Navigating Change: Preparing Community College Leaders for What’s Next

Ahmad Thomas is the CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), one of the nation’s most dynamic business associations representing the global technology companies driving the innovation economy and its ecosystem. A former investment banker and senior Congressional aide, he brings two decades of experience working both in and on behalf of businesses, social enterprises, and governments, where he has honed a cross-functional skill set grounded in finance, purpose-driven growth, strategy, business development, public policy, and communications, with a deep working knowledge of the practice and application of stakeholder capitalism principles.

Thomas has catalyzed industry-leading initiatives to harness the potential of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, creating the Institute for California AI Policy (I-CAP) to help shape the regulatory posture needed to support its development and further deployment. He has also focused efforts with global technology brands to operationalize change around inclusion and belonging, implementing a partnership strategy for SVLG to diversify STEM talent pipelines by piloting a first-of-its-kind alliance with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and leading Silicon Valley companies. Thomas spearheaded the development and successful execution of a strategic plan to modernize firm-wide operations, streamline organizational design via the creation of three new Centers of Expertise, and implement a diversified revenue model to achieve scale.

Prior to joining SVLG in 2020, Thomas worked for a decade as an investment banker at Barclays, where he managed over $15 billion in debt financings. He specialized in structuring and financing public infrastructure, social impact, and development projects across multiple sectors. Thomas held a variety of important roles during his tenure, including leading state of California and Silicon Valley regional municipal banking teams, as well as leading the Firm’s public sector coverage of social impact engagements in the 13 western U.S. states. He served on the 8-member global advisory board for Barclays’ Social Innovation Facility, charged with strategically aligning internal investments with sustained social and environmental impact.

Thomas was lead banker on several innovative transactions, most notably executing the first-ever Social Bonds issue for a non-profit in the U.S. municipal bond market. This landmark deal received multiple awards, including the “Social Project Bond of the Year” by Environmental Finance. Thomas was recognized as a “Rising Star” by The Bond Buyer, the leading municipal bond market publication. He also received a prestigious Barclays Global Citizenship and Diversity Award for his work as a deal team lead enabling sustainable growth.

Thomas began his professional career as an aide to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein on Capitol Hill, where he served as the lead advisor on finance and economic policy.

He serves on several boards aligned with his core passions around technology, sports and adventure, and helping underserved communities. This currently includes the Bay Area Host Committee, California Partners Project, HealthRIGHT 360, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), San Jose Symphony, and SVLG Foundation. Thomas has volunteered time in advisory roles at multiple start-up companies and was selected in 2023 as a “Top 50 Diverse Board Candidate” by the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence and Equilar.

He is an American Leadership Forum, Senior Fellow and is included in the Silicon Valley Business Journal "Power 100" - a list of the most influential people working in Silicon Valley today. Thomas holds a B.S. from Cornell University, Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Aligning Learning and Opportunity: A Vision for 2040

Jamie Merisotis, an internationally recognized leader in higher education, human work, philanthropy, and public policy, has been Lumina Foundation’s president and CEO since 2008.

Frequently sought as a media commentator and contributor, his writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,  Stanford Social Innovation Review, Washington Monthly, Politico, The Hill, Roll Call, and other publications. He is currently a regular Forbes contributor.

Previously, Merisotis was president of the nonpartisan, D.C.-based Institute for Higher Education Policy, which he co-founded. He was also the executive director of a bipartisan national commission, appointed by the president and congressional leaders, to study college affordability. Merisotis is the author of America Needs Talent, named a Booklist Top 10 Business book of 2016, and Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines, an Amazon bestseller released in 2020.

Merisotis is an experienced board leader. He serves as board member and advisor to several organizations including the Commission on the American Workforce, The Ditchley Foundation in the UK, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Citizens Energy Group, Lingoda GmbH in Germany, and LifeHikes. Merisotis also advises companies that rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning to address complex challenges related to work and learning.

Merisotis is past chairman and trustee emeritus of the Council on Foundations.  He also is past chairman and investment committee chair of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the world’s largest such entity offering exceptional learning experiences to transform the lives of children and families.

A distinguished graduate and trustee emeritus of Bates College, he has been awarded honorary degrees from colleges and universities worldwide.

The Future Is Now: Guiding Colleges Through AI Transformation

Dr. Claire Brady is a seasoned higher education executive and nationally recognized thought leader in artificial intelligence, organizational development, and institutional strategy. With over 25 years of experience spanning student affairs, academic leadership, and executive consulting, Claire has guided institutions through digital transformation and cultural change with clarity, care, and a bias toward action.

As President of Glass Half Full Consulting and co-founder of the Association for Higher Education Consulting and Coaching (AHECC), Claire partners with colleges and universities to build strong leadership teams, healthy work cultures, and practical, people-centered AI strategies. Her work focuses on helping institutions harness AI not just to improve efficiency, but to free up time and energy for what matters most—human connection, student success, and mission-driven impact.

Claire’s approach is guided by the “glass half full” philosophy that gives her consulting firm its name—grounded in the belief that optimism, when paired with strategy, can turn challenges into opportunities. Whether navigating digital transformation or leading organizational change, she helps institutions see not just what’s lacking, but what’s possible.Claire is the author of The Transformative Potential of AI: Recommendations for Student Affairs Leaders, a national report published in partnership with NASPA and the Strada Education Foundation. She is also the author of an upcoming book that will guide higher education leaders in implementing human-centered, responsible AI practices that prioritize student success and institutional values.

She served in the Florida College System for ten years and in executive VP roles at Lake-Sumter State College and at AGMU in Florida and Puerto Rico. She previously held teaching and administrative roles at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Michigan State University, and Alma College. She is an active member of regional and national associations and is engaged in her community by serving within organizations and on boards.

Claire, her husband Ben, and their son live in Orlando. When she’s not picking up LEGO or discussing the intricacies of Minecraft, she enjoys travel, reading, TV, exploring new AI tools, Broadway shows, and spending time with