BHEF 2025 Spring Convening: Agenda

Monday, March 31, 2025

Optional drop-in networking
6:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.
Join us for an informal networking reception at the hotel’s rooftop bar the evening before the convening kicks off. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow attendees, catch up with colleagues, and set the stage for engaging discussions in a relaxed setting. No RSVP required—just stop by if you're already in town!

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Board of Directors Meeting (Board members and BHEF staff only)
9:30 a.m. — 11:30 a.m.

Registration Opens
11:00 a.m.

Welcome Lunch and Opening Keynote: Human Ability in the Age of Intelligent Machines
12:00 p.m.
Welcoming remarks from:

  • Jeff Armstrong, President, California Polytechnic State University & BHEF Vice Chair
  • Laura Ipsen, CEO, Ellucian & BHEF Board Chair
  • Kristen Fox, CEO, Business-Higher Education Forum

Keynote Speaker:

  • Matt Beane, Author of The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines and Assistant Professor, UCSB

Session I: The Talent Our Nation Needs: Building Tomorrow's Workforce
12:45 p.m. — 2:00 p.m.
Business leaders from diverse sectors will share their perspective on the transformative role of AI in shaping their industries and organizations today. This conversation offers a unique opportunity to understand how businesses are integrating AI into their operations and the implications for ensuring education and talent strategies are evolving to meet industry realities. We'll discuss and share actionable insights into the evolving demands of AI-driven workplaces and how higher education can better support these shifts.

Moderator:

  • Adela de la Torre, President, San Diego State University

Confirmed Speakers:

  • Kevin Connell, Education, OpenAI
  • Walt Duflock, VP of Innovation, Western Growers
  • Lisa Gevelber, Founder, Grow with Google and Chief Marketing Officer, Google
  • Aaron Nasi, Sr. Director, Cybersecurity, Albertsons

Break
2:00 p.m. — 2:15 p.m.

Session II: Strategies to Activate All Human Talent and Potential in a Rapidly Changing World
2:15 p.m. — 3:30 p.m.
Activating the full potential of the U.S. workforce is both an economic necessity and a cornerstone of social mobility. As businesses and higher education institutions grapple with shifting workforce dynamics and policies, traditional strategies for sourcing, developing, and retaining students and workers are no longer enough. Political and economic shifts are changing the tools available to support talent development, while AI is reshaping skill and labor needs. These dynamics are posing ethical considerations that leaders must face as they navigate this new landscape. The session will provide space and time for discussion across all attendees with discussants sharing insights into building resilient, future-ready pipelines that drive economic success and social mobility in an era of rapid transformation.

Moderator:

  • Carol Carter, Founder and CEO, Global MindED

Discussants:

  • Avery Cambridge, Associate Partner, McKinsey
  • Chris James, CEO, The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development
  • Valerie Singer, GM, Global Education, Amazon Web Services
  • Amanda Tovar, CFO, Prospanica

Lightning Talk: Managing Risk in a Time of Uncertainty
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

In today’s unpredictable environment, both higher education institutions and businesses face increasing risks—from political and regulatory shifts to funding uncertainties and evolving diversity initiatives. Aaron Olson, Executive Vice President at Aon, will explore how leaders can assess and manage these challenges, ensuring long-term stability and adaptability.

This session will highlight key risks that impact both sectors, including workforce and talent pipeline disruptions, changes in public policy, and financial sustainability. Attendees will gain insights into proactive risk management strategies that can help institutions and businesses safeguard their missions, maintain resilience, and stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.

Speaker:

  • Aaron Olson, Executive Vice President, Aon

Break and Transition to Bus Tour
4:00 p.m. — 4:15 p.m.

Cal Poly Bus Tour: Learning by Doing
4:15 p.m. — 5:15 p.m.
Cal Poly President, Jeff Armstrong, will guide attendees on a bus tour of campus, highlighting how Learn by Doing—combining academics with real-world applications—is core to Cal Poly's curriculum and the success of its students.

Board Chair's Reception
5:15 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.

Board Chair's Dinner and Fireside Chat: AI and a Human-Centered Economy
6:00 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.
At the opening of our dinner, join Laura Ipsen, CEO, Ellucian & BHEF Board Chair, and Paul LeBlanc Co-founder of Matter and Space and Former President of Southern New Hampshire University, for a fireside chat exploring the role of AI in shaping a more human-centered economy. Drawing from his extensive experience at the intersection of education and technology, LeBlanc will discuss how his team is building a vision to support AI in enhancing workforce transitions, supporting lifelong learning, and putting human well-being, connectedness, and flourishing at the center of work to empower individuals to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Speakers:

  • Laura Ipsen, CEO, Ellucian & BHEF Board Chair
  • Paul LeBlanc, Co-founder of Matter and Space and Former President of Southern New Hampshire University

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Networking Breakfast
8:00 a.m. — 9:00 a.m.

Session III: Learning from Regional Ecosystems Meeting the Moment: Case Studies of Effective Partnerships 
9:00 a.m. — 10:15 a.m.

