New England Data Innovation Day

Date: November 10, 2026

Time: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Location: Burlington Salesforce Office

Higher education institutions are being asked to modernize experiences, make better use of data, and prepare for AI while navigating fragmented systems, processes, and teams. This working session helps education leaders connect data and AI opportunities to institutional priorities and measurable outcomes.

Through facilitated discussion and hands-on exercises, participants will identify and prioritize meaningful use cases, map the data required to support them, address governance and adoption, and leave with practical actions they can take to strengthen their data foundation

Agenda: 

9:00 – 9:20 | Welcome: The Higher Ed Data Crisis and the Path Forward
Set the stage with the challenges facing higher education, including fragmented systems, inconsistent data, and growing AI expectations. Explore why a trusted, connected data foundation is essential to improving institutional outcomes.

9:20 – 9:35 | What Challenges Brought You Here?
An interactive discussion identifying the most pressing data challenges across institutions. Participants share where they are struggling, what they want to accomplish, and which opportunities matter most.

9:35 – 9:55 | Where Does the Data Get Stuck?
Explore the higher education technology landscape across SIS, CRM, LMS, advancement, and other institutional systems. Identify common data bottlenecks, integration gaps, and quality challenges that prevent institutions from acting on their data.

9:55 – 10:25 | From Data Challenges to Institutional Priorities
Turn identified challenges into actionable use cases. Prioritize opportunities based on institutional value, feasibility, and data readiness, focusing on achievable improvements rather than attempting to solve every data problem at once.

10:25 – 10:35 | Break and Networking

10:35 – 11:05 | Building a Trusted Data Foundation: Connecting Your Data Sources
Explore how Data360, Informatica IDMC, Master Data Management (MDM), and MuleSoft work together to connect, clean, and manage institutional data. Learn practical approaches to integration, data quality, trusted constituent records, and connecting existing systems to create a scalable foundation for analytics, automation, and AI.

11:05 – 11:35 | Mapping Your Data: From Systems to Action
Map the systems, data sources, and integrations required to support priority use cases. Explore data quality, master records, zero-copy approaches, and the governance, security, and ownership considerations necessary to support AI readiness.

11:35 – 12:10 | Lunch

12:10 – 12:45 | Customer Spotlight: Building a Unified Data Foundation
Hear how one school approached building a unified data foundation, including integration, data management, and institutional considerations. Explore lessons learned and how they relate to common higher education challenges.

12:45 – 1:25 | From Data to Action: Live Solution Demonstrations
See how modern data technologies address real higher education challenges through practical demonstrations. Explore data integration and quality with Informatica IDMC, trusted constituent records through MDM, governed data access with Data Marketplace, and how Salesforce Data 360 Enterprise Activations turns institutional data into actionable admissions and student success experiences.

1:25 – 1:35 | Real-World Examples
Hear even more examples of where institutions are solving their data problems with Salesforce technology.

1:35 – 1:50 | Building Your Data Roadmap: Next Steps
A facilitated working session where attendees complete a rapid data maturity self-assessment and, with Informatica AE and SE support, identify their institution’s highest-priority use cases across Data 360, Tableau, IDMC, MDM, Enterprise Activations, MuleSoft, and Data Marketplace. Outputs a prioritized initiative list and clear next steps for each institution.

1:50 – 2:00 | What’s Next: From Trusted Data to Agentic Innovation
Discover how recent Salesforce & Cloud for Good innovations are creating new opportunities for higher education. Explore how trusted, connected data enables personalized student experiences, more effective engagement, operational efficiency, and AI-powered workflows.