At first, I had no plans to attend SXSW EDU — but after checking out the schedule and seeing who in my network would be there, I decided to take a chance… and I’m so glad I did.
I’m leaving energized and inspired, especially after kicking off the year with Camelback Ventures' Welcome Week in Atlanta (dropped a pic of that experience below, too!)
Throughout the week, I had the chance to connect with incredible partners like Samia Zuber and Dr. Hassan Brown, Camelback’s rockstar CEO Shawna Young, MBA, alums like Tiffany G. and Samantha Asante, Ed.M., my ex-design professor Ela Ben-Ur, and so many other changemakers in education.
Special shoutouts to Matthew, Misha, Peter, Taylor, Micky, Raheem, Olivia, Marvin, Leena, Nono, Carina, Bruna, Ryan, Zach, Josh, Moby, Antti, Michelle, Yulkendy, Rahul, Steve, Kwaku, Devine and everyone else I had 1-on-1 time with!
Here are my 3 big takeaways from the experience:
?? In-person connections matter. Virtual meetings are convenient, but nothing beats the impact of face-to-face conversations —?they're more natural, meaningful, and memorable.
?? Always be pitch-ready. Whether I had a few minutes or a deep-dive conversation, a 1:1 or small group discussion, I had to adapt my pitch on the fly.
?? AI literacy is still a major gap in education. Admit has the potential to not just guide students through postsecondary decision-making but also to help them develop themselves as AI-savvy professionals — who know how to leverage AI to enhance their work, not use it as a crutch.
I'm excited to return to SXSW EDU next year — hopefully representing Admit on stage or at an exhibit.
Next stop: ASU+GSV Summit! If you’ll be in San Diego and want to connect, drop me a line.
#SXSWEDU #EdTech #AI #CollegeAccess
