American Student Assistance® (ASA) is a proud sponsor of the 2024 ASU+GSV Summit, the world’s most impactful gathering of leaders in education and workforce skilling technology. The event features a diverse audience consisting of learning and workforce technology CEOs from across the globe, investors representing $5 trillion in assets, K-12 leaders, higher education leaders, chief learning and talent officers, and policy makers. The annual event connects leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work.
SUMMIT
Opening Reception Hosted By American Student Assistance
Sunday, April 14 | 5:30 – 7:00 PM PT
Kick off the summit in style by joining us on the 4th floor pool deck of the Manchester Grand Hyatt for an ASA-hosted opening reception. As you mingle with fellow attendees, take in the stunning view and enjoy delicious food and drinks. This event is the perfect opportunity to make new connections and get excited for the upcoming summit. Don’t miss out on the chance to network with colleagues and peers at this can’t-miss opening night event.
Thought Leadership Sessions
As part of the Career Readiness and Mobility track, ASA and ASU+GSV will present joint thought leadership programming featuring experts from across the education and career readiness ecosystem. Insightful panel discussions will focus on the student career readiness journey, including learner paths in middle school that allow a student to explore careers, test and try in high school through experiential learning or intentional pathways, and plan for the future workforce through postsecondary education and nondegree pathways.
Authors Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Success
Monday April 15 | 2:10-2:50 PM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
Millions of kids leave high school with no plan and enter a life of self-doubt simply because they didn’t take a degree path. The false dichotomy of “college or no college” is one of the most damaging and indelible stories presented to children. Hear from authors of 2 new books–”Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World” and “Leaving to Learn: How Out-of-School Learning Increases Student Engagement and Reduces Dropout Rates”–on blueprints that prepare kids for the future via access to learning experiences inside and outside the classroom.
Moderated By:
- Michael Horn, Author
Author Panelists:
- Elliot Washor, Co-founder, Big Picture Learning
- Jean Eddy, President and CEO, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Beyond Degrees: Illuminating Postsecondary Paths to Prosperity
Monday, April 15 | 3:00 – 3:40 PM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
The higher education landscape is changing. Traditional institutions are not meeting the needs of students and employers and high-quality education pathways have emerged that are changing the way young people think about education after high school. This panel will uncover some of the best practices that make these models work for young people and talk through how we can overcome the challenges to scaling these programs–a game-changer to get young people the skills needed for long-term success–and walk through new research on how young people who pursue non-degree pathways have greater confidence in their future, fare better in the labor market than their counterparts, experience less unemployment, are better prepared for work, and have a high degree of satisfaction with their chosen pathway.
Moderated By:
- Joel Vargas, Vice President of the Education Practice, JFF
Panelists Include:
- Julie Lammers, SVP, Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility, American Student Assistance (ASA)
- Aisha Francis, President & CEO, Benjamin Franklin Cummings Tech
- Chad Rountree, CEO, Propel America
- Reuben Ogbonna, Executive Director, Marcy Lab School
Entrepreneurial Education: Helping Students Become Change Makers
Monday, April 15 | 3:50 – 4:30 PM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
In today’s rapidly changing world, students are yearning for opportunities to solve big challenges and make a meaningful impact on society. There is a paradigm shift happening in education—from in-school entrepreneurial efforts to real-world ventures that include adult mentors and apprenticing situations where businesses are developed either jointly with adults and/or by students pursuing their individual passions. More students are embracing entrepreneurship as a mindset rather than just an act of starting a business. This shift opens doors to new opportunities and enables students to gain valuable durable skills through entrepreneurial education. During this session, we’ll discuss strategies and approaches to empowering students to become proactive change-makers who make a positive impact on society. We will also hear from Black and Latinx NFTE alumni who used entrepreneurship as a pathway for personal reinvention and career success.
Moderated By:
- J.D. LaRock, President and CEO, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)
Panelists Include:
- Margarita Geleske, Chief Evangelist, Uncharted Learning
- Ryan Oliver, CA Executive Director, BUILD
- Myles Gage, Cofounder, Rapunzl
- Jasmine Lawrence, CEO of Eden Bodyworks
Spotlight Session
Monday, April 15 | 4:15 PM PT | Town Square, Center Stage
Town Square, Yass Center Stage
Future Readiness for All: Scaling Equitable Access to Youth Career Exploration & Skill-Building
Research shows that two out of three high school students and recent high school graduates say they would have benefited from more career exploration in middle and/or high school. Additionally, most high school graduates (75 percent) do not feel prepared to make college or career decisions after graduation. During this session, hear from national youth career readiness nonprofit American Student Assistance (ASA) CMO and SVP of Digital Strategy Clay Colarusso, on the organization’s efforts to scale equitable access to highly engaging and impactful digital experiences that help kids to learn about the strengths and interests and how those match to career possibilities, starting in middle school.
