American Student Assistance® (ASA), a national nonprofit at the forefront of changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures, is a proud sponsor of the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit and the presenting sponsor of this year’s mobile app. Now in its 16th year, the ASU+GSV Summit is the most important and impactful gathering of 7,000+ “PreK to Gray” education and workforce learning leaders. With a uniquely dynamic alchemy of attendees, some of the most transformational ideas in education and innovation start right here.
SUMMIT
Opening Reception Hosted By American Student Assistance (ASA)
Sunday, April 6 | 5:30 – 7:00PM
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 including our NextGen Nectar signature cocktail. 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.
STAGE-X Breakfast
Monday, April 7 | 9 – 11:00AM | Seaport Ballroom
Introducing Emily Oster
Jean Eddy, President & CEO, American Student Assistance, Author, Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World, Co-host, Youth Career Readiness: The One-Question Podcast
The World is Her Oster… Moneyballing Motherhood with Emily Oster
Moderated By: Michael Horn, Author, Job Moves, Co-host, Youth Career Readiness: The One-Question Podcast
Charting Bold Paths: Philanthropic Innovations Accelerating Impact
Monday, April 7 | 2:10 – 2:50PM | Coronado D
In an era of rapid change and evolving global challenges, philanthropy is undergoing a transformation, driven by bold strategies and a willingness to take risks that maximize impact. This panel brings together visionary leaders who are rethinking traditional models, taking more shots on goal, and embracing risk to drive transformative change and scale innovative solutions. Join us for a dynamic conversation on why philanthropy must move beyond safe bets—and how bold, high-reward strategies are unlocking new opportunities for lasting change.
Moderated by:
- Henry Hipps, Co-Founder & CEO, Diffusion Venture Studio
Panelists include:
- Jean Eddy, President & Chief Executive Officer, American Student Assistance (ASA)
- Melissa Johnston, CEO, Lemnis
- Ellie Bertani, President & CEO, GitLab Foundation
- Katy Knight, Executive Director & President, Siegel Family Foundation
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP SESSIONS
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.
As part of ongoing efforts to elevate critical conversations in the youth career readiness arena, ASA will organize three mini-tracks:
- Track One: middle school career exploration
- Track Two: high school career-connected learning
- Track Three: career navigation
Track One: High School Career-connected Learning
New Credentialing Strategies That Make Experience Count
Monday, April 7 | 2:10 – 2:50PM | Harbor E
In the way traditional transcripts have been used to document what you know, digital credentials are a growing way to signal capabilities. As of 2024, employees and learners can earn nearly a million viable credentials to demonstrate competency. In fact, Credly has awarded over 81 million credentials to date, and a Lumina sponsored report found that 28 states have invested at least $3.8 billion in short-term credential pathways. Most of these credentials are awarded for demonstrations of technical skills, but there is growing interest in credentialing skills learned through hands-on learning experiences. Join this discussion to learn more about these approaches and about a recent report, Expanding Access, Value and Experiences Through Credentialing, that outlines strategies to make valuable experiences like internship count to reduce reliance on traditional signals including transcripts and resumes.
Moderated by:
- Tom Vander Ark, CEO & Partner, Getting Smart
Panelists include:
- Peter Janzow, Vice President, Credly
- Jason Tyszko, Senior Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- Geeta Verma, CEO & Founder, LivedX
- Laura Slover, Managing Director, Skills for the Future, ETS
- Michael Discenza, CTO, SchooLinks
WORKSHOP: Crashing through Roadblocks–Debunking High School Work-based Learning Barriers
Monday, April 7 | 3:00 – 3:40PM | Room Harbor E
When the topic of internships comes up, many employers automatically put up roadblocks to bringing youth into their workspace: From transportation, funding, liability, scheduling, and underestimating the work many high school students can do, the reasons to say “no” are endless. But too often, these employers are failing to recognize the real value youth can bring to the workplace. This session will open with an overview of employers’ most commonly reported logistical barriers to youth work-based learning followed by a discussion on policy barriers, engaging school systems and employers partners, and measuring and communicating learner impact. Participants will have a chance to join a breakout discussion and brainstorm solutions to talk through the barriers they encounter. Participants will come away with ideas to build buy-in to persuade naysayers in the workplace and create a welcoming work environment for youth younger than 18.
Moderated by:
- Julie Lammers, EVP, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Table facilitators:
- Judy Goldstein, SVP, Marketing & Communication, American Student Assistance (ASA)
- Shawnee Caruthers, VP Advocacy, Getting Smart
- Lisa Dughi, CEO, NAF
- Dr. J.D. LaRock, CEO, NFTE
- Corey Mohn, President & CEO, CAPS Network
Scaling Youth Work-Based Learning Opportunities to Boost Employer Pipelines
Monday, April 7 | 3:50 – 4:30PM | Room Harbor E
A 2023 employer survey conducted by America Student Assistance (ASA) found a small increase in the number of businesses offering high school work-based learning opportunities, from 30% in 2018 to 38% five years later. But many more businesses will have to start offering these opportunities if we are to ensure that all youth have equitable access to these invaluable real-world experiences. For that to happen, the return on investment for employers—the benefits beyond the feel-good reason of giving back to the community—as well as proven solutions to overcome real barriers, must be better defined, documented and shared among business leaders, HR professionals and employees of all ranks. Join this panel discussion for tangible recommendations for how to engage employers looking to provide career connected learning opportunities for youth. Hear insights from employers and philanthropic leaders funding promising models on how business can use youth work-based learning to build early talent pipelines.
