General Session Keynote
Tuesday, March 11
9:00 - 10:00 AM

Joe Abraham

Managing Partner, Beyond Academics

Keynote Address

Three Problems the Future Needs Us to Solve Urgently, and How to Go About It

We sit on the precipice of quantum change in higher education, particularly at community colleges. What we focus on over the next 18 months will position us to lead the market or spend the next 10 years playing catchup. A rollover of the status quo simply won’t work. We must take a blank-slate approach to reimagining key areas like academic excellence, student experience, and financial sustainability while keeping a firm eye on real constraints and regulatory requirements.

In this interactive keynote session, we will explore what the future is asking of each of us, and how we can respond to take full advantage of the opportunities ahead. We’ll hear about specific examples of how community colleges are breaking the mold of turf and tradition to reimagine experiences with the future in mind. And, as we consider possibilities with colleagues, we’ll also be inspired to think, innovate, and walk away with fresh ideas about what is actually possible.

Biography

Author of the critically acclaimed book Entrepreneurial DNA (McGraw Hill, 2011) and managing partner of Beyond Academics, a transformation accelerator for higher education, Joe Abraham is no stranger to the challenges and opportunities facing community colleges. He has worked hand-in-hand with presidents and provosts of some of the most innovative, change-making institutions in the country, and it is those very engagements and conversations that serve as the foundation for this talk. Prior to joining Beyond Academics, Abraham was a serial entrepreneur, with successful startups in digital marketing, professional development, and sales automation. He has been featured on CNN and Fox News and in The Wall Street Journal for his insights into entrepreneurial mindset, revenue growth, and human performance.