Join us at Trinity’s Main Hall for registration, breakfast, and catching up with colleagues from across the ecosystem!

Join us for a dynamic opening plenary that grounds and energizes our day of learning. We’ll hear from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education on the city’s commitment to expanding equitable pathways for all young people in DC through Compact 2043. Then, a panel of leaders from across our ecosystem will reflect on the challenges we’ve navigated over the past year - and spotlight the bold, innovative solutions emerging from our field. Together, we’ll set the tone for a day focused on resilience, collaboration, and action!

Opening Plenary Speakers:

• Mukta Ghorpadey | Executive Director, DC Postsecondary Success Collaborative

• Clara Haskell Botstein | Chief of Staff, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education

• Amy Dudas | Senior Advisor, Career Readiness, DC Action

• Julia Hellmich | Managing Director, KIPP Forward

• Leslie Nicholson, Ed.S. | College & Career Coordinator, Coolidge Senior High School

• Eric Waldo | Chief Executive Officer, DC College Access Program

• Sherrod Williams, Ph.D. | Chief Executive Officer, New Futures

Start the day by connecting with peers from across DC’s postsecondary ecosystem while exploring the data shaping our collective work. In facilitated breakout groups, participants will engage in structured conversations to build relationships and surface shared goals, followed by a guided data walk featuring alumni perspectives and insights into DC’s youth workforce landscape. We’ll examine patterns, name gaps, and generate ideas for collaboration - leaving with new relationships and practical insights to carry into the rest of the Summit.

Partnering When Everything Feels Perilous: Lessons from the Talent for Tomorrow Alliance

• Theme: Partnerships That Matter

• Presenters: Brandon White | CEO, Spark the Journey; Sherrod Williams | CEO, New Futures; Elizabeth Lindsey | Executive Director, Genesys Works

• Organization: Talent for Tomorrow Alliance

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• This session will explore the value of flexibility in nonprofit partnerships, and will draw on the recent experience of the Talent for Tomorrow Alliance – a collaboration between 5 different local and national nonprofit partners – to lay out difficult lessons learned while offering a framework for how to make partnerships more durable. In a year where the nonprofit sector (and our region in particular) experienced unprecedented strain, TFT’s partners had to contend with the fact that each organization was potentially compromised in a different way. Navigating this reality helped Talent for Tomorrow realize, however, that collaboration must be dynamic if it is to succeed. Some keys to success that will be identified and shared include: overcommunicating whenever possible; seeking out trust-based sponsors; and abandoning prior models if an adjustment can generate greater impact.

Leading Human-Centered AI: Practical Strategies for Educators and Postsecondary Success

• Theme: AI is Here

• Presenter: Dr. William Blake | Author, The AI School Leader

• Organization: The AI School Leader

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• This session draws on The AI School Leader to explore how educators and advisors can use artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, innovation, and adaptability while preserving strong human relationships. Participants will learn practical, equity-centered strategies for integrating AI into advising, instruction, and pathway coordination to strengthen postsecondary transitions. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to support student success in college, careers, and life.

What Did You Expect? The Hopes and Hurdles of Transitioning from High School to College in DC

• Theme: Doing More With Less

• Presenters: Bethany Monea | Assistant Professor of Writing and Community Engagement, University of the District of Columbia; Shamelle Yemofio | Enrollment & Student Success Coach, Senior, Arizona State University Local; Kim Crews | Administrator, University of the District of Columbia; Nikki Williams | Site Director, Arizona State University Local

• Organizations: University of the District of Columbia, Arizona State University Local

• Suggested Audience: All

• This presentation centers the voices of DC students as they reflect on their transition from high school to college — the challenges they faced, the resources they relied on, and the strategies that supported their success. Participants will gain insight into the local options available to DC students, as well as the specific needs that shape their transition experience. We will also highlight how University of the District of Columbia and ASU Local intentionally support students during this critical period.

Shaping Public Tools About Post-High School Outcomes

• Theme: Coordinating Data, Research, & Policy

• Presenters: Jade Chandler | Policy and Engagement Specialist, Office of Education Through Employment Pathways; Josh Boots | Executive Director, EmpowerK12; Jesika Currie | Director of School Improvement, EmpowerK12

• Organizations: Office of Education Through Employment Pathways, EmpowerK12

• Suggested Audience: All

• This session will be focused on gathering input to shape the development of public dashboards ETEP intends to release by spring 2027. Specifically, the data insights portrayed will focus on post-high school pathways taken by students who have been served by DC public schools, including college and career outcomes. ETEP will be focused on leveraging feedback to ensure dashboards are clear, useful, and reflective of community needs.

