ASU+GSV Summit Sessions

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Vishaal Gupta, President of Workforce Skills at Pearson; Joe Farrell, Managing Director of KPMG Learning Services at KPMG; Tim O’Reilly, Founder & CEO at O'Reilly Media, Inc.; and Todd Minor, General Manager and Global Learning Leader at Microsoft.The session explored how demographic shifts and rapid technological advancements are reshaping the world of work, bringing both significant opportunities and critical challenges. The speakers discussed the growing mismatch between roles needed and available talent, and the urgent need for widespread reskilling—highlighting the World Economic Forum’s estimate that a billion people will require reskilling by 2030. They emphasized the importance of transforming skills development and talent planning to prevent the skills gap from becoming a skills chasm in an AI-driven future.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Chassidy Tabios, Senior Program Manager at Workday; Byron Auguste, CEO & Co-Founder at Opportunity@Work; Ellen McClain, CEO and President at Year Up United; and Diana Fischer, Senior Director of the Workday Foundation at Workday.The session explored the transformative power of the skills-first talent movement, emphasizing how hiring based on skills rather than traditional degree requirements can close opportunity gaps. The speakers shared insights into the future of hiring, highlighted real-world impacts on individuals and businesses, and discussed how skills-based strategies are creating more inclusive and dynamic workforce ecosystems.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Nathalie Gazzaneo, Director at the Harvard Project on Workforce; Daniel Nivern, Founder & CEO at Virtual Internships; Valerie Capers Workman, Chief Talent Engagement Officer at Handshake; and Ryan Craig, Managing Director at Achieve Partners.The session explored how AI, while freeing employees from repetitive tasks, may also be eliminating critical learning opportunities traditionally gained through entry-level work. The speakers discussed how companies are balancing the short-term productivity benefits of AI with the need for long-term employee development. They examined how organizations can adapt learning strategies to maintain career growth pathways and ensure that employees continue to build essential skills in a world of expedited learning curves.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured David Blake, Founder & Co-CEO at Degreed; Kai Roemmelt, CEO at Udacity, part of Accenture; Michelle Westfort, Chief Product Officer at Instride; Sabari Raja, Managing Partner at JFFVentures; and Bryan Hancock, Partner at McKinsey and Company.The session explored how the rapid pace of technological advancement is causing the value of many skills to diminish faster than ever before. The speakers discussed the urgent need to focus on training for "durable skills"—capabilities that endure even as technology evolves. They examined how organizations and individuals can prepare for the future by building agility and excelling in areas where AI still falls short, ensuring long-term relevance and success in the changing workforce landscape.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Majd Sakr, Chief Learning and Research Officer at Accenture, Accenture LearnVantage; Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier; Yash Tekriwal, Head of Education at Clay; Hannah Calhoon, VP of AI for Indeed at Indeed; and Ken Babcock, Cofounder & CEO at Tango.The session explored how the rise of agentic workflows is transforming the workforce, with every employee managing teams of AI workers. The speakers discussed how "prompt engineering" has become a basic skill and emphasized the growing importance of asking good questions, giving clear directions, and leveraging AI to enhance productivity. They highlighted how entry-level training must evolve to include managerial skills and how employers are increasingly seeking workers who can embrace AI’s evolving capabilities. The panel examined how these shifts are reshaping hiring practices and redefining essential skills for 2025 and beyond.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Sven Schütt, CEO of IU Group; Michael Hansen, CEO of Cengage Group; Steve Daly, CEO of Instructure; and Nathan Schultz, CEO of Chegg. The conversation was moderated by Tony Wan, Head of Platform at Reach Capital.The panel explored how higher education must rapidly evolve to bridge the widening gap between traditional academic models and the urgent demands of today’s skills-driven economy. Panelists discussed how AI is accelerating the need for institutions to reinvent themselves, as employers increasingly prioritize skills over degrees. The conversation highlighted innovative strategies for making higher education more responsive, agile, and aligned with the future of work.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Claire Zau, Partner and AI Lead at GSV Ventures; Ashley Andersen Zantop, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Cambium Learning Group; Bethlam Forsa, President & CEO at Savvas Learning Company; and Alex Galvagni, CEO at Age of Learning, Inc.The session explored how today’s youngest learners—growing up in an era of unprecedented interactivity and immediacy through platforms like TikTok and Roblox—are shaping the future of education. The speakers discussed how educators can balance in-person connection with digital innovation while fostering sustainable learning habits. They shared strategies for engaging young learners and leveraging technology to support meaningful, lasting educational experiences.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Anupama Vaid, Founder & President of ParentSquare; Kate Eberle Walker, CEO of Presence; and Jack Lynch, CEO of HMH. The conversation was moderated by Nick Kind, Managing Director at Tyton Partners.The panel explored how AI tools—now as ubiquitous in schools as electricity—are shaping the future of K-12 education, with over 60% of students using AI weekly for learning. Panelists discussed how teaching and learning will evolve in the coming years, highlighting the technologies poised to make the biggest impact on classroom instruction, student engagement, and educational outcomes.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Shishir Mehrotra, CEO of Grammarly; Andrew Grauer, CEO and Co-Founder of Learneo; Himanshu Palsule, CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand; and Kishore Durg, Senior Managing Director at Accenture. The conversation was moderated by Jennifer Lee, Partner at GSV Ventures.The panel explored how AI tools are unlocking “time dividends” by accelerating learning and automating repetitive tasks, freeing individuals and organizations to focus on creativity, innovation, and strategic work. Panelists discussed how multi-modal AI experiences are driving greater engagement, while AI agents are fundamentally transforming workflows and organizational productivity. The conversation highlighted practical strategies for leveraging AI to reshape how we learn, work, and innovate in the modern world.

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Stephanie Ralston-Khurana, CEO of Axim Collaborative; Mike Tarrant, Head of Global EdTech and Higher Ed at AWS Global Education; Darren Person, EVP and Chief Digital Officer at Cengage Group; and Kees Bol, CEO of 2U. The conversation was moderated by Kim Merritt, Vice President of the Learning Enterprise at Arizona State University.This dynamic panel explored how higher education must evolve to stay relevant in the age of artificial intelligence. From adaptive teaching models and reimagined credentials to personalized learning powered by AI, panelists unpacked the system-level shifts required for institutions to become agile and future-ready. The discussion addressed both the transformative opportunities and the risks of undermining essential human skills. Panelists emphasized that as AI accelerates access and innovation, cultivating critical thinking, empathy, and adaptability will be key to preserving the heart of higher education.