Moderated by:
Mike Murphy, Senior Manager, Strategic Communications, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Speaker:
Clay Colarusso, CMO and SVP Digital Strategy, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Work-Based Learning: Workforce Identities and Future-ready Learners
Tuesday April 16 | 10:10 – 10:50 AM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
In today’s world, with increasingly multicultural, multiracial, and multilingual identities, it is now the responsibility of the employers and other career readiness practitioners to create spaces where youth can build workforce identities and acquire the skills they need to be successful in the workplace. Research has shown that early work-based learning experiences can be an indicator for increased middle and high school engagement and long-term sustainable employment. However, in order for these experiences to play a meaningful role in a youth’s long-term education or career trajectory, it’s critical that youth feel like the experiences are laddering up to a professional, hire-worthy workforce identity. The question is, how do we effectively embed workplace identity and durable skills development in our career-connected programs? Join panelists as they share models that prioritize future readiness skills and learn how innovators are planning & executing skills-forward programs. Also, gain valuable insights into what employers are seeking and join the broader conversations on effective strategies for developing essential skill sets among students and employers to better prepare them to be “future ready.”
Moderated By:
- Jing Cox-Orrell, Philanthropy Program Manager, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Yutaka Tamura, Executive Director, xNu
- Corey Mohn, CEO, CAPS Network
- Radhamés Nova, President & CEO, JA of Greater Boston
- Letta Neely, Executive Director, Apprentice Learning
Early-Stage Career Education Impact Investing: Fueling Innovation
Tuesday, April 16 | 11:00 – 11:40 AM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
It’s been a tough year for education technology startups–35% drop in seed funding across all sectors and 50% decrease in investment in education technology companies. In the current environment, seed-stage education startups with less than $2 million in revenue will have the greatest difficulties navigating choppy economic waters to find customers and investors in order to survive. Seed funding provides education companies with the resources needed to continue to survive and grow. But just 19 of 739 institutional seed investors in the education technology sector are purely education focused and funding for career education still lags other areas in the sector. Join the conversation as impact investors reveal why they are digging deep and investing in career readiness startups and learn from founders on how to snag funding for career readiness start-ups.
Moderated By:
- Rilwan Meeran, Head of Impact Investing, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Jomayra Herrera, Partner, Reach Capital
- Deborah Quazzo, managing Partner, GSV Ventures
- Jessica Hinkle, Senior Vice President, Strategic Investments, Strada
- Henry Hipps, Co-Founder & CEO, Diffusion Venture Studio
Gen Z Career Readiness Utopia: Blending Education and the World of Work
Tuesday, April 16 | 2:10 – 2:50 PM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
Seventy percent of Americans don’t complete a 4-year college degree, and yet a disproportionate focus of the K-12 public education system in the United States is oriented towards a false expectation of “college for all.” This must change. Imagine an agile education system where schools continually respond to the changing world by preparing students with opportunities for career exploration, in-demand skills, and personalized pathways to their vision of success. Sounds too utopian? The good news is that some students get that experience today, but it isn’t happening at scale—save for a handful of states that are blurring the lines between education and the world of work. Join this session to dive into the perspectives and lessons from leaders reimagining and modernizing agile and career-connected high school experiences for learners across the country. This panel will discuss what kinds of systems, structures, and learning experiences would best support young people who don’t go on to complete a 4-year degree.
Moderated By:
- Tom Vander Ark, CEO and Founder, Getting Smart
Panelists Include:
- Gary Hoachlander, President and CEO, ConnectED
- Kristie VanAuken, Special Advisor to the Superintendent on Workforce, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
- Dr. Katie Jenner, Secretary of Education, Indiana Department of Education
- Joshua J. Garcia, Ed. D, Superintendent, Tacoma Public Schools
A Conversation with Common – Career Pathways & the Permission to Dream
Tuesday, April 16 | 3:00 – 3:40 PM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
I Am Free to Dream is a multi-year national initiative led by Common to amplify and build upon the dreams of our next generation, as well as share stories of the multitude of pathways youth may take to realize their possible futures.
