Unlock Higher Education Speakers series

Unlock Higher Education

The Unlock Higher Education Speaker Series brings together leaders, changemakers, and subject-matter experts to explore critical issues in higher education within prison settings. Each episode features powerful conversations on topics like digital equity, disability inclusion, college readiness, and access to federal grants. From national policy leaders to grassroots educators and journalists, our speakers offer insights that inform advocacy and inspire action. Whether you’re an ally, policymaker, or justice-impacted scholar, this series is your gateway to understanding the intersection of edu

  1. Sep 15

    UHE's July Speaker's Series with Seth Iorg and Sim Ventures

    Can technology education transform lives and expand opportunity? In this episode of the Unlock Higher Education Speaker Series, we sit down with Seth Iorg, COO and Co-Founder of SIM Ventures, to explore how career-focused technology education is creating new pathways into high-demand careers for learners across the country. As the founder of Simply Coding, Seth has helped more than 100,000 students develop practical coding and software development skills since 2013. Today, SIM Ventures partners with K–12 schools, Job Corps programs, workforce development organizations, and correctional education programs to bring industry-relevant technology training to communities that have traditionally faced barriers to opportunity. Together, we discuss: How technology education is reshaping workforce development Building pathways from education to employment Expanding coding and software development opportunities Innovation in correctional education Preparing learners for today's technology workforce The future of equitable access to career-focused education Whether you're an educator, researcher, policymaker, workforce development professional, advocate, or someone passionate about educational equity, this conversation offers valuable insights into how technology can help unlock opportunity. 🌐 Learn more about SIM Ventures: https://simventures.org/ About Unlock Higher Education Unlock Higher Education (UHE) brings together educators, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates committed to expanding access to higher education for justice-impacted students and creating more equitable educational systems. 📚 Learn more about Unlock Higher Education and upcoming events: https://conta.cc/3IG0tDH 👍 If you enjoyed this conversation, please Like, Subscribe, and Share to help us expand access to higher education, elevate conversations around justice and educational equity, and reach more people working to transform lives through learning. #UnlockHigherEducation #HigherEducation #CorrectionalEducation #WorkforceDevelopment #EdTech #Coding #TechnologyEducation #JusticeImpacted #EducationalEquity #CareerDevelopment #StudentSuccess #SIMVentures

  2. Sep 9

    UHE's June Speaker's Series with Stephanie Fleming and the Justice Decision Observability™

    How can institutions ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability as artificial intelligence becomes part of decision-making?In this episode of the Unlock Higher Education Speaker Series, Dr. Stephanie Fleming explores Justice Decision Observability™ (JDO™) and the critical intersection of human judgment, governance, behavioral health, and AI.Drawing on decades of experience in higher education and justice-adjacent systems, Dr. Fleming examines how leaders can build more transparent, ethical, and accountable decision-making processes while ensuring technology supports—not replaces—human wisdom.Whether you work in higher education, student support, public policy, behavioral health, artificial intelligence, or justice reform, this discussion offers valuable insights into the future of leadership and institutional governance.Topics include:• Justice Decision Observability™ (JDO™)• Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education• Human judgment and ethical decision-making• Transparency and accountability• Educational equity• Leadership and institutional governance• Justice-adjacent systemsAbout Unlock Higher EducationUnlock Higher Education (UHE) is committed to expanding access to higher education for justice-impacted students by connecting educators, researchers, practitioners, and advocates working to create more equitable systems.🔗 Learn more about Unlock Higher Education and future events:https://conta.cc/3IG0tDHIf you enjoyed this conversation, please Like, Subscribe, and Share to help expand access to higher education and elevate conversations around educational equity, justice reform, and student success.#UnlockHigherEducation #JusticeDecisionObservability #ArtificialIntelligence #HigherEducation #EducationalEquity #Leadership #JusticeReform #AI #Governance #StudentSuccess

