Calbright College at SXSW EDU 2026
PanelPicker Public Voting Closes Sunday, August 24, 2025
Vote for our Panels!
Your vote can help us bring Competency-Based Education to SXSW EDU 2026!
If our panel proposals are selected, Ajita Talwalker Menon, our president and CEO, and Marisa Bold, our VP of Sustainable Growth and District Development, will join other leaders in education to discuss the new realities facing students, schools and employers, and strategies for success.
Community voting counts for 30% of the decision, so we’re counting on you!
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Voting closes on Sunday, August 24th, so act now!
Speakers
Stacy Caldwell – President and Chief Executive Officer, CredLens
Michael Goldstein – Chief Innovation Officer, Franklin Cummings Tech
Lisa Countryman – Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Vocational Service
Ajita Menon – President and Chief Executive Officer, Calbright College
For students looking for the next step after high school, one of the most popular paths is also the most confusing. More and more students are opting for new education programs that don’t lead to a four-year degree, but take less time, cost less money, and promise tighter alignment with job opportunities and the world of work. In this emerging wild west of higher education, who’s doing it right — and what can we learn from them? This panel will bring together leaders from new non-degree programs to prove how we can better serve learners by letting higher education’s wild west thrive.
Speakers
Cassie Taylor – Managing Director, ideas42
Eric Dunker – Chief Engagement and Advancement Officer, Reach University
Clare Bertrand – Executive Director, Career Strategy & Partnerships, College Board
Marisa Bold – Vice President of Sustainable Growth and District Development, Calbright College
Today’s college students are juggling work, family, and education while navigating systems built for a different era. While traditional-age students still represent the majority, the fastest-growing segment of higher education are working adults. This session reveals how forward-thinking institutions are redesigning the student experience from the ground up to serve today’s diverse learners. Rather than asking students to adapt to outdated systems, panelists will demonstrate practical strategies for making institutions more responsive to the realities of modern student life.
Speakers
Dana Stephenson – Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Riipen
Ajita Menon – President & Chief Executive Officer, Calbright College
Cecilia Marshall – Chief Advancement Officer, Ed Advancement
Nick Fouriezos – National Reporter on Rural Higher Education, Open Campus Media
The old model (study first, work later) is breaking down. In today’s job market, experience speaks louder than credentials, and employers want more than a transcript. This panel explores how forward-thinking institutions are embedding employer-designed projects, paid work, and real-world deliverables directly into academic courses. Learn how work-based learning is becoming the new core curriculum—and what it takes to build systems that deliver equity, credibility, and career traction from day one.