2026
Eduventures Summit On Demand
Watch the latest insights and research from Eduventures analysts Richard Garrett and Kim Reid; a fireside chat with Jonathan Martin; powerful presentations on strategic storytelling, affirmative action, fostering belonging, AI opportunities in higher education, and drawing on lessons from the past to cultivate the skills, habits, and dispositions necessary for constructive engagement across differences.
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Stories that Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Potential Students and Influencers, Transforming Your Enrollment Goals
Kindra Hall, Customer Experience & Storytelling Expert in Business, Best-Selling Author, Chief Strategy Officer at Steller Collective
At a time when colleges and universities face increasing competition, growing skepticism about the value of higher education, and rapidly changing student expectations, the ability to tell a compelling story has never been more critical. In this dynamic keynote, bestselling author and storytelling expert Kindra Hall reveals how strategic storytelling can help institutions cut through the noise, build trust with prospective students and families, and create deeper emotional connections that inspire action. Drawing on the science and psychology of storytelling, Hall demonstrates why facts, rankings, and outcomes alone rarely drive decisions—and how the right story can transform perception, engagement, and enrollment.
Designed specifically for higher education leaders, this session explores how institutions can uncover and amplify the stories that define their mission, heritage, impact, and distinct value. Attendees will learn how to identify the narratives that resonate most with today's students, communicate the life-changing value of a college education, and align their institution's brand story across enrollment, marketing, advancement, and leadership. Through practical frameworks and actionable insights, Hall will show how powerful storytelling can strengthen institutional reputation, inspire confidence among families, and help colleges and universities attract the students they are uniquely positioned to serve.
Online Learning as a Strategic Asset: Making Modality Matter
Richard Garrett, Eduventures Chief Research Officer, Encoura
No-one denies that online learning is mainstream at thousands of colleges and universities nationwide, but is online a strategic asset? This presentation, drawing on Eduventures Online Higher Education Market Update 2026 report and other research, explores 1) How online learning can enhance the student experience beyond convenience, 2) Whether online investment is shifting institutional cost dynamics, and 3) Evidence that schools with major online learning investments are turning AI from vulnerability to advantage.
The Future of Affirmative Action: New Paths to Higher Education Diversity
Richard Kahlenburg, Director of the American Identity Project at the Progressive Policy Institute
In the wake of recent Supreme Court decisions, colleges and universities are confronting new questions about how to achieve diversity and expand educational opportunity. In this thought-provoking keynote, renowned education scholar Richard Kahlenberg examines the future of affirmative action and the evolving strategies institutions can use to promote access, equal opportunity, and student success.
Drawing on decades of research, Kahlenberg explores emerging admissions approaches, including the use of socioeconomic factors to foster both racial and economic diversity. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the changing higher education landscape and the innovative policies that can help institutions build inclusive, high-achieving learning environments for the future.
Charting Their Own Course: How Seniors Navigate the Enrollment Journey
Kim Reid, Eduventures Principal Analyst, Encoura
High school seniors are not a monolith—some chart direct paths to their goals, while others navigate to unexpected destinations that better fit their evolving goals. Yet institutions often assume that students follow similar or stable trajectories. Using Eduventures survey data tracking high school seniors from application through their enrollment decision, this session reveals how different students navigate the enrollment funnel. Discover how preferences evolve, what information matters most, and how to provide timely support that guides students toward enrollment decisions benefiting both them and your institution.
The AI Opportunity for Teaching & Learning
Michael Horn, Award-Winning Author and Co-Founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation
Michael Horn discusses the emergence of AI in higher education—and what it will take so that institutions see it as an opportunity rather than a threat. The talk encompasses the imperative of institutions embedding real-world experiences into student learning, as well as the opportunity to use AI to launch disruptive innovations that make post-secondary education more affordable, accessible and of higher quality to students across the world.
Pluralism, Prejudice and the Promise of America
Eboo Patel, Founder & President of Interfaith America
Drawing from his latest book, Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America, interfaith leader Eboo Patel offers a timely and inspiring message for higher education leaders. Patel argues that pluralism — the ability of people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and identities to work together toward a common good — is central to the American story and essential to the future of our campuses and communities.
Through historical examples and contemporary insights, Patel will explore how colleges and universities can foster belonging, bridge differences, and prepare students to thrive in an increasingly diverse society. This keynote challenges leaders to embrace pluralism not only as a core value, but as a leadership practice that strengthens campus culture and advances the mission of higher education.
Fireside Chat on the State of American Politics
Jonathan Martin, Politics Bureau Chief and Senior Political Columnist, POLITICO
Richard Garrett, Eduventures Chief Research Officer, Encoura
In this engaging fireside chat, renowned political journalist Jonathan Martin offers an insider’s perspective on the forces shaping American politics at a time of deep polarization and rapid change. Drawing on decades of reporting and relationships with key leaders and power brokers in Washington, Martin will explore the political, cultural, and media dynamics driving today’s most consequential debates and elections.
Designed for higher education leaders seeking to better understand the evolving national landscape, this conversation will provide timely analysis of the challenges and opportunities facing American institutions. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the state of political discourse, the future of bipartisan cooperation, and what today’s political environment means for colleges, universities, and the communities they serve.
The Art of Civic Friendship: What America at 250 Can Still Learn from Jefferson and Adams
Dr. Jane Kamensky, President and CEO of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, historian and Monticello President Dr. Jane Kamensky explores the enduring importance of civic friendship in sustaining a healthy democracy. In this session, Dr. Kamensky will examine the remarkable relationship between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams — friends, rivals, and ultimately reconciled collaborators whose shared commitment to the American experiment transcended deep political disagreement.
Drawing lessons from their story, Kamensky challenges higher education leaders to consider how colleges and universities can cultivate the skills, habits, and dispositions necessary for constructive engagement across differences. This thought-provoking keynote offers timely insights into fostering civil discourse, strengthening democratic participation, and preparing students to lead in an increasingly polarized society.
