Connecting Business and Higher Education Leaders

The Business-Higher Education Forum is a national network connecting pioneering corporate and higher education leaders to identify emerging skills and co-develop inclusive pathways that address talent needs. We empower and catalyze collaborations that deliver accelerated, inclusive, and effective solutions across education and work and to meet the changing talent needs of learners, workers, and businesses.

Who we are:

BHEF is a national network that connects corporate and higher education leaders to identify emerging skills and co-develop pathways that address talent needs. We empower and catalyze collaborations that deliver accelerated, inclusive, and effective solutions.

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Join our network:

Business and university leaders join the forum to lead innovation that meets the changing talent needs of learners, workers, and businesses. We customize engagements that effectively bridge education and employment.

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Why we do it:

We see a future where higher education and business collaborate seamlessly to develop a skilled, adaptable workforce—one that drives innovation, fuels economic growth, and empowers individuals to thrive in meaningful careers.

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The Business-Higher Education Forum Board of Directors

Laura K. Ipsen,* President and Chief Executive Officer, Ellucian, and Chair, BHEF Board of Directors

Jeffrey D. Armstrong, President, California Polytechnic State University, and Vice Chair, BHEF Board of Directors

Timothy D. Sands,* President, Virginia Tech, and Immediate Past Chair, BHEF Board of Directors

Jae Lynn Akin, HR Executive, State Farm

Joseph E. Aoun,* President, Northeastern University

Terrence Cheng, Chancellor, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities

John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University

Lisa Gevelber, Chief Marketing Officer, Americas Region, Google and Founder, Grow with Google

Earl F. "Marty" Martin, President, Drake University

Ryan Oakes,* Global Health & Public Service Industry Practices Chair, Accenture

Jay A. Perman, M.D., Chancellor, University System of Maryland

Madeline Pumariega,* President, Miami Dade College

Chris Reber, President, Hudson County Community College

Kristen Fox, CEO, Business-Higher Education Forum
Ex Officio

*executive committee member

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Spring 2025 BHEF Convening

April 1-2, 2025
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Building America’s Workforce: How Business and Higher Education Can Advance Inclusive Growth Through Partnerships
As the U.S. faces unprecedented shifts in labor dynamics—driven by an aging workforce, domestic labor shortages, the enrollment cliff in higher education, and surging demand for advanced skills in fields like AI, quantum computing, and energy—the need for scalable, place-based solutions has never been more urgent. The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) Spring 2025 Convening brings together leading business executives, higher education leaders, and workforce experts to share and advance strategies that address these challenges and drive inclusive economic growth and innovation, both regionally and nationally.

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