>> SCHEDULE
For the latest agenda, speaker information, session details, and personalized scheduling, use the Summit app via SpotMe. The app launches in early May. Download the EventSpace app (iPhone / Google Play) and look for emailed setup instructions from NoReply@Spotme.com. All times are listed in Pacific Time (PT). Schedule and sessions are subject to change.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026
| Time | Program | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4:15 PM-5:45 PM | Pre-Summit Workshop | From User to Builder: Vibecoding in 90 Minutes After 3+ years of AI panels and predictions, most people still haven't experienced the technology in a way that makes the stakes visceral. This hands-on workshop changes that. Participants will "vibe code"—building functional software through conversation with AI, no technical background required. You'll create your first learning tool in 10 minutes, iterate with peers, and leave with a working prototype. We'll close by exploring what this means for the future of learning and the future of work: What happens when anyone can build software? What skills matter when routine tasks get automated? Less philosophizing, more co-creating. Alex Kotran, Founder & CEO, aiEDU Christian Pinedo, aiEDU This workshop has limited capacity. Location: Continental 2-3 |
| 6:00 PM-8:00 PM | Opening Reception | Location: Golden Gate Ballrooms |
| 7:00 PM-9:00 PM | Leadership Journeys with Big Picture Learning | Education leaders will drop their guard, turn up the honesty, and share the raw, personal stories behind their leadership in this DJ-fueled, multimedia celebration. GEt ready for an evening of beats, wisdom, and real talk. Featured Leaders: Amanda Fernandez and Rictor Craig Carlos Moreno, Big Picture Learning (Host) Timothy Jones, Hip Hop Ed (Emcee) Justis Lopez (DJ) This session has limited capcity. Sign up here. Location: Plaza A-B |
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026
| Time | Program | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 AM-9:00 AM | Breakfast | Location: Golden Gate Ballroom |
| 9:00 AM-10:15 AM | Morning Plenary | Special Musical Performance CEO Remarks Frances Messano, CEO, NewSchools Venture Fund Visions for What Comes Next + Student Closing What should we build next in K-12 education, and what will it take to actually do it? Four leaders take the stage to share bold, distinct visions for the future in short, TED-style talks, each offering a different answer to that question. Together, they’ll explore where those ideas align, where they diverge, and what it will take to move from vision to implementation. Frances Messano, CEO, NewSchools Venture Fund Kim Smith, Founder & CEO, LearnerStudio Lakisha Young, Founder & CEO, The Oakland REACH Oliver Sicat, CEO, Ednovate Ben Kornell, Co-Founder, Edtech Insiders Azeemah and Christianna, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas Location: Continental 4-6 |
| 10:15 AM-11:00 AM | Meet the Builders | Step into the work. This live showcase brings together K–12 builders sharing what they’re creating, what’s showing promise, and what they’re learning along the way. Move through the room to explore ideas up close, ask questions, and engage directly with the people doing the work. Expect candid conversations, live demos, and a deeper look at what’s emerging across early-stage innovation. |
| 11:00 AM-11:10 AM | Break | |
| 11:10 AM-12:10 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 1 | Creating the Next Generation of Schools AI is reshaping learning and bold leaders are already building schools that look nothing like the ones we attended. Some are compressing instruction into a few hours a day. Others are rethinking pace, mastery, and how learning connects to the real world. What happens to long-held assumptions like age-based classrooms or the traditional school day? And what becomes of the role of teachers? This session brings together leaders building different visions for the future of school. They’ll share what they’re betting on, which assumptions they’re challenging, and where their approaches diverge. Ariana Valenzuela, Partner, NewSchools (moderator) John Danner, Co-Founder, Flourish Schools China Cardriche, Founder, Power Public School Amy McGrath CEO & Managing Director, ASU Preparatory Academy Yusuf Ahmad, Co-Founder, PlayLab Location: Plaza Room A |
| 11:10 AM-12:25 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 1 | Where the Money Is Moving: Engaging the Next Generation of Donors The philanthropic landscape is shifting. More giving is flowing through individuals, donor-advised funds, and less visible channels, leaving many leaders feeling scarcity without clarity. In this interactive workshop, philanthropic advisors will share what high-net-worth individuals care about, how they make decisions, and where new opportunities are emerging. Participants will practice relationship-building and storytelling strategies tailored to different donor archetypes and leave with practical tools to strengthen their fundraising approach. Becky Crowe, Founder and Principal, Changemaker Giving Jen Holleran, Founder, Holleran Impact Advisors April Chou, Managing Director, Jasper Ridge Partners Nicole Baker Fulgham, Founder and CEO, Townsend Collaborative Location: Plaza Room B |
