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THE TOP 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL LEADERS TRANSFORMING EDUCATION, 2025

DECEMBER 2025

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A Visionary Leader Shaping Global Education Through Strategy, Scholarship, and Partnership

Racha

Khouli President | Education and Training Services

Brilliant Minds That Move the Needle

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In a context in which the future relies on knowledge, a new generation of educational leadership is reframing education. This new generation of leaders is not just reforming systems. They are reconstructing systems to be more inclusive, adaptive, and prepared for the future. Combining-their distinctive balance of academic knowledge and entrepreneurial determination, they are navigating the increment to combine tradition and change. Their work is already transformational and deeply personal-from utilizing technology to democratize learning to advocating for equity in underserved communities. The classroom is not the end of a learning journey but a launching pad to be a global citizen and curiosity for life. Their leadership exists outside of educational institutions. It has a ripple effect through policy, innovation, and culture. They are dismantling antiquated systems and building collaborative and creative ecosystems. They are reframing what education means; it is not just instruction but liberation. And in the process, they are shaping students and this century. At CIO Views, we honor these empowering leaders by dedicating this issue titled “The Top 10 Most Influential Leaders Transforming Education, 2025” to them. Featuring as the cover story, we have covered the successful & motivating journey of Racha Khouli, President of Education and Training Services. We have also included the inspiring stories of Vicky Wang, CEO & Founder of WuKong Education; Dr. Barry Ryan, President of Woodbury University; LaTonia Collins Smith, Interim President of HarrisStowe State University; Wayne Riley, President of SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Darya Yegorina, CEO of CleverBooks; Keedar Whittle, Founder and CEO of Educators Now asserts; Kristi Messer, MPH - Assistant Dean of bachelor's Education - Davine campus at Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine; Maria José Amich, Executive Director of The Lisbon MBA Católica; and Dr. Mary Landon, President of Higher Education Innovation LLC. CIO Views is a business magazine that mainly focuses on business leaders, their journey, views on current economic states, and all other relevant subjects that refer to the business world. Our goal is to be a leading source of information dedicated to providing our readers with detailed perspectives and views of successful business leaders who are transforming the business outlook and redefining their goals. With exclusive editions on various industries like software, education, healthcare, technology, real estate, and many more, CIO Views is driven to promote excellence in the world of business. Happy Reading!

Mousmi

Mousmi N.

COV E R S TORY

10.

Racha Khouli

20.

Vicky Wang

CON T EN TS

44.

26.

Keedar Whittle

30.

Kristi Messer

Dr. Barry Ryan

LaTonia Collins Smith

36.

Wayne Riley

40.

Darya Yegorina

50. 54.

Maria José Amich

58.

Dr. Mary Landon

C OV E R S T O RY

Racha

Khouli

A Visionary Leader Shaping Global Education Through Strategy, Scholarship, and Partnership

10 | DECEMBER 2025

President | Education and Training Services

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Bridging Dreams

into Reality In a world where education is increasingly global, few leaders stand out with as much strategic vision and personal dedication as Racha Khouli. As co-founder and president of Global Education Services (GES) since 2012, she has forged vital connections between students in the Middle East and universities across the United States. Her work is not merely transactional it is transformational. Under her guidance, GES has become more than a placement agency, it is a bridge of trust, culture, and opportunity. What distinguishes Racha is not just her operational acumen but her deep commitment to learning itself. Holding dual master's degrees and pursuing a doctoral degree in Leadership & Strategic Management, she leads by example. In an era of rapid educational change, her story oﬀers insight into how vision, scholarship, and partnership can reshape the path for international learners and the institutions that serve them. Born in Lebanon, Racha immigrated to the United States at the age of thirteen with her family. As a proud LebaneseAmerican, she embodies perseverance and cross-cultural understanding, qualities that have shaped her global leadership style. Her multicultural upbringing deepened her empathy and ability to bridge East and West, guiding how she builds trust and collaboration across cultures.

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C OV E R S T O RY Leadership & Vision: Building Bridges, Not Barriers Racha's leadership journey began with a bold belief: that high-potential students in underserved regions deserve seamless access to worldclass education. When she co-founded GES in 2012, it was with a mission to remove friction, bureaucratic, cultural, and logistical, that often stands between dreams and enrollment. Her leadership philosophy is grounded in strategic empathy. She often remarks, “I started by thinking I was handling admissions and visas, but soon realized I was entrusted with futures.” Indeed, Racha learned early on that crossing border means more than paperwork, it means understanding values, culture, and family hopes. Under her direction, GES expanded its footprint in the Gulf region, developing tailored recruitment models and institutional partnerships that respected local norms while maintaining U.S. compliance standards. She built a leadership culture that prioritized listening over dictating, learning over controlling, and partnership over dominance.