With 5.5M youth “disconnected” (neither working nor in school) and 728,000 justice-involved youth in the U.S., it’s time for a critical refresh of the conventional dialogue about career pathways—one that better incorporates this generation’s reality. Nearly every young person today will have widely varied career journeys marked by getting, losing, and changing jobs and interests multiple times; frequent up-skilling and re-education; and a patchwork of gigs and side jobs. Fostering a young person’s ability to dream big, imagine possible futures, and go forth as creators and life-long learners is how we ensure that this next generation is ready to build the world they hope for, and to thrive within it.
Special Introduction by:
- Jean Eddy, President & CEO, American Student Assistance (ASA), 2-minute introduction
Moderated By:
- Byron Sanders, President and CEO, Big Thought
Panelists Include:
- Common, Academy + Grammy Award Winning Artist
- Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad, Associate Professor of Language and Literacy at University of Chicago Illinois
- Kara May, Founding Director, Art in Motion (AIM) High School
New Tech Pathways and the Expanding Role of Intermediaries
Tuesday, April 16 | 3:50 – 4:30 PM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
The current landscape of new technology is undergoing rapid evolution, with even more drastic changes on the horizon. This transformation is shaping the future of work, giving rise to new technologies and pathways. Schools and networks of schools are actively adapting to these shifts by delving into the real-world implications of emerging technologies and ensuring learners have access to relevant opportunities. Given the rapidly changing IT workforce expectations, regional pathways intermediary organizations play a critical role in facilitating collaboration between educational institutions and industry partners, breaking down barriers to ensure alignment, access, and scale for students entering the IT workforce. Discover strategies to empower learners in navigating this evolving landscape and how to equip them with the skills they need to thrive. Learn about successful models and initiatives that bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world IT demands. Discover how these intermediaries drive innovation, mentorship, and internship opportunities, ensuring that a broader spectrum of aspiring IT professionals can thrive.
Moderated By:
- Shawnee Caruthers, Getting Smart
Panelists Include:
- Jennie Niles, President and CEO, CityWorksDC
- Lynn Moody, Senior Director of Partnerships, SparkNC
- Danny Martin, CEO & Co-Founder, Esposure Inc.
- Kimberly Mahan, Founder & Partner, Maxx Potential
Teen Work-Based Learning: Expanding Opportunity and Credentialing Valuable Experiences
Wednesday, April 17 | 10:10 AM – 10:50 AM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
Amid a rapidly changing job market, there’s a rising demand for real-world learning to improve student engagement and workforce readiness. However, systemic barriers to expansion of work-based learning for teens makes access to opportunity a challenge. To compound matters, the value of such experiences is often inadequately communicated through traditional transcripts and resumes. As trends in K-12 focus move more in the direction of authentic, career-connected experiences, shifting from a discussion of “why” to “how” is essential. Join a conversation that will examine why expansion must be a policy priority. Panelists will discuss the evolving trend of credentialing learning experiences plus provide tactical guidance for engaging learners in employer-led challenges or integrate practical projects into curricula and how to forge industry partnerships.
Moderated by:
- Julie Lammers, SVP, Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Lisa Dughi, CEO, NAF
- David Berg, Director of Digital Innovation, Big Picture Learning
- Luke Rhine, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education, Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education
- Prue Clifford, Executive Director, The Work Based Learning Alliance
The State of Career Exploration: Making Middle School Count
Wednesday, April 17 | 11:00 – 11:40 AM PT | Harbor G, Level 2
Middle school is an ideal time to introduce students to career exploration and guide them in navigating interests, aptitudes, and education options. Yet students entering high school now are less prepared than previous cohorts. Moreover, despite increased state support for students’ career success pathways, reporting and tracking of middle school programs has largely remained stagnant. That’s why ASA commissioned a study that analyzes how all 50 states approach, and measure success in, middle school career exploration. Hear from state and education leaders and explore best practices, challenges, and opportunities in transforming career-connected learning in the middle grades, including program implementation and effective state reporting on impact.
