioner of Education at the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE); and Kate Eberle Walker, CEO of Presence. The conversation was moderated by Julia Rafal-Baer, CEO and Founder of ILO Group and Women Leading Ed.

The session explored why supporting the mental health of education leaders is essential to creating sustainable, thriving school systems. Drawing on new findings from Women Leading Ed’s National Insight Survey—where 93% of women in education leadership cited burnout as a critical issue—panelists shared personal stories, practical strategies, and research-backed approaches to shifting workplace culture from the top down. The discussion illuminated how embedding mental health into leadership practices can foster resilience across entire school communities and drive long-term success for students, staff, and systems alike.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Jim Chilton, Executive Vice President & CTO at Cengage Group; Josh Reibel, CEO at Dreamscape Learn; Muhsinah L. Morris, Director of Metaverse Programs at Morehouse College; and Matt Sanders, Education and VR Director, Global Affairs at Meta. The conversation was moderated by Eric Klopfer, Professor at MIT.

The session explored how the convergence of artificial intelligence, gaming, and extended reality (XR) is catalyzing a seismic shift in education. Panelists examined the transformative potential of AI-powered mixed reality and gaming platforms to elevate student engagement, increase accessibility, and deliver truly personalized learning experiences. From spatial computing and neural interfaces to context-aware AI, they highlighted emerging innovations that deepen immersion, connect global learners, and dynamically adapt to individual needs. With a global perspective and a spotlight on tools like Dreamscape, the conversation illuminated how frontier technologies are redefining what it means to learn, teach, and connect in the 21st century.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Lev Gonick, CIO at ASU ET; Leah Belsky, VP and General Manager of Education at OpenAI; and Ed Clark, Chief Information Officer at the CSU Office of the Chancellor. The conversation was moderated by Claire Zau, Partner and AI Lead at GSV Ventures.

The session explored how AI is poised to fundamentally reshape the future of higher education. From scaling personalized learning experiences to streamlining administrative operations, panelists shared practical insights and forward-looking strategies for integrating AI across the university ecosystem. The conversation also addressed ethical considerations, the importance of human-centered design, and what institutional leaders must do now to prepare for an AI-driven future in academia.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Nate Ober, AI/ML Strategist at Amazon Web Services; Candice Faktor, Co-founder & CEO of Disco; Michele Catasta, President of Replit; and Steven Syverud, Strategic Product Management at Anthropic. The conversation was moderated by Raymond Kattoula, Vice President at GSV Ventures.

The session explored the transformative impact of AI-driven agents on the workforce, organizational design, and the future of learning. Panelists tackled urgent questions around how humans can effectively collaborate with AI, whether teams of the future will be managed by people or algorithms, and how companies can preserve the human element in an age of increasing automation. The discussion also examined the disruptive potential of AI in business operations—from supporting to potentially replacing sales teams—and considered what it means for business models, team structures, and the evolving role of leadership.