ASU+GSV Summit Sessions

ASU+GSV

Audio recordings of sessions captured live at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego. Now in its 17th year, the ASU+GSV Summit is the world’s leading event for leaders in “PreK to Gray” education and workforce learning, bringing together over 7,000 attendees from more than 66 countries.

  1. Mission Driven at Startup Speed: A New Playbook for Philanthropic Capital

    MAY 6

    Mission Driven at Startup Speed: A New Playbook for Philanthropic Capital

    Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Vivian Wu, Managing Partner, Ventures at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; Atin Batra, Director, Impact Investing at ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund; Matt Zieger, Chief Programs and Partnerships Officer at GitLab Foundation; and Esther Benjamin, CEO & ED at World Education Services. Philanthropy had increasingly begun borrowing from venture and open-source models, prioritizing speed, transparency, and proximity to the people it serves. This session brought together foundation leaders rethinking the fundamentals of philanthropic capital, including shorter funding cycles that enable rapid learning, ROI frameworks that guide decisions rather than constrain them, and collaborative models that invite educators and learners to help co-create public goods. Drawing on lessons from open-source communities and organizations, speakers explored how philanthropy can act with agility even without perfect data, break out of silos, and translate good intentions into meaningful progress at scale. The conversation examined how mission-driven organizations can adopt startup-speed principles while maintaining a focus on long-term public value and equitable impact. By redefining how philanthropic capital is deployed, this session highlighted a new playbook for foundations seeking to move faster, learn continuously, and build more responsive systems for social and educational innovation.

    42 min
  2. From Local Giants to Global Leaders: Scaling EdTech to the World

    MAY 6

    From Local Giants to Global Leaders: Scaling EdTech to the World

    Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Deepanshu Arora, Founder & CEO at Toddle; Arif Karakus, CFO at Doping Technology; Joleen Liang, Co-founder at Squirrel AI Learning; Zara Zaman, Investor & Head of Platform at Emerge Capital; and Joy Chen, Senior Advisor at GSV Ventures and Stanford Accelerator for Learning. Some of the world’s most ambitious EdTech companies had been built not in Silicon Valley, but in intensely competitive markets around the globe defined by massive demand, rapid iteration, and high stakes for learners and families. As more of these companies looked beyond their home markets, this session explored why the path from local success to global relevance is anything but straightforward. This conversation brought together founders and operators at different stages of international expansion to examine what it truly takes to scale globally. Speakers discussed key challenges and strategic decisions spanning early market selection, product localization, partnerships, regulation, and organizational readiness. Panelists also shared lessons learned, ongoing missteps, and practical insights from navigating the complexities of expanding across borders. By exploring how leading EdTech companies move from dominant local players to globally relevant organizations, this session highlighted the operational, strategic, and cultural considerations shaping the next generation of international education innovation.

    41 min
  3. AI + XR: Are We Finally Ready for Immersive Learning at Scale?

    MAY 6

    AI + XR: Are We Finally Ready for Immersive Learning at Scale?

    Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Kaylee Seely, Head of Immersive at Pearson Labs, Pearson; Elina Ollila, Deputy Center Director and Professor of Practice at Endless Games and Learning Lab at ASU; Nicole Staubli, Head of Education at Meta; and Jim Chilton, Board Director at SNHU Board. Immersive technology had long promised to transform learning, but this session explored how the real shift today is not hype—it is infrastructure. With game engines, spatial computing, and high-fidelity world-building tools now making it possible to construct persistent learning environments, speakers examined how students can increasingly explore, manipulate, and inhabit educational spaces in new ways. This conversation focused on how immersive learning is moving beyond one-off VR experiences into fully realized educational worlds. From digital twins of laboratories and historical sites to interactive simulations that mirror real systems, panelists discussed how the next generation of platforms is building environments where learning happens through participation rather than observation. Speakers also examined what it takes to bring immersive learning into real classrooms, including the technical stack behind these environments, the design principles that make virtual worlds educationally meaningful, and the practical realities of district adoption as immersive tools move from experimentation to infrastructure. By exploring both the promise and implementation challenges of AI + XR, this session highlighted how immersive technologies may finally be positioned to scale as meaningful educational infrastructure in the future of learning.

    41 min
  4. Recruit, Retain, and Engage with Agentic AI

    MAY 6

    Recruit, Retain, and Engage with Agentic AI

    Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Carolina Recchi, CEO at EdSights; Lev Gonick, Enterprise Chief Information Officer at Arizona State University; Christina Yancey, Vice President at AIR (American Institutes for Research); Emily Smith, VP, Strategic Partnerships at CollegeVine; JC Bonilla, COO and Head of AI at Element451; and Tim Renick, Executive Director of the National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State University. As institutions pursued stronger engagement and retention, a new wave of Agentic AI tools promised personalized outreach, predictive support, and 24/7 responsiveness. This session explored the transformative potential of scalable connection, early risk detection, and enhanced student experience—while acknowledging that the reality is still unfolding. Speakers examined critical questions around whether student voices should serve as the key KPI, whether these systems can truly lower costs, empower staff, and increase persistence, and how institutions should evaluate the trade-offs between automation and meaningful human support. The conversation also addressed essential human considerations including privacy, authenticity, and agency as higher education navigates the line between automation and co-intelligence. By exploring both the promise and the complexity of Agentic AI, this session highlighted how colleges and universities are rethinking recruitment, retention, and student engagement strategies to build more responsive, ethical, and effective systems for learner success.

    41 min
  5. Credentialing for 2030: Skills, Credit, and Mobility

    MAY 6

    Credentialing for 2030: Skills, Credit, and Mobility

    Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Kevin Guthrie, President at ITHAKA; Chris Ferguson, Executive Vice Chancellor of Finance and Strategic Initiatives at California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office; Abby Snay, Deputy Secretary, Workforce Strategy at California Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Brenda Thames, President/CEO at El Camino College; and Anna Silk, Partner at BCG. Across the country, colleges and workforce systems have been rethinking how learning is recognized so students can receive credit for the skills they gain through work, military service, apprenticeships, and industry certifications. This session explored how expanding Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), aligning credentials with industry demand, and improving credit mobility and the portability of learning records across institutions and employers can create faster, more affordable pathways into high-demand careers—particularly for working adults. Drawing on lessons from California’s large-scale credentialing reforms and Ithaka’s strategic research on student mobility, credit transfer, and outcomes, speakers highlighted practical strategies, emerging models, and policy enablers that other states and systems can adapt to improve equity, reduce time to completion, and strengthen economic mobility. By examining how credentialing systems can evolve to better reflect real-world skills and learner mobility, this conversation showcased how colleges, workforce leaders, and policymakers are building more flexible, inclusive pathways to opportunity for the future of work.

    44 min

About

Audio recordings of sessions captured live at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego. Now in its 17th year, the ASU+GSV Summit is the world’s leading event for leaders in “PreK to Gray” education and workforce learning, bringing together over 7,000 attendees from more than 66 countries.

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