Promoting Psychological Safety for Young People

• Theme: Empowering Young People Today

• Presenter: Shira Woolf Cohen | Co-Founder, Innovageous

• Organization: Innovageous

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners

• This workshop will focus on the role of psychological safety as a critical foundation for engaging, empowering, and retaining young people across career-connected learning, postsecondary transition, and early workforce experiences. Participants will explore what psychological safety is—and what it is not—within youth-serving and cross-sector settings, with attention to how power dynamics, communication styles, and adult behaviors shape young people’s willingness to engage, take risks, and persist through challenges.

Building Safety, Opportunity, and Success for Students with Disabilities—In School and at Work

• Theme: Designing Career Pathways

• Presenters: Carolyn Jeppsen | CEO, BroadFutures; Caitlin Garman | Director of Outreach & Admission, BroadFutures; Allison Hoegsdorf | Work-Based Learning Specialist, School Talk

• Organizations: BroadFutures, School Talk

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• This session explores the evolving challenges that students with disabilities face in creating safety and achieving success in both school and the workplace. We will explore issues of physical safety, systemic workplace barriers, and the impact of shifting DEI commitments and examine practical strategies to reduce barriers, strengthen supports, and improve outcomes in education and early career experiences. The discussion will highlight actionable practices that educators, service providers, and career counselors can apply in their day-to-day work.

Lunch will be provided in Main Hall, where you can also get to know 20+ local and national organizations during our Resource Fair! Build your referral network while learning more about these providers and the essential resources they provide to our young people and residents.

Democratizing Leadership Coaching: Using AI to Close Access Gaps

• Theme: AI is Here

• Presenters: Latisha Chisholm | Founder & CEO, Subversive Leader; Nierria Jones-Cooper | College Counselor & Advisor, College Track

• Organizations: Subversive Leader, College Track

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• Traditional leadership coaching costs $300+/hour and is reserved almost exclusively for executives — leaving early and mid-career professionals to figure it out alone. This interactive session explores how AI-powered coaching is making quality leadership development accessible to everyone, with hands-on opportunities to engage with Subversive Leader's AI Colleague, Zmara. Participants will leave with resources for evaluating AI coaching tools and access to an individualized professional development ecosystem.

Expanding Access: Advising Students Ineligible for Federal Aid

• Theme: Doing More With Less

• Presenters: Monica Villacorta | College and Career Coordinator, Columbia Heights Education Campus, DC Public Schools; Donald Wilhite | College and Career Coordinator, Garnett Patterson STAY, DC Public Schools; Ashlie Savage | College and Career Coordinator, Anacostia High School, DC Public Schools

• Organization: DC Public Schools

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• Join us for an interactive session focused on supporting students who are ineligible for federal financial aid. Participants will explore the key factors shaping these students’ educational journeys and learn equity-centered best practices for college and career advising. Attendees will leave with practical tools and alternative funding strategies to guide students and families beyond FAFSA.

Compact 2043: Building Momentum for Postsecondary Pathways

• Theme: Coordinating Data, Research, & Policy

• Presenters: Clara Botstein | Chief of Staff, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education; Bridget Cherry | Consultant, Compact 2043

• Organization: Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education

• Suggested Audience: All

• Compact 2043 is DC’s citywide commitment to strengthen and expand postsecondary pathways for DC students, so that all children born today will graduate from high school prepared for success in higher education and good jobs. In this session, we will discuss the Compact, highlight wins from 2025, share and discuss priority areas for 2026, and connect participants with opportunities to engage further about the Compact.

From Control to Collaboration: Elevating Youth Voice Through Adult Allyship

• Theme: Empowering Young People Today

• Presenters: Kawanza Billy | Senior Youth Advocacy & Engagement Manager, DC Action; Amy Dudas | Senior Advisor, Career Readiness, DC Action

• Organization: DC Action

• Suggested Audience: All

• This session will create space for adult allies to self-reflect on power-sharing, explore concrete ways youth engagement can be introduced or deepened within the design of their programs or initiatives, and put reflections into action. Attendees will practice allyship and apply power-sharing concepts in fellowship with youth panelists as they share their pressing challenges and recommendations for navigating challenging postsecondary realities.

Defining and Delivering High-Quality Postsecondary Advising Across Grades 9-12

• Theme: Designing Career Pathways

• Presenter: Bill DeBaun | Senior Director, National College Attainment Network

• Organization: National College Attainment Network

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• District and school leaders are working to improve postsecondary outcomes for students, but many lack a common language or roadmap for effective, scalable advising. This session introduces a High-Quality Postsecondary Advising Framework, a research-informed structure for grades 9-12 that outlines what students should know and experience on their path to education or training after high school. Presenters will unpack the key components of the framework and show how it can support consistent practices across schools, improve student decisions, and drive better outcomes and also compare to a similar framework being used in DCPS.

Pivot or Persevere: Cultivating Curiosity in Pursuit of Career Success

• Theme: Designing Career Pathways

• Presenter: Jessica Brady | Director of Partnerships, Strategic Growth, The Opportunity Network

• Organization: The Opportunity Network

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• In this session, participants will explore processes for helping students navigate through the myriad obstacles that arise in pursuit of a career, such as academic challenges, imposter syndrome and identity in the workplace, and the importance of centering wellness. Participants will leave with tools and resources to help guide students in determining when to pivot in their career journey and when to persevere while fostering a spirit of lifelong exploration.