Currently, she is a doctoral candidate in Leadership & Strategic Management, deepening her capacity to lead organizations through complexity. Her academic work informs her decisions daily: whether negotiating scholarship contracts, designing pathway programs, or collaborating with regulatory bodies. Her commitment to education is not symbolic, it's structural. By pursuing high-level academic training, she models the very trajectory she helps others achieve. Strategic Growth: From Agency to Global Influence GES under Racha's leadership has evolved from a small recruitment office to a multi-faceted global education enterprise. Significant milestones pepper this journey: forging accreditation partnerships (e.g., AIRC, ICEF), expanding service offerings to include scholarship management, and structured ESL and academic bridging programs.

Each expansion was guided by clear strategic vision: not to push volume, but to support sustainability. She avoided commoditizing student recruitment; instead, she focused on quality, retention, and outcomes. Her approach is data-informed. She monitors visa approvals, student success rates, and institutional feedback, reﬁning operations in nearreal time. Through her hands-on oversight, GES today places students in universities across the U.S., serving clients in Middle East and North Africa including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and beyond. Her leadership ensures that each student is seen not as a number, but as a person with dreams, fears, and potential. Global Partnerships and Vision 2030: The Saudi Connection Racha's professional impact reaches far beyond U.S. borders. Through her leadership roles at GES and VisionPro Consulting Services, she has built strong partnerships with Saudi government agencies and educational sponsors aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. As Co-Founder of VisionPro Consulting Services, Racha leads a U.S.-based ﬁrm dedicated to bridging Saudi and American institutions through strategic consulting, scholarship management, and regulatory compliance. VisionPro plays an instrumental role in supporting major government scholarship programs such as the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) and United Arab Emirates Department of Defense (UAE DoD). Her work ensures that

Academic Excellence as Foundation Racha's educational credentials are a testament to her belief that leaders must remain lifelong learners. She holds dual master's degrees, an MBA and an MPA, which have equipped her to balance business pragmatism with public service values. This rare combination means she understands both the institutional imperatives and the human dimension of international education.

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C OV E R S T O RY academic and legal processes align seamlessly with both U.S. and Saudi regulatory standards. Furthermore, VisionPro has developed strategic alliances with two key partners: ParadigmShift Law LLP, a Washington, D.C.-based ﬁrm led by Attorney Glenn B. Manishin, and Al-Nabaa Legal Company, a prominent Saudi legal and consulting ﬁrm led by Attorney Award AlMalki. Together, these entities are forming a powerful tri-national partnership that supports educational, legal, and investment collaboration between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Through these alliances, Racha has been instrumental in facilitating the creation of joint ventures, legal frameworks, and scholarship management systems that foster international trust and institutional transparency.

Innovation in Education: Strategy Meets Adaptability Racha's foresight extends into educational innovation. She has championed pathway programs, bridging students whose English or academic readiness may not yet meet direct entry thresholds. These pathway models combine ESL, academic skills, and cultural orientation in a compact, supportive structure. She also emphasized datadriven decision making. From market intelligence on emerging degree demand to predictive analytics on students' success likelihood, she built internal systems that anticipate rather than react. Her leadership style embraces iterative experimentation. She encourages her teams to pilot models, assess outcomes, and scale what works. This agility is a key diﬀerentiator in the volatile landscape of global education.

It’s this passion for the education system that fuels everything we do and drives us to achieve success. Today, we continue to advance our role in education by maximizing student success and institutional effectiveness. Our solutions allow students to develop personalized academic and career plans based on their goals, interests, abilities, and learning styles, and enable institutions to reach and connect with students that are the right ﬁt and help them stay on track to achieve their goals. We measure our achievements by the achievements of our clients. When our clients are more successful, their students are more successful. 14 | DECEMBER 2025

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Personal Philosophy & Inuence At the heart of Racha's leadership lies a personal conviction: education is bridgework. She often says, “If we only help students cross borders, we do half the job, we must guide them to cross cultural, linguistic, and institutional divides too.” Her inﬂuence is felt not just institutionally but individually. Many former students, now alumni, cite her mentorship as

transformative. She supports young women in education careers and encourages them to lead with empathy. Her role in a male-dominated domain adds further weight, she demonstrates that inﬂuence is earned through vision, integrity, and results, not merely title.

