At the 2026 Futures Summit, over 1,000 education and workforce leaders gathered to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping learning and work opportunities for community college students across the state.
Calbright College sponsored and joined this gathering to showcase how student-centered and human driven digital transformation can redefine higher education for adult learners. The annual event is hosted by the California Community Colleges Digital Center for Innovation, Transformation and Equity in partnership with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and Foothill–De Anza Community College District.
Rather than deliberating on the future of tech and AI’s role in higher education, Calbright demonstrated how an institution can actively operationalize technology to expand access, scale human impact, and better serve adult learners who are increasingly the majority of college students — parents, caregivers, career pivoters, and Californians looking to remain competitive in evolving regional and statewide workforces.
Calbright’s executive leadership brought the College’s human-centered approach to key discussions across the Summit:
President and CEO Ajita Talwalker Menon joined the panel “Humanism + AI: Designing Technology That Serves People” to address how technology must be leveraged to support today’s students and put adult learners’ needs first.
Vice President of Learning and Instruction Shannon McCarty partnered with Riipen for “Reimagining Work-Based Learning in the Age of AI,” sharing how Calbright and Riipen connect adult learners to real-world projects that drive mobility.
Chief Product Officer Vivek Vyas contributed to “From Guiding Principles to Operating Model: How Three Colleges Built Equity-Centered Enterprise AI Strategy” alongside AQL Labs, highlighting how to translate high-level principles into actionable decision-making frameworks.
“At Calbright, we are intentionally designing for adult learners’ lives and daily realities, building adaptable structures that honor and elevate the life experiences our adult students bring with them and recognize they are looking for education and workforce training experiences that work with their responsibilities, not against them,” said President Menon. “We see technology as a way to scale, not replace, human impact, and ensure we remain committed to students’ goals and success.”
For policymakers, trustees, education leaders, and workforce partners, Calbright’s participation underscored the tangible value of a student-first, flexible digital model. The Summit reinforced that while technical skills must evolve alongside automation, durable skills — critical thinking, communication, and complex problem-solving — remain irreplaceable in the labor market. And Calbright offers a scalable roadmap for how higher education can bridge education and employment to drive economic mobility for more Californians.
