In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Karnell McConnell-Black, ice President for Student Life at Reed College known affectionately by students as Dr. K to explore what truly human-centred leadership looks like in higher education.

With nearly two decades of experience across student affairs, organizational leadership, and community engagement, Dr. McConnell-Black brings an approach that is authentic, creative, and refreshingly unconventional. As Vice President for Student Life at Reed College, he oversees a deeply integrated ecosystem of academic support, residential life, accessibility services, and co-curricular learning grounded in the belief that students are whole people, not “brains on sticks.”

Ben and Dr K unpack what makes Reed College globally distinctive—from its uncompromising academic rigour and senior thesis requirement to its intentional de-emphasis on grades in favour of feedback, curiosity, and learning. The conversation dives into Reed’s culture of intellectual dissent, relational education, and the power of place, where even crossing a canyon becomes part of the student experience.

The episode also explores the role of technology and AI in student life, balancing optimism with intentionality, and why data must always be paired with lived experience and storytelling. Dr. K shares a powerful reminder that chasing metrics alone misses the point—real student success is found in relationships, growth, and belonging.