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TOGETHER WE REACH THE GOAL The American Technical Institute: Expanding Educational Horizons Beyond GES, Racha is co-founder and strategic force behind The American Technical Institute (ATI), an institution designed to deliver workforce-ready technical education aligned with industry needs. Her role encompasses program design, accreditation support, and strategic expansion. She ensures ATI remains attuned to both U.S. compliance (e.g. Title IV regulations, accreditation) and

regional relevance, tailoring curricula so students can thrive globally. ATI serves as a practical embodiment of her vision: combining academic rigor, technical competence, and real-world relevance. Closing & Future Outlook Looking ahead, Racha envisions expanding GES into new geographies beyond the Gulf, launching digital platforms to personalize student support, and scaling ATI's model into regional technical hubs. She is quiet but ambitious: she foresees a network

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of educational partnerships across Asia and Africa where her model of trust, strategy, and scholarship can scale. Her message to emerging leaders is direct: “Lead with humility and insight. Build systems that outlast you. Let your legacy be not just where you lead, but who you uplift.” In a world chasing credentials, Racha Khouli's leadership reminds us: credentials are gateways, but vision, character, and partnership build paths.

Vicky Wang A Collaborative, and Inclusive Educational Leader

Changing the Face of the Online Education Industry Through Innovative and Empowerment

he right and proper education improves people's understanding of the world around them, making them less susceptible to the influence of others. Having a decent education helps people think, feel, and behave in a way that contributes to their success, and improves not only their self-satisfaction but also their community. WuKong Education is one such online educational platform that aims to provide the best possible curriculum and learning opportunities for students between 3 to 18 years old to help them grow while building a strong base for a bright future. Vicky Wang, the founder, and CEO of WuKong Education says that it has been great to see so many children benefit from their learning platform. Since its founding in 2016, WuKong Education has become the leading brand in online education. WuKong Education is the first choice for families who wish to pursue the dream of providing their children with an elite education. Their members come from 11 countries and regions, including America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Drivers of Success for Vicky Wang For Vicky, success equals to how many people one can influence and help. Success is not about how high you stand, but how far you go. Therefore, to go further, entrepreneurs need to always maintain an altruistic mindset. “My happiest moment derives from the time I see so many students around the world learning with WuKong and gradually gaining life-long passion and comprehensive abilities for their future studies,” she says. Challenges have been an excellent opportunity for Vicky's growth At the very beginning of Vicky's entrepreneurship, she was motivated to

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CEO & Founder, WuKong Education

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jump into the education industry because she deeply understood the unfair distribution of education resources. She comes from a remote town. Throughout her student life, she invested her every eﬀort in studying and eventually got admitted to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. After graduation, she came to New Zealand and got to know the global top-ranked education system there. “It is in this period of my life that I gradually realized how education can change the fate of people and how the social problems can be caused by the unbalanced distribution of educational resources. Growing up in a family in which most of the members are teachers, I hope I can do something to narrow the gap of education inequality, so I established WuKong Education with my partners, hoping to realize my initial aspiration of 'bringing quality education to global

students' through our tireless efforts,” she states. The biggest challenge Vicky has encountered in her career is multinational business management as it is harder than she thought. As a multinational company, WuKong has a team with members in 11 countries. Their management and daily communications are mainly conducted online. At times problems do occur due to time lag and space restraint. To solve these problems, WuKong invested a lot of energy in establishing an efficient multinational management system. “In terms of team building, I gradually realized that strategy, organization and culture should come first when conducting a multinational business. At present, we have built a diverse corporate culture based on common values within the organization to effectively meet the challenges caused by multinational

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managements,” explains Vicky. The core values and services of WuKong Education WuKong Education was founded in Auckland, New Zealand with the focus of providing high-quality online educational solutions to young people all over the world. The WuKong Education Group brand also owns the well-known educational technological brands WuKong Chinese and WuKong Math. Adhering to the principle of “Bring the beauty of Chinese culture and characters to young people all over the world”, Wukong Chinese is dedicated to utilizing scientiﬁc technologies to provide inspiring and interesting online Chinese courses to students from 118 countries and regions worldwide including America, Canada, Australia, New

Zealand, Singapore and so forth. The company's core values include: • Understand Education, Love Children • Always Day 1 • Begin with the End in Mind • Be Candid and Clear • Explore the Essence of Things • Take Ownership • Keep Learning WuKong's contribution in redeﬁning and boosting the education industry

educational resources brought by time and space. 1.

