Ellucian Live 2022 Brings Higher Education Community Together

DENVER, CO — Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, reinvigorated the higher education community at Ellucian Live 2022, the industry’s premier global technology conference. The conference, held April 10-13 at the Colorado Convention Center and online, celebrated Ellucian’s 10th Anniversary and the company’s first return to an in-person Ellucian Live since the start of the pandemic.

“It was incredibly uplifting to be with our community of educators, customers and partners for Ellucian Live in-person once again, while also welcoming thousands online as part of our new and go-forward hybrid way of connecting,” said Laura Ipsen, President and CEO, Ellucian. “The energy, passion and engagement of attendees is inspiring, and it reminds us of the importance of each of our roles in the ecosystem driving forward innovation in higher education technology with a focus on student success.”

Framed by the conference-wide theme “Deliver the Future Now,” this year’s event engaged attendees with diverse panel discussions, captivating keynote addresses, star-studded fireside chats, new partnership announcements, Impact Awards, and intriguing breakout sessions.

Day One Highlights:

• Monday focused on the higher education industry, calling attention to the tremendous disruption of the last few years that institutions continue to navigate, as well as how the industry is innovating for the future.
• The event opened with a keynote from Ellucian’s President & CEO, Laura Ipsen. In her remarks, she talked about how everybody has their own superpower, and higher education’s superpower is community. She said, “community at Ellucian means one team working for a common mission because we are all in it together.”
• Deborah Quazzo, the Managing Partner of GSV Ventures and Co-founder of the ASU+GSV Summit, was introduced as the newest addition to Ellucian’s Board of Directors. She also moderated a panel discussion on how disruptions can lead to innovation in education technology with Martin Basiri, Co-Founder & CEO of ApplyBoard, Dana Bryson, Senior Vice President, Social Impact at Study.com, and Gregg Scoresby, Founder & CEO of CampusLogic.
• A fireside chat with Aaron Sorkin, led by Greg Giangrande, Ellucian’s Chief People & Communications Officer, closed out the first day’s mainstage. The Academy Award-winning screenwriter reflected on his career, his writing process, and how his storytelling has influenced a generation.

Day Two Highlights:

• Tuesday’s theme was a focus on students – they are the heroes of higher education’s story, and their journey and their success should be the shared priority. Ellucian Product Management leaders shared the latest solutions addressing the student journey, including a look at the Experience Platform.
• Colorado Governor Jared Polis graced the Ellucian Live stage. His remarks highlighted Colorado’s focus on improving workforce development in higher education. He said, “To meet the demands of the future, we simply can’t rely on the old way of doing things.”
• A new and exciting partnership with The Burning Glass Institute was announced. Ellucian and The Burning Glass Institute will collaborate on data-driven insights to inform student success and improve equitable student outcomes in higher education.
• Matt Sigelman, President of The Burning Glass Institute, led a panel discussion on the connected student journey and how data and analytics and AI can influence student success. Panelists included Rishi Rana, EVP and GM of PowerSchool, Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker, Recovery Officer for the Colorado Depts. Of Labor and Employment and Higher Education, and Joel Sackett, VP of Product Management at Ellucian.
• Ellucian also announced it is expanding its partnership with PowerSchool, the leading provider of cloud-based software in K-12 education. Ellucian and PowerSchool will collaborate to better support career and education pathways for students from kindergarten through college. In addition, PowerSchool is integrating its PeopleAdmin higher education talent management, faculty management and interoperability products with Ellucian’s Experience platform.
• Melissa King, Chief Transformation Officer of Ellucian moderated a panel on diversity, equity, and inclusion with Eloy Ortiz Oakley, Chancellor of California Community Colleges, Dr. Carmen Walters, President of Tougaloo College, and Dr. Ryan Ross, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Equity, and Inclusion, of the Colorado Community College System.
• Tuesday evening concluded with a customer appreciation event in Denver that allowed for networking, entertainment and lots of fun!

Day Three Highlights:

• Wednesday highlighted the higher education ecosystem; the tapestry of customers, partners, and technology needed to deliver seamless experiences.
• Steve Harris, Chief Revenue Officer of Ellucian, led a panel discussion that brought together financial and technology leaders in higher education in which they shared their experiences in setting strategy and driving change in the service of students. Panelists included Bill Guerrero, CFO of the University of Bridgeport, Judd Nicholson, CIO of Georgetown University, Tony Moore, CIO of Prairie View A&M University, and Dr. Camille Samuel, Deputy Campus Registrar for The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus.
• Ellen Mayes, Director of Business Development for Ellucian, moderated a panel discussion on the importance of partnerships and how collaboration can serve students with Michael Hogherr, Director of Education Strategic Business Development at Amazon Web Services, Adam McDonald, President of TouchNet, and Lee Brintle, CEO of CourseLeaf.
• Viola Davis joined the Ellucian Live mainstage to close out the conference, engaging in a powerful and moving fireside chat with Laura Ipsen. The renowned Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award-winning actor gave insight into her personal and professional journey that led her to where she is today.

Throughout the conference, Ellucian also recognized the 2022 Impact Award winners on the mainstage. The eight winners and four rising stars were awarded for their commitment to student experience, innovation, change leadership, and digital transformation. Winners will receive $220,000 in grants.

On-demand content from Ellucian Live 2022 will be available to conference attendees. Non-attendees can register to access content at https://www.ellucian.com/ellucianlive.

Save the date! Ellucian Live 2023 will be held March 26-29, 2023 in New Orleans, LA.