Higher Education Innovation Day Chicago

9:00–10:00 | Breakfast & Pre-Event Networking

10:00–10:20 | Welcome & Introduction: The Next Era of Education

Set the stage for a day focused on turning data into action. We’ll explore how connected data, AI, and agentic technology are creating new opportunities to improve student experiences, increase institutional agility, and help teams work smarter.

10:20–11:00 | Keynote: From AI-Aware to AI-Ready

AI is moving quickly from experimentation to an essential part of institutional strategy. This keynote will explore what separates organizations experimenting with AI from those prepared to operationalize it, and the role leadership, trusted data, governance, and human-centered design play in getting there.

11:00–12:00 | Data as the Foundation for Innovation

Every AI strategy is ultimately a data strategy. Explore how institutions can break down silos, connect information across the student lifecycle, establish trust and governance, and create a unified data foundation that powers analytics, personalization, automation, and AI.

12:00–1:00 | Lunch & Networking

1:00–1:30 | Data Workshop: From Disconnected Data to Actionable Intelligence

Put the morning’s data conversation into practice. In this interactive session, participants will identify where critical data lives today, uncover gaps preventing a connected view, and map how trusted data could support a priority use case at their institution.

1:30–2:00 | Reimagining What’s Possible in Education

What does innovation look like once the foundation is in place? Explore practical opportunities for AI and connected data across recruitment, admissions, student success, advising, advancement, operations, and workforce readiness, and how institutions can prioritize use cases that deliver meaningful impact.

2:00–2:50 | Build an Agent: From Idea to Action

Move from talking about AI to building with it. This hands-on session will walk participants through the fundamentals of designing an AI agent—from identifying the right use case and grounding it in trusted data and knowledge to defining actions, guardrails, and the role of humans in the process. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of what it takes to turn an agentic idea into a practical solution.

2:50–3:00 | Closing: Your Path to an Agentic Institution