WuKong redirects their pattern to the earlier years when Chinese teaching and learning could only be conducted in traditional after-school classes. Sharing High-quality Education Resources Across National Borders They have built a learning platform, connecting the best Chinese teachers from China and the best math teachers from the United States, Australia, and Singapore with students from multiple countries and regions around the world, while solving the problem of the unbalanced

Developing the Core Competency Model of WuKong - They have integrated the competency model and pedagogical methodologies into their curriculum framework, aiming to provide quality education for children more efficiently. Accumulating Long-term Traceable Learning Data They empower education with technology, and grade students scientifically through data analysis so that children at different stages can get tailored learning programs that are most suitable for their current learning situations, and their learning and growth patterns can be visualized. Improving Students' Interests and Initiatives in Learning Through immersive AI interaction, they inspire children's active learning ability and mobilize children's enthusiasm in their whole learning process. This is

completely different from the traditional one-way inculcation teaching. Thriving within the education industry and its growing competition One of WuKong's corporate values is “Always Day 1”. They hope to have all their departments and employees take initiative as they regard being innovative as an important requirement in their daily work. Gradually they will integrate their innovative force into teaching and research, product development, the consumer journey, and other aspects of their daily operations. “We credit our continuous innovation to a deep insight into the user experience. We always put the user experience first: through the analysis of students' class time performance and the communication with parents, we obtain first-hand user insights,” says Vicky. She further says that their proudest moments are when they receive tons of thank-you letters from their beloved students and their parents. The growth of WuKong Education during the ongoing pandemic The Covid-19 epidemic saw tremendous growth in online education, and WuKong's rapid development has been within this exact period. From 2019-2020, their number of class bookings increased 70 times. In the past 2 years, they have spent a lot of energy to deeply improve the user experience. Their product capabilities and technical capabilities have been continuously improved, and parents' trust in them has gradually formed, followed by their high referrals and renewals. At a time when competition is becoming more and more fierce, the high referral and renewal rate have greatly reduced the cost of acquiring new customers. Parents' trust not only

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relationships. She pays special attention to the team and spends a lot of time on the cultivation of the core team leader. At the same time, the innovation of educational products is also the focus of her attention, and she spends a lot of time on it. Her daily routine includes: 1. Strategic planning and periodic review meetings 2. High-level executive interviews, and innovative education product meetings 3. Regular communication with internal and external stakeholders Maintaining Harmony and Empathy at Work WuKong's business is user oriented. They look forward to bringing a lot of creative ideas and nourishing innovative ideas into their business development. Vicky often encourages all employees to have empathy in their daily lives, for they themselves are consumers and users of educational products as well. “And it is that empathy that often underpins our business decisions and judgments,” she asserts.

makes it easier for us to enter new markets and introduce new disciplines, it also becomes the strongest driving force of sustainable growth. WuKong's mission is to inspire learning, which is also their expectation and plan for the future. “Through our every eﬀort, we hope that children in more countries and regions around the world can learn with WuKong, so the educational gap can be narrowed down, and more

children can benefit from quality education. A single spark can start a prairie fire", states Vicky. They aspire to remain true to their business aspirations while keeping their mission firmly in mind. Being the CEO & Founder of WuKong Education As WuKong's CEO, Vicky takes the main responsibility for making strategic decisions and managing key internal and external resources and 24 | DECEMBER 2025

They maintain employee enthusiasm through team building and corporate culture construction: creating opportunities to inspire professional values and achievements: e.g., via teaching skills contests, team-building activities, and so forth; seeking, cultivating, and empowering partners who have a long-term commitment and passion for education and are willing to contribute to the team. Vicky's message to aspiring business leaders is simple. “Remain true to the original business aspiration,” she exclaims.

Dr. Barry Ryan An Accomplished Academic Leading Woodbury University & Reshaping the Future of Education

ith an extensive and distinguished career in university leadership, Dr. Barry Ryan, President of Burbank, California-based Woodbury University, has served as a tenured faculty member, department chair, dean, vice president, provost, and president at several institutions — in addition to being elected twice to the WASC (WSCUC) Accreditation Commission, serving the maximum six years. Dr. Ryan earned his Ph.D. in History from UC Santa Barbara and a J.D. from UC Berkeley. He holds a postgraduate diploma in global business from Oxford University. He has been a visiting doctoral scholar at Oxford University and the University of London. Beyond academia, Dr. Ryan has a long history of volunteer service and

leadership in charitable organizations.

Being resourceful & building a foundation for growth

Dr. Ryan is not only an accomplished educator, but he also has an extensive legal and government background. Dr. Ryan served as the U.S. Supreme Court Fellow in the chambers of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and is a member of the Supreme Court bar, as well as multiple federal and state bars.