| 11:10 AM-12:25 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 1 | Left Behind: Who Gets to Learn to Read? (Film & Panel) Left Behind, directed by Anna Toomey, follows a group of mothers determined to open New York City’s first public school for students with dyslexia, a learning difference common among one in five children. This session features a screening of selected clips, followed by a conversation connecting the film’s story to national debates about reading instruction, access, and what it will take to ensure more students gain strong literacy skills. Erin Stark, Partner, NewSchools (moderator) Naomi Peña, Director of Community & Family Engagement, Literacy Academy Collective Kareem Weaver, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Fulcrum Literacy Location: Continental 7-8 |
| 11:10 AM-12:10 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 1 | Rethinking Teaching from the Inside Out Teaching today asks more of educators than ever, yet most schools still structure the role as isolated work, with limited pathways for growth. We talk about educator burnout and effectiveness as separate problems. What if they share the same root cause? Join leaders who are reimagining how educators collaborate, develop, and lead to build schools where adult learning mirrors the student learning experience they want to create. The result: stronger instruction, higher teacher retention, and more engaged students. Pete Fishman, Senior Partner, NewSchools (moderator) Peter Anderson, School Leader, Washington Latin Public Charter School Lara Evangelista, CEO, Internationals Network for Public Schools Rafiq R. Kalam Id-Din II, Founder & Managing Partner, Ember Charter Schools Aylon Samouha, CEO, Transcend Location: Continental 2 |
| 12:10 PM-1:20 PM | General Lunch | Location: Golden Gate Ballrooms |
| 1:20 PM-2:20 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 2 | The District of the Future Public school districts face growing pressure — from expanding school choice to rising expectations for innovation and results — yet they still educate nearly 90% of students. What will it take for districts to meet this moment? Three leading superintendents share how they are pushing their systems forward — rethinking technology, redesigning learning, and supporting educators in new ways. They will share examples and early wins, and discuss what it will take to build future-ready systems that prepare every student for what’s ahead. Alyssa Morton, CEO and Partner, Empower Schools (moderator) Alan Cheng, Superintendent of High Schools, NYC Public Schools Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney, Superintendent, Aldine Independent School District Dr. Scott Langford, Superintendent, Sumner County Public Schools Location: Plaza Room A |
| 1:20 PM-2:20 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 2 | Designing for a Better Future (Workshop) In periods of ambiguity, how do organizations anticipate what’s next and design accordingly? This hands-on workshop explores how leaders can anticipate change, test ideas, and design for the future with intention. Participants will work with real signals shaping the future of education, build a simple story of the future, and translate it into actionable ideas they can walk away with. Jennifer Lo, Futurist-in-Residence, IDEO (facilitator) Location: Plaza Room B |
| 1:20 PM-2:20 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 2 | Beyond Voice: When Parents Shape the System What would education look like if it were built in partnership with parents? This session brings together new data on family preferences and perspectives from parent leaders who are shaping change in their communities. Together, they’ll explore what families are actually looking for in their children’s learning experiences and what happens when parents are not just consulted, but engaged in the design of the next generation of learning opportunities. Bibb Hubbard, Learning Heroes (moderator) Keri Rodrigues, Co-Founder & President, National Parents Union Maribel Gardea, Co-Founder, MindShiftED Location: Continental 7-8 |
| 1:20 PM-2:20 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 2 | The Unmet Promise: EdTech and the Impact Gap Education has no shortage of new tools, but too few improve student outcomes. What would it take to design solutions with evidence and impact in mind from the start? This session brings together leaders in innovation, research, and procurement to explore how stronger R&D, real-world testing, and smarter funding can help the field identify and scale what actually works. Cameron White, Senior Partner, NewSchools (moderator) Katie Boody Adorno, Founder and CEO, Leanlab Dacia Toll, Co-CEO, Coursemojo Jasmine Walker, Director of District Engagement, Center for Outcomes Based Contracting Location: Continental 2-3 |