  3. Sep 2

    UHE’s August Speaker Series with Tamara Cotman Springs

    What does it take to create meaningful pathways from reentry to economic mobility? In this installment of Unlock Higher Education’s Speaker Series, we sit down with Tamara Cotman Springs, Manager of Participant Development at the Center for Employment Opportunities, for a conversation about the intersection of higher education, workforce development, leadership, reentry, and economic mobility. With more than three decades of experience spanning education, professional development, public defense reform, and reentry services, Tamara brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the conversation. Her experience with wrongful conviction and incarceration has shaped her commitment to building systems that recognize the potential—not simply the past—of justice-impacted individuals. Tamara discusses the importance of developing pathways that lead beyond initial employment toward sustainable, upwardly mobile careers. We explore the role of leadership development, education, workforce preparation, mentorship, and institutional support in helping people successfully navigate reentry and build lasting economic opportunity. This conversation is ultimately about more than employment. It is about creating systems where people can move forward, develop their leadership, and build futures that extend far beyond the barriers they have previously faced. In June 2025, she published her first book, Sordid Injustice: A Memoir of Courage, Conviction, and the Misuse of RICO, which chronicles her journey through wrongful conviction, imprisonment, and redemption. The book is available on Amazon and through www.courageouslyshe.com. About Unlock Higher Education Unlock Higher Education (UHE) brings together educators, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates committed to expanding access to higher education for justice-impacted students and creating more equitable educational systems.📚 Learn more about Unlock Higher Education and upcoming events:https://conta.cc/3IG0tDH👍 If you enjoyed this conversation, please Like, Subscribe, and Share to help us expand access to higher education, elevate conversations around justice and educational equity, and reach more people working to transform lives through learning. #UnlockHigherEducation #HigherEducation #WorkforceDevelopment #CareerReadiness #EconomicMobility #ReentryServices #JusticeReform #AdultEducation #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkforceInnovation #EducationEquity #FutureOfWork

  4. Sep 1

    UHE's May Speaker's Series with the Center for Effective Public Policy.

    In this powerful conversation, Darlene George and Ashley Mackie share how coding, digital literacy, and policy innovation are creating new pathways for currently and formerly incarcerated individuals inside Maine’s Justice Policy Coding Lab. Joined by Erica King, the discussion explores what happens when technical education, lived experience, and systems-level advocacy come together to challenge assumptions about talent, opportunity, and leadership.Through partnerships between the Maine Department of Corrections, educational institutions, and national workforce initiatives, this work is building more than coding skills—it is building confidence, portfolios, employer connections, and real-world pathways into the digital economy.The session dives into the realities of developing tech talent inside constrained environments, the future of remote work and fair-chance employment, and the importance of creating systems that recognize innovation regardless of where it emerges.This is more than a discussion about coding. It is a conversation about access, dignity, and the untapped brilliance that exists inside communities too often overlooked.Join us as we continue building pathways to education, leadership, and transformation—together.#UnlockHigherEd #FromPrisonCellsToPhD #JusticeImpacted #SecondChances #TechEducation #WorkforceDevelopment #DigitalEquity #SystemChange

  5. Apr 29

    UHE's April Speaker's Series with Desiree “Dezi Speaks” Riley

    In this powerful April session of Unlock Higher Education’s Speaker Series, Desiree “Dezi Speaks” Riley takes us inside the work of transformation—where lived experience becomes leadership, and leadership creates real pathways forward.As the founder of The MasterMind Cooperative, Dezi shares how her team is building opportunity through innovative programs like their Green Jobs Workforce Development initiative—graduating participants from a 6-week paid training focused on composting, landscaping, and solar installation. This conversation goes beyond theory, offering a real look at what it takes to create sustainable, community-driven change for individuals returning home.The session also expands globally, featuring voices from Peru and Panama who are building eco-conscious businesses alongside incarcerated and returning individuals—highlighting both the possibilities and policy barriers that shape this work across different systems.This is more than a conversation. It’s a blueprint for what happens when purpose, innovation, and community come together.🔗 Learn more about Dezi’s work:The MasterMind Cooperative: https://www.themastermindcoop.com/Dezi’s Linktree: https://www.dezispeaks.life📚 Explore her writing:Felony to Freedom: https://www.amazon.com/Felony-Freedom...Breaking Chains, Building Futures: https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Chain...Join us as we continue building pathways to education, leadership, and second chances—together.#UnlockHigherEd #FromPrisonCellsToPhD #JusticeImpacted #SecondChances #WorkforceDevelopment #LeadershipMatters #SystemChange

