Ellucian Live 2023 Connects Global Higher Education Community
Higher education technology conference engages and inspires more than 5,000 professionals from 36 countries
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Ellucian, the leading, global higher education technology solutions and services provider energized the higher education community at Ellucian Live 2023, the industry’s premier global technology conference. The conference, held March 26 – 29 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in downtown New Orleans, inspired over 5,000 higher education professionals and experts from around the world to Unlock Possibility with powerful connections, industry insights and game changing solutions enabled by The Ellucian SaaS Platform.
“Ellucian Live brings to life our mission to power higher education, so institutions can empower student success,” said Laura Ipsen, President & CEO, Ellucian. “The future of higher education requires a willingness to be open to new ideas, and to re-imagine and re-invent what is possible. This year’s conference theme of ‘Unlock Possibility’ served up opportunities for our community of institutions, partners, and technology leaders to connect with one another, forge new partnerships, and bring new ideas home to their own institutions to help every student find success on their educational journey.”
Ellucian Live 2023 engaged guests with riveting keynote speakers, expert panels, transformative breakout sessions, an interactive exhibition hall, and electrifying musical performances.
Day One Highlights:
- Beginning with an exciting performance from the Tulane University Marching Band, Monday’s theme centered around transformation and empowered leaders to champion change within their own organizations.
- Ellucian’s President & CEO Laura Ipsen delivered an opening keynote inviting attendees to “open the aperture, so we can see things differently, harness new tools, and build the future together.”
- New York Times bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell joined Laura Ipsen on the mainstage for an engaging fireside chat discussing the future of higher education.
- Change expert and author Geoffrey Moore led a panel discussion with transformational leaders centered around how to manage change. Panelists included Dr. Daniel Greenstein, Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Gerri Martin-Flickinger, former Chief Technology Officer at Starbucks, and Dr. Michael J. Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College.
- Ellucian Live guests attended a reception featuring award-winning chef and restauranteur Emeril Lagasse. In addition to a cooking demonstration, Mr. Lagasse spoke about his storied career, education journey, and his charitable foundation supporting educational programs.
Day Two Highlights:
- Tuesday was framed by the theme of innovation, highlighting the need for new perspectives, ideas, and technology to improve student experiences and outcomes.
- Panelists Dr. Kimberly Beatty, Chancellor of Metropolitan Community College, Hardeep Gulati, Chief Executive Officer of PowerSchool, and Dr. Chris Howard, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Arizona State University Public Enterprise discussed innovative approaches to scaling student success.
- Ellucian’s Chief Technology Officer Mike Wulff introduced Ellucian Insights and discussed the future of The Ellucian SaaS Platform. Georgetown University’s Chief Information Officer, Judd Nicholson also shared the story of their impressive SaaS transformation.
- Ellucian unveiled the Ellucian Partner Network, a reimagined program to enhance and extend capabilities to enable institutional and student success. Ellucian partners Adam McDonald, President of TouchNet, Robert Ferrilli, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ferrilli, and Jenny Lee, Director of Customer Solutions Management at Amazon Web Services were featured onstage.
Day Three Highlights:
- Beginning with a Power Networking Breakfast hosted by Joe Sallustio and Kate Colbert, authors of Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education, Day Three’s theme was resilience and student success.
- Louisiana’s own Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue gave Wednesday’s mainstage audience a taste of New Orleans’ rich culture with an exciting performance. Trombone Shorty – born Troy Andrews – also took a moment to discuss his musical career journey, his Foundation educating the next generation of talented musicians, and his special connection to New Orleans.
- Program Directors and a student from Swipe Out Hunger, a nonprofit working to end student hunger on college campuses, engaged in a mainstage panel discussion to shine a light on food insecurity and the need for programs focused on student well-being. To-date, Ellucian has donated nearly $60,000 to Swipe Out Hunger.
- The Ellucian Foundation announced the 2023 PATH Scholarship Program. The program has pledged $500,000 to support students experiencing financial hardship from community colleges with a focus on MSIs.
Throughout the conference, Ellucian also recognized the 2023 Impact Award winners. Eight winning institutions each received a $25,000 grant recognizing changemakers working to innovate within the technology space across five categories: Student Success, Institutional Resilience, Empowering Staff, Innovation, and Transformational Leadership.
Save the date! Ellucian Live 2024 will be held April 7-10, 2024 in San Antonio, TX.