Moderated by:
- Corey Mohn, President & CEO, CAPS Network
Panelists:
- Jason Tyszko, SVP, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- Dan Gonzalez, Co-Founder & CEO, District C
- Diane Tavenner, CEO, Futre.me
- Jamie Jutila, Senior Program Officer, Education Program, Walton Family Foundation
- Dr. Miguel Cardona, U.S. 12th Secretary of Education, Cardona Solutions
Track Two: Middle School Career Exploration
Listen to the Kids: Designing Middle School Career Exploration for Today’s Youth
Tuesday, April 8 | 10:10 – 10:50AM | Room Harbor E
A recent report found that many states are moving towards building strong vision, policy and infrastructure around middle school career exploration. But is good policy translating into effective experiences for youth on the ground? This session will explore what middle school kids really want from career exploration programming, and examine the results of several focus groups and surveys with past and current middle schoolers. Panelists will also discuss a new initiative launched this spring to catalyze the work of leading states in this field to refine and strengthen state-level policy priorities, expand the ecosystem of partners currently supporting and driving the work, and harness their collective power to create a center of gravity around which policy and practice efforts can be concentrated going forward.
Moderated by:
- Julie Lammers, EVP, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists include:
- Kathleen Mathers, Principal, ESG
- Stephanie Simpson, CEO, AMLE
Dive into the Hottest Career-Connected Tech for Young Learners
Tuesday, April 8 | 11:00 – 11:40AM | Room Harbor E
Discover how investing in cutting-edge, career-focused technology can transform education. This dynamic discussion will explore how interactive, career-focused learning experiences can empower students to demonstrate their potential and take control of their futures by providing them with equal access to opportunities. We will dive deep into the convergence of AI, immersive media, and virtual reality, showcasing how these technologies can be leveraged in partnership with career and technical educators, job placement professionals, and industry leaders to bring real work opportunities into the classroom, helping students make more informed career choices. This conversation is a blueprint for the future. Educators, career advisors, and investors alike will gain actionable insights into the most promising technological innovations reshaping how we prepare the next generation of professionals. Learn where smart investments are redefining the intersection of education, technology, and career development.
Moderated by:
- Rilwan Meeran, Head of Impact Investing, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists include:
- Mark Grovic, Co-Founder & General Partner, New Markets Venture Partners
- Wayee Chu, Co-Founder, Partner, Reach Capital
- Matthew Chaussee, CEO, CareerView XR
- Oliver Fisher, Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder, Springpod
WORKSHOP: Practical Strategies for Turning Middle Schoolers’ Passions into Career Dreams
Tuesday, April 8 | 2:10 – 2:50PM | Room Harbor E
When you think middle school, “career exploration” might not be the first phrase that comes to mind. But according to ASA research, 80% of middle schoolers already say they’re stressed about deciding on their future career path—a sentiment likely exacerbated by how we frame the “career question” to kids. What if, rather than what do you want to be when you grow up, we asked kids what makes their hearts sing? Or, what do they love to do in their spare time? This interactive session empowers educators, administrators, and other stakeholders to leverage middle school students’ natural interests as the foundation for career exploration. Participants will brainstorm creative, interest-based frameworks (e.g., sailing for leadership, technology for entrepreneurship) to incorporate students’ passions and hobbies into career readiness education, work through stakeholder buy-in scenarios, and leave with actionable messaging strategies to garner support among educators, parents, employers, and school administrators for a diverse range of career exploration programs at the middle school level.
Facilitated by:
- Mike Murphy, Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, American Student Assistance (ASA)
- Jing Cox-Orrell, Philanthropy Program Manager, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Reimagining Durable Skills Development for Middle School Youth
Tuesday, April 8 | 3:00 – 3:40PM | Room Harbor E
Success in the modern workplace will require more than just technical prowess. Tomorrow’s workers will also need to cultivate interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and resilience as employers prioritize essential durable human skills that cannot be replicated by AI and machines. In fact, research shows that over 70 percent of executives think durable skills, like critical thinking, collaboration, and communication, are more important to their organizations than highly technical AI skills and 78 percent of the 10 top-employing occupations classify uniquely human skills and tasks as “important” or “very important.” Students are also eager to acquire the skills they’ll need in the workforce; three in four agree they want to learn skills that prepare them for jobs. But too often, employers today have a hard time finding candidates with the durable skills their companies need, often because our education system delays skill-building for a career until the latter years of high school or even postsecondary education. This session will explore several promising approaches to starting the acquisition of skills, particularly foundational durable skills, and workforce preparedness much earlier in a student’s educational journeys, both inside and beyond the classroom.