Due of his vast experience in the industry, Dr. Ryan has been able to see ﬁrsthand that large state and private institutions have the resources available to their administrators, leaders, and board members that small institutions simply don't.

It seems to be a challenging yet exciting time for leaders in the education industry. Leading change, especially the attempt to shift a learning institution is a huge task for leaders in higher education. We recently sat down with Dr. Ryan to discuss what he sees as the major forces shaping the education industry today, particularly for smaller-sized universities like Woodbury, with an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. 26 | DECEMBER 2025

“A small institution has to be really careful because they can drain the resources that they're trying to keep available for the education of their students,” he explains. On the other hand, he says small institutions have a greater ability to be nimbler. When there are changes in the marketplace, when demand rises for new areas of study, concentrations, or degree programs, it is much easier in a smaller institution to adapt programming to meet those needs. For a larger

President, Woodbury University

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institution, that's hard to do. It takes some time, and understandably there's a structure that goes with that, but it can become very difficult to react quickly to changes. Smaller institutions also have the ability to do it on a more granular level with smaller class sizes and the ability to actually know your students. “There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of organizations, but we actually need each other. We need every type of institution in higher education. My hope is that we can all work together for the good of our students and for society, as a whole,” Dr. Ryan states. Effectively Tackling the Diminishing Enrollment Statistics Dr. Ryan notes that California's higher education has seen a huge drop-off in enrollment numbers, particularly in

community colleges — which he says has dropped 28% in recent years. “Those are remarkable numbers,” Dr. Ryan exclaims. “We talk about the demographic cliﬀ in the United States in terms of ﬁrsttime freshmen and what's going to happen to that population. If colleges just keep doing what they're doing, small colleges that are on the edge are not going to be successful,” Dr. Ryan explains. These colleges really have to adapt, and that takes a couple of forms. The need to internationalize should to be recognized. Part of that involves bringing more students from abroad, and part of it involves sending more students abroad. There are many facets to it, but the population is growing in many parts of the world, and the need for education is growing, as well. Dr. Ryan advises small university leaders to think beyond the 18-to-22-

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year-old demographic and consider the educational needs of adult learners. He believes that we need to be able to adapt and offer not just degree programs, but different modalities like certificate programs and seminars that appeal to working adults. He also says, “We also need to focus on continuing education for our own alumni because the needs or education requirements of many of their jobs have changed. We should be the place that they go to for help to make those adaptations and grow professionally.” Dr. Ryan offers some reassuring news: The need for education hasn't changed. “In fact, it's growing,” he says. That particular younger demographic is shrinking, so there is a need to find ways to adjust and meet those needs in other demographics. The opportunity is there for institutions that are agile, nimble, market-aware, and committed to their mission. “We have to find how to

execute that mission in different settings and with different people,” he states. Managing the Recent Increase in College Closures An increase in higher education mergers and closures has been well documented in recent years — a development Dr. Ryan says that, if not done carefully, can be devastating for students, their families, and the future generations that are affected when their current college or university shuts its doors. Relationships with other institutions can help smooth the way for students affected by such changes. COVID obviously had a tremendous effect on colleges — and disproportionately so for small institutions with limited resources and budgets. That's one of the reasons why Dr. Ryan would like to see more support provided to smaller colleges and universities since they fill a unique higher ed niche that otherwise would be vacant. “We are able to reach different kinds of students who have different goals than those who are in a large state university,” he says. “You know the old adage 'it takes a village'? I think the same is true in higher education — it takes everybody working together to help advance the cause of education in our country.” The New Reality of Remote Learning On the plus side, Dr. Ryan believes that COVID helped Woodbury rethink its approach to remote learning and to listening to what their students need to be successful. “I think there have been some good experiments in the last couple of years,” he recalls. “There have been

some failures, but we learned from them, too. One thing we've learned is it's not just about flipping on a camera and having the faculty member talk to the students. That's not online education — that's a Zoom meeting,” he asserts. Dr. Ryan is of the opinion that there is a growing student demand for accessibility to modalities that fit individual student schedules and learning styles. There will always be a percentage of students that are looking for a traditional residential, broad-based four-year bachelor's program. But the pandemic helped a lot of students realize that they need flexibility in their education. “To meet those needs, we have to be pretty smart. We have to be marketsensitive. It definitely keeps us on our toes,” states Dr. Ryan. Being a beacon for success Looking back at his professional accomplishments, Dr. Ryan feels extremely grateful. Dr. Ryan is a first-generation college

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student and claims to be very privileged because of that. His parents knew how important education was — even though they hadn't experienced it — so they enabled him to have a college education. “I still remember my ﬁrst class on my ﬁrst day and what the professor talked about. It was an exchange of ideas and thoughts and perspectives. I thought, 'This is the most exciting thing I've ever experienced.' As I went on, I was just in love with the atmosphere of learning,” he recalls. What's been the key to Dr. Ryan's success? “You have to know in your heart of hearts what's right and be willing to stand for that,” he says. He further states that at the end of the day, if you can go home, look in the mirror, and say, 'Yes, I was true to my values,' you can get through almost anything.