  6. Apr 28

    UHE's March Speaker's Series with Josephine Horace-Jackson

    In this month’s Unlock Higher Education Speaker Series, we welcomed Josephine Horace-Jackson, a leader with more than 30 years of experience serving marginalized and justice-impacted communities. She shared her journey across healthcare, policy, grassroots organizing, and nonprofit leadership—and what it really takes to create change that lasts.Josephine broke advocacy down to its core: it’s not just about influencing systems, it’s about showing up for people. She spoke on the importance of community navigation, meeting individuals where they are, and ensuring that those closest to the challenges are leading the solutions. Her perspective challenged us to think beyond policy and into practice—how service, trust, and consistency build real impact.This session is a reminder that leadership isn’t loud—it’s steady. It’s built through action, relationships, and a commitment to lifting others as you move forward.Watch, reflect, and take something with you—because when advocacy is done right, it doesn’t just change systems. It changes lives.#UnlockHigherEducation #JusticeImpacted #CommunityLeadership #AdvocacyInAction #ReentrySupport #HigherEdForAll #SystemChange #VoicesThatMatter

  7. Feb 25

    UHE's February Speaker's Series with Dr. Basia Skudrick

    In this month’s Unlock Higher Education Coalition Meeting, we welcomed Dr. Basia Skudrick, PhD, who shared her journey from incarceration to academic success and leadership. She discussed the systemic barriers justice-impacted individuals face in accessing education and sustainable employment, and emphasized the power of mentorship, support networks, and self-acceptance.Dr. Basia also highlighted her work as Director of Howard University’s NSF Bridges to Bachelorette Program, a model providing structured pathways from associate to bachelor’s degrees for returning citizens. Her insights underscored the importance of connecting universities with corporations, creating meaningful opportunities, and centering students in reentry-focused programs.This session reminds us that higher education is more than a credential—it’s a tool for transformation, empowerment, and community impact.Watch, learn, and be inspired by how resilience, education, and support can change lives.#UnlockHigherEducation #ReentrySuccess #JusticeImpactedScholars #HigherEdForAll #MentorshipMatters #PathwaysToSuccess #BreakingChainsBuildingFutures #EducationIsLiberation

  8. Jan 28

    UHE's January Speaker's Series with Noah Bein - Director of Justice Policy and Advocacy - JFF

    🎙️ Noah Bein – Director of Justice Policy & Advocacy at Jobs for the Future (JFF), working at the intersection of justice, workforce mobility, and policy reform. Noah leads state and federal efforts to remove barriers facing people with criminal records, with a portfolio spanning youth justice, reentry, and large-scale legislative change—grounded in both data and lived realities.In this session of the Unlock Higher Education Speaker Series, we explore how policy decisions shape access to education and economic opportunity, and what it actually takes to turn reform into results for justice-impacted learners.🔗 Register here:https://conta.cc/3IG0tDH📅 Join our next committee meetingHeld the last Monday of every month at 1 PM EST👉 Sign up to attend: https://conta.cc/3DT9giN🙌 Want to get involved?Join one of our dynamic committees in Membership, Fundraising, Advocacy, Events, or Media & Messaging:👉 https://conta.cc/3mXx6VJ#UnlockHigherEducation #JusticePolicy #WorkforceMobility #Reentry #HigherEducationInPrison #CriminalJusticeReform #PolicyInAction #SecondChanceEducation

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The Unlock Higher Education Speaker Series brings together leaders, changemakers, and subject-matter experts to explore critical issues in higher education within prison settings. Each episode features powerful conversations on topics like digital equity, disability inclusion, college readiness, and access to federal grants. From national policy leaders to grassroots educators and journalists, our speakers offer insights that inform advocacy and inspire action. Whether you’re an ally, policymaker, or justice-impacted scholar, this series is your gateway to understanding the intersection of edu

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