During this session, we will explore how collaborative regional partnerships are addressing economic needs through coordinated efforts among businesses, higher education, government, and other stakeholders. Featuring compelling case studies, the discussants will examine how these alliances tackle shared obstacles, the strategies behind their success, and the tangible outcomes they achieve. Our discussion will focus on building and sustaining partnerships that effectively respond to evolving workforce demands. 

Moderator:

  • Frank Avery, Business-Higher Education Forum

Speakers:

  • Erika Beck, President, California State University Northridge
  • Wendy S. Lea, Co-Founder & Board Chair, Energize Colorado and Board Member, Elevate Quantum 
  • Duke Reiter, Senior Advisor to the President and Executive Director, University City Exchange, Arizona State University 
  • Jimmy McDonough, Assistant Commissioner for Higher Education Workforce Programs, Utah System of Higher Education

Break
10:15 a.m. — 10:30 a.m.

Session IV: "How to Build It" Working Sessions (Part 1)
10:30 a.m. — 11:15 a.m.
These facilitated peer-to-peer conversations enable networking and learning about effective approaches that advance key initiatives. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in both topics.

1. AI and the Future of Talent Collaborative: Shaping the AI Framework
Join us for an interactive session to shape a key BHEF initiative—a dynamic AI framework to prepare learners and workers for emerging and evolving roles. No AI expertise? No problem. Sensemaking is central to this effort. Your insights will help refine a scalable resource for AI-driven roles offering clear pathways for entry-level talent, upskilling, reskilling, and career growth. This framework will serve as a tool for businesses and higher education to empower a future-ready workforce by integrating AI competencies with durable and domain-specific skills, ensuring professionals at all career stages can effectively leverage AI across industries and occupations.

Facilitators:

  • Stephanie Blochinger, Senior Director, Member Engagement, Business-Higher Education Forum
  • Jennifer Thornton, Chief Programs Officer, Business-Higher Education Forum

2. Building Scalable Models for Talent Ready Graduates: The Role of Education, Employers, and Tech Partners
To close the critical supply gap in the availability of work-integrated learning experiences and scaled on-ramps that support "talent-ready" graduates, BHEF is launching the Center for Work-Integrated Learning Innovation. Across our network, there are positive innovations occurring that enable all learners to engage in applied work and expand their professional networks and skills and empower more employers to readily connect and engage with new talent to meet emerging skill areas. This dialogue will focus on promising and established models that are meeting employer and learner needs and will identify places we can support broader adoption and scaling across our network and beyond.

Facilitators:

  • Kristen Fox, CEO, Business-Higher Education Forum
  • Erin Mayhood, CEO, Mentor Collective
  • Dave Savory, Co-Founder, Riipen

Break
10:15 a.m. — 10:30 a.m.

Session V: "How to Build It" Working Sessions (Part 2)
11:15 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

Participants will switch between these two sessions.
1. AI and the Future of Talent Collaborative: Shaping the AI Framework
2. Building Scalable Models for Talent Ready Graduates: The Role of Education, Employers, and Tech Partners

Lunch and Session VI: Driving to Action:  Accelerating, Scaling, and Sharing BHEF Network Solutions
12:00 p.m. — 1:30 p.m.

Partnerships between higher education and business hold the potential to address the nation’s most pressing challenges, from workforce development to economic competitiveness.  This closing session will  highlight solutions that are successfully scaling impact and our work to ensure that business and education leaders are working to make sure the American higher education system is driving the talent innovation, economic growth and resiliency our nation needs. Drawing on insights from Faculty Innovation Fellowship, student experiences, and members and business leaders, discussants will share how initiatives  across our network are meeting business needs and fostering high-performing collaborations. As a group, we will discuss next steps for how our powerful coalition of business and education leaders can apply its solutions to meet the moment for emerging talent needs, including AI-enabled talent across the workforce and ensure a thriving, career-connected ecosystem. 

Moderator:

  • Kristen Fox, CEO Business-Higher Education Forum 

Speakers:

  • Alfonzo D. Alexander, Executive, Entrepreneur and Investor
  • Jeff Armstrong, President, Cal Poly
  • Lisa Foss, Executive Director, Council on Higher Education as a Strategic Asset
  • Gus Flusser, AI Development Student, DxHub, California Polytechnic State University
  • Alvin Henry, Associate Professor and Director of Asian American Studies and BHEF Faculty Fellow, San Diego State University and BHEF Faculty Fellow

Closing Discussion: Our Work Ahead and Next Steps
1:30 p.m. — 2:00 p.m.

Speakers:

  • Jeff Armstrong, President, California Polytechnic State University & BHEF Vice Chair
  • Kristen Fox, CEO, Business-Higher Education Forum

Formal Meeting Sessions Adjourn
2:00 p.m.

Small Group Networking & Facilitated Introductions
2:00 p.m.— 3:00 p.m.
To support network members in deepening existing connections and making new ones, this time is available to set up small group and 1:1 meetings with existing and potential partners, as well as BHEF staff. The attendee list will be shared in advance to facilitate professional networking and outreach.