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith Changing Education Systems for the Betterment of Society

r. LaTonia Collins Smith, Interim President of Harris-Stowe State University, is a renowned education leader with innovative leadership expertise in administration and program creation. She serves as the chief advocate and leader of HarrisStowe State University's mission. At the university, Dr. Collins Smith develops and maintains an appropriate administrative organization to ensure effective and efficient management of its resources. She has more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience with an extensive background in administration and program development that enables her to provide effective internal and external communications, including keeping the Board of Regents informed, being the university's chief spokesperson, and

representing the university to the general public. At Harris-Stowe State University, Dr. Collins Smith also recommends policies for Board action and implements those policies adopted by the Board. In addition, she provides oversight of the university's quality of the academic and support programs and all of its components. She says, "My vision is to provide opportunity and access to education for those who are underresourced and underserved." Glimpse of Dr. Smith's Early Life and Work Dr. Collins Smith had always seen herself as a teacher since she was a child. However, as she studied more, she realized that what she truly desired was to help others. Dr. Collins Smith's ﬁrst career was in social work and public health. She 30 | DECEMBER 2025

was always enthusiastic about education in general, knowing that it was the key to unlocking the door to success. Dr. Collins Smith holds an EdD in educational leadership from Maryville University in St. Louis. She graduated from Saint Louis University with a master's degree in social work and a master's degree in public health. She holds a bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Central Missouri. Professionally, Dr. Collins Smith served as a social work and public health practitioner for 21 years in the Greater St. Louis area. Through the years, she developed an extensive background in program development and management, which impacted the lives of many, especially in the areas of adoption and foster care, health, legal, education, and juvenile justice. She

Interim President,Harris-Stowe State University

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married her best friend, Kip M. Smith, and raised her three younger cousins, Alderman John CollinsMuhammad, Jasmine Collins, and Missouri State Representative Kimberly-Ann Collins, whoaﬀectionately call her Mom, Ma, and Madre'. Dr. Collins Smith stumbled into higher education through the White House Eﬀort on HBCUs' public health initiative. According to Dr. Collins Smith, the project was sponsored by a SAMSHA grant to educate students at HBCUs, MSIs, and HSIs about HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse, and Hepatitis. She developed her interest in higher education while working with college-aged kids. "My students were the catalyst for my career shift, which prompted me to

seek a rewarding career in higher education," she says. Joining Harris-Stowe State University Dr. Collins Smith began her career in higher education at Harris-Stowe State University in 2010. She was only supposed to be there for nine months in a grant-funded, part-time position. Now, it has been 11 years. She recalled, "After the first nine months, our grant was renewed for two additional years." She then became the part-timer that worked full-time and helped fill in gaps in the counseling service department. She volunteered on the scholarship and student conduct committees and began teaching first-year student

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seminar courses. Dr. Collins Smith helped wherever and whenever needed to gain knowledge and experience, even if there was no monetary compensation. Even though she had no intention of pursuing another degree, she returned to school to earn a doctorate in higher education leadership. She says, "I believed obtaining this degree would oﬀer me the opportunity to help my students and the institution on a much larger scale." After the SAMSHA grant funding ended, Dr. Collins Smith was asked to develop a retention program for students enrolled in the Science and Mathematics Academy. This was another part-time position but in the Division of Academic Aﬀairs. After a

year in this role, she was hired fulltime as the Executive Director of the Center for Career Engagement. Over the next four years, Dr. Collins Smith was promoted to serve the university in several different leadership capacities, such as Assistant Provost, Associate Provost, and Provost and Vice President Academic Affairs, prior to being named Interim President in June 2021. A Renowned Leader Dr. Collins Smith is Chairwoman of Missouri's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Celebration Commission and a member of Greater St. Louis, Inc.'s Downtown Advisory Board. She was a member of the University of Central Missouri's Alumni Board of Directors and Alumni Foundation Board. She is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).. Dr. Collins Smith has been recognized locally and regionally for her leadership and service. Honors include the Equal Education Opportunity Group Pioneer Award, the NAACP Ben Hooks Community Leader Award, NAACP Excellence in Education Award, and the AKA Central Region's Outstanding Educational Advancement Foundation Captain Award. In addition, she is a Protégé of the 2019 Millennium Leadership Initiative, a Fellow of the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation. Pandemic's Effect on Education "Without question, COVID has had a major impact on how we deliver education," says Dr. Collins Smith. She further states that the COVID

transition showed the University that change could happen quickly in higher education if the circumstances call for educators to respond. She promises that she will continue with a strong distance education program now that faculty and students have some experience with remote learning. The University is in a better place with its online programs because this crisis forced the management to be more innovative, adaptive, and think outside the box to survive. Keeping Balance by Listing Priorities As per Dr. Collins Smith, there isn't a "regular" day of work in her leadership role. However, one of the things she likes most about serving in this role is the fact that no two days are the same. Some days can be spent in back to back meetings with oncampus and community constituents. Other days can include attending student events and/or events in the community. Dr. Collins Smith is extremely diligent about self-preservation and family prioritization when balancing work and life. She has asserted that she will spend at least 15 minutes alone each day in meditation and thought prior to beginning work and upon her return home from work each day. She is careful not to overcommit herself on special occasions. Even if it is diﬃcult to resist becoming a Superwoman at times, she has learned the gift of guilt-free "no" and that she cannot be everything to everyone. She keeps an open line of communication with her husband. They are intentional about date nights and days. They also participate in planned activities together, including

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traveling. She is also intentional about spending time with her extended family members and children. She opines, "I stay motivated by surrounding myself with a phenomenal sister circle of achievers. I also set meaningful and intentional goals to achieve." More Initiatives for Improvement Dr. Collins Smith plans for the future of Harris-Stowe State University is to be a standard of excellence in transforming lives through academic, personal and professional development. According to her, Harris-Stowe will be a premier, public HBCU recognized for academic excellence, innovation, student success and leadership to improve the lives of individuals in this changing global society. Dr. Collins Smith's personal goal is to continue to inspire change in the underserved and under-resourced populations by helping them to realize the power of their potential through educational opportunities. Success: Where Purpose meets Passion For Dr. Collins Smith, success is where one's purpose and passion meet and being able to operate in them both. She refers to Colin Powell's describing success in one simple line: "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure."

President,

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

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Wayne J. Riley A Rebrand for SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

UNY Downstate Health Sciences University recently launched a transformative rebranding campaign that reﬂects its long-term vision for advancing education, research, and clinical care while honoring Downstate's historical legacy of achievement. “This rebrand is our eﬀort to capture our true spirit, the prominence of our contributions, and the value of Downstate on the local, national, and global stages,” said Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP, president of SUNY Downstate. The new brand incorporates the breadth of Downstate's multipart mission. It provides a platform for strategic growth expansion, all while allowing Downstate to better tell its story as an institution committed to innovation, inclusiveness, and health equity. The launch featured a new logo and website that establishes an

approachable and contemporary visual identity. In addition, a subbrand encompassing all of Downstate's clinical offerings, services, and sites—Downstate Health—was announced. Supplementing this change, Downstate's flagship onsite teaching hospital was renamed “University Hospital at Downstate.” The brand roll-out includes a series of ads targeting key stakeholders and the Brooklyn community to be launched in early spring. This initiative is the most significant effort undertaken by Downstate to revamp its institutional identity comprehensively. The rebrand was essential given the current healthcare landscape and that academic medical centers must be increasingly forwardthinking and agile to remain competitive. As part of the research and thought process for representative imagery in the logo, Downstate needed to strike CIO VIEWS | 37

the right balance. In capturing Downstate's mission and legacy, the logo adopted the shield—a traditional symbol of strength—surrounding iconic elements: the Rod of Asclepius to represent clinical care, an open book to capture Downstate's education programs, and a representation of the nitric oxide molecule as an homage to the scientiﬁc accomplishments of Dr. Robert F. Furchgott, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine while a member of the Downstate faculty. Downstate's new website is one of the rebrand's most dramatic and visible components. The new look is a modern design created to accommodate easy navigation, better showcase Downstate, and be userfriendly. It also oﬀers prospective students, employees, researchers, medical professionals, and other stakeholders a more comprehensive understanding of the Downstate enterprises. In all, more than 30,000

pages of content were migrated to the new look.