Moderated by:
- Julie Lammers, EVP, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists include:
- Summer Robins, Head of Partnerships, Skillfully
- Jamie Candee, CEO, Edmentum
- Carolynn King Richmond, President & CEO, MicroSociety
- Omar Bawa, Co-Founder & COO, Goodwall
Dreams to Lifelong Success: Empowering Underserved Students Through Career Exploration
Tuesday, April 8 | 3:50-4:30PM | Room Harbor E
Opportunities to explore and experiment with careers as early as middle school give students the best chance for long-term postsecondary and workforce success. Yet research shows that access to these opportunities is far from equal, varying greatly from state to state and community to community. This session will examine three promising programs that are innovating new methods of expanding access to career-connected learning for historically underserved student populations. Hear from educators and practitioners as they discuss strategies for providing career exploration and experimentation opportunities to middle school students in rural communities, students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and students from migrant farmworker families.
Moderated by:
- Jing Cox-Orrell, Philanthropy Program Manager, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists include:
- Walt Buchholtz, Operations Director, Immokalee Foundation
- Glen Lineberry, EdD, Executive Director, Arizona Student Opportunity Collaborative, National Rural Education Association
- Lindsay E. Jones, CEO, CAST
- Kristen Hengtgen, Policy Lead, The Education Trust
Track Three: Pathways and Career Navigation
Recalculating Routes: The State of Education to Career Navigation
Wednesday, April 9 | 10:10 – 10:50AM | Room Harbor E
Education or training beyond high school is more important than ever, but the evolving landscape of postsecondary education makes it increasingly difficult for young people to navigate their education and career options. Learn about how powerhouse organizations are working to build solutions so that learners can discover and navigate the right path for them after high school, and build the education and skills they need for life-long success. We will address just what it would take to bring these solutions to market at scale, and how we should work together to meet the needs of students, employers and regional economies.
Moderated by:
- Julie Lammers, EVP, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists include:
- Marie Groark, Managing Director, Schultz Family Foundation
- Dan Fisher, President & CEO, ECMC Group
- Jane Swift, President, Education at Work
- Connor Harrington, CEO, Kuder
The Future of Career Navigation: Funding, Policy, and Practice
Wednesday, April 9 | 11:00 – 11:40AM | Room Harbor E
As the demand grows for resources that help young people navigate the diversity of postsecondary options, the need for clear policies and sustainable funding becomes critical. This panel brings together voices from policy, practice, and lived experience to discuss actionable solutions for scaling career navigation systems. Explore the early findings of a forthcoming policy report about the funding and advocacy strategies needed to ensure all learners have equitable access to career guidance. Get a multi-stakeholder perspective on how to shape policy and advocacy efforts for career navigation. And see examples of collaboration supporting career navigation across government, philanthropic, and private-sector organizations.
Moderated by:
- Elizabeth Texeira, VP Social Impact, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists include:
- Erica Cuevas, Director of Policy & Advocacy, JFF
- Stephanie M. Murphy, Ph.D., Director of State Policy & Research, HCM Strategies
- Amy Loyd, CEO, All4Ed
OFFICE HOURS
Partnering to Provide Equitable Access to Career Education Experiences
Monday, April 7 | 1:00 – 2:00PM | Seaport Tower, Gaslamp C
At American Student Assistance( ASA), we have long believed that the future isn’t something students have to wait for—it’s something they can start shaping today. But we know they can’t do it alone. ASA annually reaches more than 15 million young people through our programming, philanthropic support and strategic partnerships. Now, we seek to both widen and deepen our impact to ensure our highest need learners can explore careers as early as middle school, experiment through hands-on opportunities in high school, and transition to the postsecondary pathways that work for them. Grant seekers: If you are a state agency or local government, nonprofit organization, school district, intermediary or other stakeholder looking to advance the field of career readiness through research, systemic change, or provide direct services to youth, join ASA’s Corporate Social Responsibility team; Julie Lammers, EVP, Annie Duong, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Jing Cox-Orrell, during our “Office Hours” to discuss our grant guidelines and opportunities. If you are interested in learning more about a strategic partnership with ASA, please join Bill Shaw, ASA Chief Strategy Officer, to discuss how we can further mutual growth objectives.
Impact Investing | Wednesday, April 9 | 1:00 – 2:00PM | Seaport Tower, Gaslamp C
Since launching its investment strategy in April of 2022, ASA has invested over $75 million dollars in key sectors and has impacted millions of learners. We aim for optimized investment returns and measurable impact, diversified by theme, geographic focus, management strategy, and investment stage including third-party impact funds (investments that realize market rate returns while advancing ASA’s mission), Seed or Series A/B direct investment (growth stage investing in private companies) as well as companies with underserved founders or early-stage firms. Our investment focus is across three main verticals: career focused education, intentional postsecondary pathways, and workforce development. If this is you, please join ASA’s CEO and President Jean Eddy, Vice President of Mission Impact Investing Rilwan Meeran plus ASA’s impact investing team (Peter Tomhave and Savannah Johnson) for coffee during our “Office Hours” to discuss how you can leverage our capital to drive innovation.
Summit Attendance Scholarship Recipients
In collaboration with ASU+GSV, ASA has granted seven recipients registration scholarships 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:
