The Higher Ed Geek Podcast

In this bonus episode recorded live at EDUCAUSE in Nashville, Dustin sits down with Crista Copp and Mark McCormack from EDUCAUSE to unpack their just-released 2026 Top 10 List. From AI and digital literacy to resilience and community building, the conversation explores the critical shifts happening in higher ed technology. The theme? Intentionality and connection—both between people and across systems. This is the episode for campus leaders navigating change and looking for clarity amid complexity.Guest Names:Mark McCormack - Senior Director of Research and Insights at EDUCAUSE Crista Copp - Vice President of Research at EDUCAUSEGuest Socials:Mark McCormack Crista CoppGuest Bios:Mark McCormack, Ph.D., serves as the EDUCAUSE Senior Director of Analytics & Research, overseeing the association's member-facing data and analytics services (Core Data Service, ETRAC) and portfolio of original research projects. Before coming to EDUCAUSE, Mark served in leadership and research positions for professional associations and other non-profit organizations across a variety of spheres, including higher education, K-12 education, youth development, performing arts, and community development. Crista Copp leads research and data initiatives at EDUCAUSE that empower higher education leaders to make informed decisions about technology, strategy, and the student experience. Her work connects data with purpose—translating complex trends into actionable insights that support innovation, equity, and institutional resilience. Together with a talented team, Crista is shaping a research agenda that is not only informative, but transformative. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this bonus episode recorded live at EDUCAUSE in Nashville, Dustin has an energizing conversation with Jeff Dinski and Mike Wulff from Ellucian. They discuss the evolving role of technology in higher education—from designing intuitive student-first systems to closing the gap between academic credentials and real-world workforce needs. They unpack what it really takes to build agile, data-driven institutions, and highlight Ellucian’s latest innovations that aim to transform student outcomes.Guest Names: Michael Wulff - Chief Product and Technology Officer at EllucianJeff Dinski - Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer at EllucianGuest Socials:Mike WulffJeff DinskiGuest Bios:Mike Wulff - As Chief Product and Technology Officer, Mike Wulff leads Ellucian's engineering and product management teams, driving growth initiatives focused on digital transformation and cloud adoption. Mike has more than 25 years of experience in the software industry, architecting and developing complex industry-focused solutions. Previously Mike served as a Senior Vice President of R&D at Ellucian, leading the teams responsible for the development of Ellucian's ERP and SIS solutions.Jeff Dinski - As Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer, Jeff Dinski is responsible for driving Ellucian’s growth strategy with a focus on market expansion, strategy and insights, corporate development, competitive intelligence, and analyst relations. He brings deep knowledge and expertise in market analysis and strategy to this newly created role. With more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and operator in the education technology and media sectors, Jeff has delivered extraordinary results for both large conglomerates and startups. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stephen Laster, CEO of Panopto and a 25-year veteran in the edtech space, joins Dustin to talk about how smart technology—and especially AI—can elevate educators rather than overshadow them. From his early days pioneering blended MBA programs to leading at institutions like Harvard Business School and McGraw-Hill, Stephen shares how technology should be applied to serve pedagogy, not the other way around.In this episode, you'll hear why seamless digital ecosystems matter, how institutions can build effective AI strategies, and why empowering faculty is the key to meaningful innovation. With a refreshingly human-centered view, Stephen helps us rethink what's possible when tech meets intention.Guest Name: Stephen Laster - CEO at PanoptoGuest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: A passionate advocate for technology’s role in human progress, Stephen Laster combines deep expertise with pragmatic innovation to help shape the future of formal and informal learning delivered through state-of-the-art technology. With more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of education and enterprise transformation, Stephen has championed advancements in learning technology. At D2L, where he served as President, he played a pivotal role in scaling digital learning platforms for institutions and organizations across the globe. His background also includes forward-thinking roles at McGraw-Hill Education, Ellucian, Harvard Business School, and Babson College, where his teams worked closely with customers to transform learning globally. Stephen holds a Bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and an MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this bonus episode recorded live from EdTech Week 2025, Dustin chats with Matt Stinson, CRO at Starbridge. They discuss Matt’s journey to joining the team, and how their unique platform is enabling more efficient and effective partnerships to be forged between edtech companies and public institutions using AI.Guest Name: Matt Stinson - Chief Revenue Officer at StarbridgeGuest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: Matt Stinson is currently building Starbridge, the GTM Intelligence Platform for businesses selling to government & education. Starbridge helps partners leverage industry-specific buying signals - such as strategic plans, board meeting notes, budgets, grants, competitor contract expiration dates, and more - to build a tailored, outbound strategy that drives pipeline.Before Starbridge, Matt led sales at Parchment on a journey to $100M in ARR selling to K12 districts, Higher Ed, and state governments before being acquired by Instructure. While at Parchment, he lived the challenge of selling to government and education entities. With the proliferation of spray-and-pray outbound, that challenge has only gotten harder. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this bonus episode recorded live from EdTech Week 2025, Dustin chats with K. Rocco Shields, CEO of Genius Academy. They discuss the important work her and her team are doing partnering with institutions to create high quality, immersive learning content for a variety of disciplines. Rocco also shares a bit about her personal story that drives her work and underpins why it is so important.Guest Name: K. Rocco Shields - CEO at Genius AcademyGuest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: K. Rocco Shields, a celebrated filmmaker, has made a significant impact in both the film industry and education technology. She currently serves as CEO of Genius Academy which is an innovative educational platform that merges AI, cinematic storytelling, and immersive technologies to address the mental health crisis. Her transition from a successful filmmaker to an educational technology innovator was driven by a deep commitment to leveraging media for societal change and developing pioneering educational experiences. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join Dr. Tessa Forshaw, a cognitive scientist at Harvard, and Richard Cox Braden, founder of People Rocket, as they delve into the concept of creativity viewed as a teachable skill. They explore why students lose their creative confidence around sixth grade and share innovative strategies for reclaiming it. With a focus on iterative processes and emotional safety, they challenge traditional notions of innovation. Their insights from writing 'Innovation-ish' highlight the need to embrace ambiguity and foster collaboration in higher education.

