Keynote Speakers

Michael Horn is an award-winning author, educator, and leading voice on the future of education and work. He teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is the co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, a nonprofit think tank dedicated to improving the world through innovation.

Horn is the author of several influential books, including the national bestseller Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career, where he explores how individuals can navigate change and build meaningful, purpose-driven careers. Through his writing, speaking, and work with education organizations, he focuses on helping people unlock their potential, pursue their passions, and create lasting impact in a rapidly evolving world.

Keynote Synopsis - What if AI could give educators more time to focus on what matters most? In this fireside chat with Instructure Chief Academic Officer, Melissa Loble, Michael Horn will explore how AI can move beyond efficiency to become a catalyst for connection, curiosity, and purpose-driven learning. Discover how rethinking technology can help students graduate with more than a credential, and how educators can reclaim their time to truly engage.

Dr. Anne-Laure Le Cunff is an award-winning neuroscientist, author, and entrepreneur whose work explores how curiosity shapes the way we learn, adapt, and grow. A researcher at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, she studies the brain’s role in curiosity across areas including ADHD, AI, mental health, and lifelong learning.

She’s the founder of Ness Labs, a science-based learning platform that helps individuals and teams apply experimental thinking to their work and lives. Her bestselling book, Tiny Experiments, offers a practical approach to navigating uncertainty through small, intentional actions that lead to meaningful change.

Blending rigorous research with real-world application, Dr. Le Cunff brings a fresh perspective on how curiosity can fuel innovation, resilience, and continuous learning in a rapidly changing world.

Keynote synopsis: Anne-Laure Le Cunff will examine how cultivating an experimental mindset can help educators and students thrive in an AI-driven world. Her keynote focuses on building resilience, adaptability, and lifelong learning through small, intentional experimentation, and emphasizes curiosity over certainty, encouraging learners to treat challenges as opportunities for discovery rather than failure.

Heather E. McGowan is a globally recognized future-of-work strategist, keynote speaker, and two-time bestselling author known for helping organizations and individuals navigate constant change. Named one of Forbes’ Top Futurists, she works with leaders across industries to rethink how people learn, adapt, and lead in an evolving world.

Her clients include Fortune 500 companies such as Google, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, and Kaiser Permanente, where she delivers data-driven insights and practical frameworks that turn human capabilities like adaptability, empathy, and curiosity into strategic advantage.

A frequent contributor to major media outlets, including The New York Times, McGowan is the co-author of The Adaptation Advantage and The Empathy Advantage, a Top 10 Business Book of 2023. Her work empowers people to ask better questions, embrace change, and build what comes next.

Keynote synopsis: The future of work isn’t about competing with AI, but rather, it’s about working alongside it. Heather E. McGowan breaks down what to automate, what to amplify, and how to build a mindset rooted in curiosity and continuous learning. This keynote will challenge how you think about education, leadership, and what it takes to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving world

Steve has spent his 25-year technology career building businesses organically—and has seen companies through 20+ acquisitions along the way. Before joining Instructure, Steve was the CEO of LANDESK/Ivanti for 13 years. Prior to that, he served as SVP of corporate strategy at Avocent after they acquired his startup, Soronti. Steve also spent 10 years directing marketing for Intel. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA in strategy and finance from Brigham Young University.

Shiren has built global software products for millions of users, for over two decades, with more than half of his time in education. He previously served as Chief Product Officer at Newsela, a K–12 content platform, and at General Assembly, the pioneer of career transformation education. He has a master’s degree in interactive media from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from St. Cloud State University.

Melissa serves as Chief Academic Officer for Instructure, where she drives the company’s global academic strategy. With extensive experience as an educator in both K–12 and higher education institutions and in edtech executive leadership positions, she advocates for educators worldwide to have the necessary resources as they face ever-increasing educational barriers. Melissa currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the education industry non-profit 1EdTech, is an instructor at the University of California, Irvine, and holds several advisory roles at other organizations. She has a master’s degree in educational policy from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Michael has 25+ years of expertise in delivering consumer technology products across a spectrum of businesses, spanning from fledgling startups to global public companies. Today, Michael leads our Technology and Engineering teams responsible for building key products like Canvas, Mastery, & Learn. His prior role as Chief Technology Officer at Weight Watchers was instrumental in orchestrating a significant digital overhaul. Preceding this, he helmed the Engineering department at SeconMarket, which was later acquired by Nasdaq and presently operates as Nasdaq Private Market. Michael earned his B.Sc. (Hons) in Computer Science from University College Cork in Ireland.

Rachel is a customer experience leader and transformation strategist who leads institutions through complexity with clarity, confidence, and measurable impact. As chief customer officer at Instructure, she leads global customer success, support, services, and experience strategy, ensuring that educators and learners can fully realize the value of a future-ready ecosystem designed to help people thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Before joining Instructure, she served as chief customer officer at SmartRecruiters and BetterCloud and has built customer experience functions across several high-growth SaaS companies. Rachel holds an MBA from Georgia Tech and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University. As a parent of two long-time Canvas learners, she brings a personal commitment to improving the educational experience for every family and every learner.

Professor Martin Bean CBE is a global education leader and futurist whose career has focused on transforming how people learn, work, and thrive in a world defined by continuous change. As Academic in Residence at Instructure, he brings decades of experience across higher education, emerging technology, and workforce development to help shape a future-ready ecosystem that amplifies human potential and prepares learners for every stage of life.

Martin believes learning must be flexible, open, and lifelong, and that institutions play a critical role in creating the readiness needed for a rapidly evolving world. He is the co-author of “Toolkit for Turbulence,” which equips leaders with strategies to navigate disruption and foster resilient teams.