| 2:20 PM-2:30 PM | Break | |
| 2:30 PM-3:30 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 3 | Universal Choice Is Here. How Do We Protect the Public Promise? Universal choice programs are expanding rapidly in states, and a new federal tax credit could give families billions in additional dollars to spend on alternative or private schooling starting in 2027. As funding flows across a fragmented landscape of providers, critical questions emerge: Who is benefiting? What happens to students furthest from opportunity? And what does accountability look like? This session will ground participants in the evolving policy landscape and examine what it would take to ensure choice expands opportunity — not inequity. Thomas Toch, Director, FutureEd, Georgetown University (moderator) Jorge Elorza, CEO, Democrats for Education Reform Lindsay Fryer, President and Founding Principal, Lodestone DC Jonah Edelman, Stand for Children Location: Plaza Room A |
| 2:30 PM-3:30 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 3 | The AI Generation Speaks: Youth, AI, & the Relationships That Shape Them Adults are shaping policy, products, and funding strategies around AI, but most don’t understand how young people are actually using it. In this youth-led session, fellows from The Rithm Project share national findings from their research with YouGov on how AI is shaping students’ experiences of school, relationships, identity, and belonging. Their insights challenge common assumptions and raise an urgent question: if we misunderstand how AI is shaping young people’s lives, how can we design solutions that truly meet their needs? Alison Lee, Chief R&D Officer, The Rithm Project Marisol Jimenez, Youth Fellow, The Rithm Project Hannah Groos, Youth Fellow, The Rithm Project Leo Wu, Youth Fellow, The Rithm Project Location: Plaza Room B |
| 2:30 PM-3:30 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 3 | Building Schools that Work for More Students Across the country, families and educators are building schools designed around the strengths, identities, and learning needs of students with dyslexia, autism, and those newly arrived in this country. At a time of expanding school choice and political tension, this session asks a deeper question: What does it look like to design schools for the most marginalized, underserved students and their families? Leaders of these schools share what they’ve built, what it takes to do it well, and what others can learn from their approach. Andrew Vega, Senior Associate Partner, NewSchools (moderator) Emily Kafle, Principal, Autism Collier Charter School Jason Borges, Principal, Central Brooklyn Literacy Academy Antonio Baca, Manager of Newcomer Supports Program, APS International High School Crystal Howe, School Director, Honor Preparatory School Location: Continental 7-8 |
| 2:30 PM-3:30 PM | Breakout Sessions - Round 3 | From Pilots to Pathways: Career-Connected Learning That Works Career-connected pathways like dual enrollment, internships, and industry credentials are expanding, but too often remain disconnected from the outcomes students need. This session explores what it takes to build pathways that consistently lead to college credit, credentials, and economic mobility. Leaders working across schools, systems, and regions will share how they are moving beyond isolated programs to build the infrastructure that makes high-quality pathways accessible for all students. Jamie Jutila, Senior Program Officer, Walton Family Foundation (moderator) Melissa Connelly, CEO, OneGoal John Garcia III, Executive Director, Pathway Impact Fund at StriveTogether Kimberly Smith, Chief Inclusive Innovation Officer, Digital Promise Paul Herdman, President and CEO, Rodel Foundation of Delaware Location: Continental 2-3 |
| 3:30 PM-3:45 PM | Break | |
| 3:45 PM-5:00 PM | Afternoon Plenary | The Broken First Rung: Who Gets a Shot in the Age of AI? AI is quietly erasing the entry-level jobs that once gave young people their first shot at opportunity. At the same time, Gen Z is searching for work that offers purpose, stability, and a path to a good life — yet many feel locked out before they even begin. This mainstage conversation asks a simple but urgent question: if the old career ladder is breaking, what must schools, employers, and leaders build now so every young person still has a real way up? Diane Tavenner, Co-Founder and CEO, Futre (moderator) Matt Sigelman, President, Burning Glass Institute Michael Tubbs, Founder, End Poverty in California; former Mayor of Stockton Allison Salisbury, Founder & CEO, Humanist Venture Studio Closing Remarks Frances Messano, CEO, NewSchools Venture Fund Location: Continental 4-6 |
| 5:00 PM-7:00 PM | Closing Reception | Location: Golden Gate Ballroom |