We’re pleased to have Faton Sopa from Manaferra back on the show this week (listen to his previous episode!) to discuss the recent research his team produced that unpacks new details about student search behaviors. Faton shares why traditional SEO tactics are no longer cutting it—and what institutions must do instead to gain visibility, build trust, and drive enrollment. Spoiler: it's time to ditch the one-channel strategy and embrace an omnichannel mindset rooted in real student data.Guest Name: Faton Sopa - Co-Founder and CEO at ManaferraGuest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: Faton Sopa is the Co-Founder and CEO of Manaferra, a leading higher ed SEO agency helping universities and colleges grow enrollments. With 15+ years of experience in digital marketing, Faton has pioneered strategies that integrate data-driven insights with AI, Content and Analytics to deliver measurable results for universities and colleges in the US. Under his leadership, Manaferra has become a trusted partner for higher ed institutions looking to leverage SEO and Content to meet their enrollment goals. Passionate about transforming how institutions connect with prospective students in an increasingly competitive landscape, he frequently speaks on topics like AI, SEO, Analytics, and digital transformation in higher education. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this milestone 300th episode, Sophie Nguyen, Senior Policy Manager at New America, joins Dustin to unpack the newest findings from the new 2025 Varying Degrees report — a data-rich look at how Americans view the role, value, and future of higher education. From surprising bipartisan agreement to the communication failures of institutions, this episode reveals what colleges need to know and do to rebuild public trust and deliver on their promise.This episode includes a sponsored question in partnership with Brian LeDuc, founder of Learning, Designed — a consulting practice and newsletter focused on helping higher ed institutions design more student-centered systems and strategies.You can subscribe to the newsletter here.Guest Name: Sophie Nguyen - Senior Policy Manager at New AmericaGuest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: Sophie Nguyen is a senior policy manager with the higher education team at New America. Her work focuses on college completion and public opinion in higher education. Nguyen leads Varying Degrees, New America’s annual survey that looks into how Americans perceive important higher education issues regarding value, funding, and accountability. Nguyen also manages the HigherEd Public Opinion Hub, an online repository of higher education surveys, and co-authors Public Insight, New America's monthly newsletter that provides analysis on survey findings. Her work on public opinion has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, Inside Higher Ed, Higher Ed Dive, and other news outlets. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re popping into your feed with a very special bonus episode to commemorate 300 weekly episodes of the podcast. Dustin shares some brief notes of gratitude and reflections on the journey, as well as thoughts on the future of the show. Thank you to all our listeners, guests, and of course many thanks to the wonderful teams at Enrollify and Element451 for their support of the show. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Samyr Qureshi, Co-Founder and CEO of Knack, returns to the podcast to unpack how his team is reshaping peer tutoring into a powerful engine for student success and workforce readiness. With a tech-enabled, Uber-style platform, Knack empowers high-achieving students to tutor peers while building soft skills and resumes. Samyr and Dustin explore the evolution of tutoring in higher ed, the role of AI in academic support, and how innovative partnerships are driving equitable outcomes across the student lifecycle.This episode includes a sponsored question in partnership with Brian LeDuc, founder of Learning, Designed — a consulting practice and newsletter focused on helping higher ed institutions design more student-centered systems and strategies.You can subscribe to the newsletter here.Guest Name: Samyr Qureshi, Co-Founder and CEO, KnackGuest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: Samyr Qureshi is the Founder & CEO of Knack, the leading peer-to-peer learning platform partnering with top campuses such as Georgia Tech, University of Florida, University of Utah, University of Connecticut, and dozens of others. Knack has raised $20M in venture capital, most recently closing their Series B, from investors like New Markets Venture Partners, Jeff Vinik (Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Team Owner), Precursor Ventures, ETS (creators of GRE), Chegg, ASU Enterprise Partners, and many other well-known education venture investors and corporations. Currently based in St. Petersburg, Florida, Samyr previously worked as an Account Executive in the Emerging Technology division at Gartner and also formerly served as an iOS Advisor at Apple.Samyr was born in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and immigrated to the US with his mother and sister at the age of seven. Landing in Florida, he grew up in the Tampa Bay area, enrolled in and served as Student Body President at St. Petersburg College while in high school, and ultimately went on to University of Florida earning a Bachelor’s degree in Law & Criminology. Samyr has been named in Forbes 30 Under 30, honored as the Emerging Tech Leader of the Year by Tampa Bay Tech, has been featured in Tampa Bay Magazine’s Top 10 Under 40, Pi Kappa Phi’s Thirty under 30, and was also named in University of Florida’s 40 Gator Alumni Under 40 in 2021. When he’s not traveling, Samyr loves to play guitar, write music, and spend time outdoors. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.