Innovations 2026 Opening Session

Sunday, March 15

Welcome Breakfast* and Opening Session
7:30-9:15 AM

*Breakfast service ends at 8:15 AM.

Moderator

  • Geoff Cramer, Founder, Futures Inc.

Panelists

  • Jon Gardner, Senior Leader, Strategic Partnerships and Learning and Development, Owens Corning Roofing

  • Nate Hurn, Director, Government Affairs, CAT Simulators

  • Lisa Larson, CEO, Education Design Lab

  • Holly Miller, Federal Liaison, NASA Office of STEM Engagement

Education at the Speed of Business: How Community Colleges Are Becoming the Engine of America’s Workforce and Economic Growth

As the U.S. faces historic shortages of skilled technical talent and states face pressure to deliver economic growth and mobility, community colleges are being asked to do more—faster—with fewer resources. At the same time, students lack clear visibility into high-demand careers and pathways. This is not a talent shortage. It is a systems and resource alignment problem, and one the League for Innovation is working to address. In this session, the League will introduce its new Center for Workforce Solutions (CWS), created to lead innovative national, industry-driven collaborations across all U.S. industries—placing community colleges at the center of workforce and economic development. Through CWS, the League is reshaping how education and industry collaborate in ways that place employers at the table from day one. Moderated by League President and CEO Rufus Glasper and featuring a panel of industry experts, this session will highlight national progress in the construction industry and the aerospace and defense industry, as these efforts are forming a national blueprint for industry-education collaboration. Come learn more, including how your institution and state can get involved.

Biographies

Geoff Cramer

Geoff Cramer is the founder of Futures Inc. and a nationally recognized leader in workforce innovation. Over the past two decades, he has designed large-scale solutions that connect education, industry, and the military to high-demand career pathways. His pioneering skills-latticing platform moved beyond keyword search to power one of the most successful workforce systems in U.S. Department of Defense history, documenting more than 250,000 hires in 19 months.

Cramer has worked with Fortune 500 companies, state leaders, and federal agencies to strengthen talent pipelines across all industries. He holds a B.A. in economics from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.B.A. from Duke University. He lives in North Carolina and is the proud father of two sons, Aiden and Liam.

Jon Gardner

Jon Gardner, Senior Leader, Strategic Partnerships and Learning and Development, at Owens Corning Roofing, has over 25 years of experience in the roofing industry in both sales leadership and strategic marketing roles and has been with Owens Corning for 14 years. He began his career at Owens Corning as a Regional Contractor Sales Leader, where he was responsible for in field and live contractor training and development. In his current role, Gardner leads Owens Corning’s Contractor Network and Distributor training and education strategy and execution.

Nate Hurn

Nate Hurn was born and raised in the Peoria, Illinois, area. After serving in the U.S. Army and later working for two different members of Congress, he became the Government/Military Account Manager at Simformotion, the sole licensee for Cat Simulators. Now, as Director of Government Affairs, Hurn is tasked with educating legislators, agencies, and associations about the growing shortage of heavy equipment operators across the country. In addition, he assists with establishing funding mechanisms that entities can utilize to develop their own training programs. Hurn is married to his lovely wife, Marsha, and together they have two awesome daughters.

Lisa Larson

Dr. Lisa Larson is Chief Executive Officer of Education Design Lab, a national nonprofit that designs, tests, and scales innovative models to better connect learning with work. A lifelong advocate for equity and opportunity, Larson brings decades of community college and workforce leadership experience to her role, guiding the Lab’s efforts to build a more skills-based education system that leads to economic mobility for all learners.

Since joining the Lab in 2021, Larson has led some of its most transformative initiatives, including scaling micro-pathways across colleges, employers, and state systems through the Community College Growth Engine program and the College Transformation Network. Before becoming CEO in May 2025, she served as Senior Vice President for College Transformation, advancing innovative partnerships and solutions to prepare learners for high-demand, good-paying careers. Prior to the Lab, Larson served as President of Eastern Maine Community College, where she championed workforce innovation, regional economic development, and high-quality technical and transfer education. Her earlier leadership roles in Minnesota’s community college system, including Interim President of North Hennepin Community College, further enriched her passion for connecting education to real-world opportunity.

Larson earned a B.S. from Northern State University, M.A. from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and Ed.D. from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Holly Miller

Holly Miller, Ph.D., is a distinguished educator and policy expert currently serving as the Federal Liaison for the NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) at NASA Headquarters. In this role, she leads efforts to collaborate with federal agencies and supports efforts aimed at expanding student opportunities at NASA. Miller is a passionate advocate for research-based educational policies that empower both students and teachers to reach their full potential in STEM fields.

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