DC Builds DC Panel on Candidate Readiness

• Theme: Partnerships That Matter

• Presenters: Erin Bibo | Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, CityWorks DC; Tanya Borachi | Director of Education & Workforce Initiatives, Federal City Council

• Organizations: CityWorks DC, Federal City Council

• Suggested Audience: All

• DC Builds DC Industry Leaders will share specific, actionable insights on what they are seeking in entry level candidates for both Skilled Trades and Construction Management roles. They will relay both examples of what they like to see, and what they’ve seen that’s led to not moving forward with a candidate. The team will provide summary data from hundreds of interviews highlighting trends on what we’re seeing among candidates who are hired and those who are not.

AI's Impact on Enterprises and Entry Level Jobs

• Theme: AI is Here

• Presenter: Sam Meisenberg | study snacks, Co-Founder; Jung Lee | study snacks, Co-Founder

• Organization: study snacks

• Suggested Audience: All

• This session explores the impact of AI on the enterprise, analyzing whether Gen AI is actually delivering on its ROI promises—and what that means for the entry-level job market. Spoiler alert: it's both good and bad for junior talent. While AI has displaced some traditional junior roles, it has also created an urgent demand for 'AI-fluent' talent—a skill set business leaders increasingly associate with the next generation of workers.

Target Skills for Economic Mobility in D.C.

• Theme: Coordinating Data, Research, & Policy

• Presenters: Chelsea Coffin | Deputy Director, D.C. Policy Center; Anoosha Imran | Education Policy Initiative Fellow, D.C. Policy Center

• Organization: D.C. Policy Center

• Suggested Audience: All

• The D.C. Policy Center will present a session that analyzes the skills young adults in D.C. have and those most needed for high-opportunity, high-demand occupations. Drawing on national labor data and qualitative insights from young adults and employers, the session will highlight key skills gaps and implications for program design. Participants will gain actionable insights to better align education, workforce, and postsecondary pathways with economic mobility outcomes in D.C.

Inclusive by Design: Practical Strategies for Implementing Status-Blind Programming

• Theme: Empowering Young People

• Presenters: Molly Friesenborg | Director of Scholar Programs, New Futures; Kera Donaldson | Scholars Program Advisor, New Futures

• Organization: New Futures

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• This session will share lessons learned from implementing status-blind programming and creating inclusive spaces that support students of all immigration statuses. Presenters will share strategies for creating learning environments that proactively acknowledge differences in pathways, benefits, and barriers—ensuring undocumented students are neither singled out nor erased. Through guided discussion and planning activities, participants will exchange ideas and identify steps to strengthen inclusion within their own programs.

Designing the Conditions for Universal Internships: Policy, Partnerships, and Practice at Dunbar High School

• Theme: Designing Career Pathways

• Presenters: Latisha Coleman | Principal, Dunbar High School, DC Public Schools; Constance Parham | Director, Innovation & Design, DC Public Schools

• Organization: DC Public Schools

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• At Dunbar High School, a bold vision—to ensure every student completes a high‑quality internship—sparked a school‑level transformation that ultimately reshaped district policy and practice. This session unpacks how Dunbar leaders, DCPS central office, students, and community partners collaborated to design a system where 100% of eligible seniors participate in meaningful work‑based learning. Participants will hear directly from school and district leaders, along with a student voice, about how the team built the operational backbone needed to scale internships equitably: safety protocols, staffing models, logistics workflows, and partnership cultivation.

The Importance of Early Summer Programs

• Theme: Designing Career Pathways

• Presenters: Imani Josie | Director of College and Career, KIPP DC: Legacy College Prep; Julia Hellmich | Managing Director, KIPP Forward; Patrick Wu | College and Career Counselor, KIPP DC: College Preparatory; Clarence Cross | Associate Director, College and Career Pathways, Friendship Public Charter School

• Organizations: KIPP DC, Friendship Public Charter Schools

• Suggested Audience: Direct Service Practitioners, Program and Organization Leaders

• High-quality college and career summer experiences play a critical role in shaping postsecondary access, persistence, and completion for high school students, particularly for first-generation youth. Helping students find meaningful opportunities, plan logistics, and support applications at scale can be a daunting task for high school counselors who are short on time and capacity.

We’ll close the Summit by centering the voices that matter most - young people navigating the postsecondary journey. In a powerful panel conversation, DCPS and DCPCS alumni will share their challenges, successes, and the resilience that has carried them forward. They’ll offer candid reflections and advice for the educators, advocates, and leaders in the room - leaving us grounded in purpose, inspired by possibility, and recommitted to advancing postsecondary success for every young person in DC.