Moderated By
- Julie Lammers, SVP Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility, American Student Assistance (ASA) Moderator
Panelists Include:
- Paul Herdman, President & CEO, Rodel
- Stephanie Simpson, CEO, AMLE
- Kathleen Mathers, Principal of Career Readiness, Education Strategy Group (ESG)
OFFICE HOURS
Office Hours: Partnering to Provide Equitable Access to Career Education Experiences
Monday, April 15th | 1:00-2:00 PM | Manchester Grand Hyatt, Harbor Tower, Suite 3131
Research shows that 75% of high school graduates do not feel prepared to make college or career decisions after graduation. At ASA, we believe that technology can be used as a great equalizer to reach kids from all backgrounds with tools they need to make informed decisions to achieve their postsecondary education and career goals. In 2023, we introduced EvolveMe® — a
skill-building and career experimentation platform that incentivizes students to take the next step on their journey—to round out our digital ecosystem of experiences. In 2023, more than 15 million students enjoyed our free digital resources. Join Lee Waldvogel, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at ASA for coffee during our “Office Hours” and chat about how you can help empower students’ career readiness journeys through digital partnership.
Office Hours–Impact Investing: New Early-Stage and Diverse Founders Fund
Wednesday, April 17th | 1:00-2:00 PM | Manchester Grand Hyatt, Harbor Tower, Suite 3131
Since launching its investment strategy in April of 2022, ASA has invested over $40 million dollars in key sectors, such as postsecondary pathways, workforce development, and career-focused education. As a result, more than 40 million learners have been impacted through fund investments, as well as through direct investments.
Over the next five years, ASA will invest $10 million in mission-aligned early-stage and $15 million in companies with diverse founders and senior executives. The new investment initiative will invest in diverse entrepreneurs of early-stage companies that are achieving at least $500k in annual recurring revenue with an institutional lead investor. The new initiative will also invest in diverse fund managers of funds that are mission-aligned to ASA’s goals. Join ASA’s CEO and President Jean Eddy and Vice President of Mission Impact Investing Rilwan Meeran for coffee during our “Office Hours” to discuss how you can take advantage of early-stage capital to drive innovation in K12 career education.
AIRSHOW
For the first time, ASA will have a presence at the world’s largest event at the frontier of the AI Revolution in EDU for educators, administrators, founders, investors, professionals, and AI explorers. Learn new skills and tools to make your career soar. Experience wonders at what’s over the horizon. Have FUN and build a community with thought leaders, peers, learners, and more than 125 companies leading the AI Revolution.
Harnessing AI & Technology to Prepare Youth for Career Success
Saturday, April 13 | 1:00 – 1:40 PM PT
Location: 14A, Mezzanine, Level 2
Today’s kids don’t feel prepared to make informed decisions about their futures. In fact, research shows that more than 65 percent of students feel they would have benefited from more career exploration in middle or high school. Enter technology innovations that are transforming the way kids connect classroom learning with real-world experiences. During this panel discussion, learn how teens are benefitting from impactful tech-enabled career learning opportunities–from virtual career mentors that enable them to build social capital/professional networks and mobile-first experiences that help match interests with career possibilities to AI-powered career coaching.
Moderator:
- Lee Waldvogel, Senior Director of Partnerships, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Jared Chung, Founder and Executive Director, Career Village
- John Branam, Executive Director, GetSchooled
- Taylor Shead, CEO, Stemuli
- Randy Osei, Founder and CEO, Athlete Technology Group
Future Entrepreneurs Pioneering AI Solutions for Global Challenges
Saturday April 13 | 3:10 – 3:30 PM PT
Location: Exhibit Hall A, AI Revolution Stage, Level 1
Imagine a world where fiction meets reality! Today’s tech advancements, from sustainable wearables to advanced robotics and generative AI, are fueling entrepreneurial innovation and transforming workplaces. Young entrepreneurs, digital natives at heart, are harnessing the power of AI to create groundbreaking business ideas. They’re tackling issues with AI-driven solutions like chatbots for mental health, personalized AI fitness coaches, and AI-curated data promoting workplace diversity. Join CEO J.D. LaRock for a thrilling 20-minute sneak peek into how teens are using AI to build futuristic businesses!
Moderated by:
- J.D. LaRock, CEO, NFTE
Panelists Include:
- Saket Pathak, InclusifyIQ (NFTE Student)
- Pratham Muriki (NFTE Student)
Summit Attendance Scholarship Recipients
In collaboration with ASU+GSV, ASA has granted seven recipients scholarships, valued at $5,500 each, to attend this year’s Summit. These nonprofit organizations will have opportunities to attend the event, engage with their peers in the youth career readiness space on proven success models, and gain access to learning opportunities, actionable insights, and workshops. Recipients include the following:
- CommunityShare
- Franklin Cummings Tech
- STEAM the Streets
- Skillsgapp
- Stemuli
- Pathstream
- LivedX