About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

“We work in one of the best academic medical centers in the country,” said Carla Boutin-Foster, M.D., Associate Dean for Diversity Education and Research in Downstate's College of Medicine. “When we step out our doors, we see the reality of health disparities. But we also see the possibility of how with innovative ideas, we can center and anchor equity in excellence – and that's the future of medicine and the future of Downstate that we want to tell with this rebrand.”

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the borough's only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care. It is a 342-bed facility serving the healthcare needs of New York City and Brooklyn's 2.6 million residents. In addition, the University Hospital at Downstate serves as the Institution's onsite teaching hospital, backed by an outstanding medical school's expertise and world-class academic center research facilities. More than 800 physicians, representing 53 specialties and subspecialties—many of them ranked as tops in their ﬁelds—comprise Downstate's staﬀ.

More information on SUNY Downstate's Brand Transformation can be found at:

A New Year and Excing Neḁw Look for SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.

In addition to high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis (kidney diseases)—and oﬀering the only kidney

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transplantation program in Brooklyn, among many other distinctive programs—Downstate also sponsors a major learning center for young children with developmental disorders and disabilities. Downstate also comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative, including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. For more information, visit www.downstate.edu or follow us on Twitter at @sunydownstate.

Darya Yegorina Redeﬁning The Educational Industry

With Innovative Computer Technology

uccess has a different meaning for each person: for some, it's a monetary achievement, and for some, it's making a difference. For Darya Yegorina, CEO of CleverBooks, success means making a difference along with the achievements of the company. CleverBooks operates in the education field. “Education has an impact on people's lives in the long run. When CleverBooks makes things happen, it makes a difference within our company's mission and vision, that's the success we want as a team and that's the feeling of winning with the difference we all have in mind,” she states. Leading a company to success is not an easy road to take The foundation for CleverBooks was Darya's own story of learning at school. She says that when she was at school, she had books around her to learn from

and teachers who directed mainly to the books. Then technology kicked in and it took time to learn and adapt. “Today, kids have a lot of learning opportunities, and educators have way more tools for teaching. This is truly inspiring - to deliver technology that can help teach and learn with ease, excitement, and inspiration for lifetime learning,” she further adds. Augmented Reality for education is already a challenge from several perspectives: technology adoption by users and technology application on pedagogy and methodology. These are the main roadblocks that CleverBooks has on the strategic roadmap. They talk to their customers and improve their experience with Augmented classrooms, their ﬂagship product. “Our customers help us a lot to overcome the challenges,” exclaims Darya.

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CEO, CleverBooks

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CleverBooks - Its Growth & Success While Contributing To Redeﬁning The Educational Industry CleverBooks, a company based in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, delivers STEM solutions for K12 using Augmented Reality for meta-skills development and future-ready support. Augmented Classroom (ARC) is the only digital platform for K-12 that brings together 3 main pillars in the EdTech space: explore, create and collaborate in the multiplayer augmented environment. Their values are equality, responsibility, caring about their planet, and straightforwardness. As stated on their website, CleverBooks empower kids of ages 5 to 12 years in ﬁnding a purpose and sustaining motivation in what they're learning through an interactive discovery and fun experience. Since 2016 CleverBooks helps educators and parents to increase kids' engagement in class, inspire learning at home, spark their curiosity and imagination. They have always strived to bridge the gap between digital natives and digital immigrants.

CleverBooks makes a difference by combining Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence and marrying them with traditional pedagogy, thanks to the innovative spirit in their team. “Innovation is the DNA we all have at CleverBooks, this is part of our culture – to create an environment where everyone can contribute their ideas to make a difference,” states Darya. There is a strong element of R&D and CleverBooks does this continuously from both academic and technological business perspectives. They are creative and collaboration is the key for them even when it comes to like-minded competitors. Our only plan for the future is to impact the education system, create new possibilities for teaching and learning and support innovation spirit in kids globally, one kid at a time. They are present in different countries around the world and the objective is to continue organic growth. Augmented Classroom won the GESAwards in 2020, the winning project of European Digital Innovation Challenge 2020, Reimagine Education Gold prize

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winner 2021, and multiple awards connected to e-learning, curricula application, and pedagogical relevance. Leadership & Responsibilities Darya states that her main responsibilities are leadership, inspiration, and empowerment of the team. “Motivation comes from inside,” she states. Her team is motivated with the zeal of changing the world of education and that is within their company's mission. That is what motivates the team to serve their customers with their best. Being a professional speaker of 20+ global events yearly, Darya uses the power of creativity and innovation to inspire future leaders and build fair business advantages through teamwork and state of art strategy for results-driven companies. Her key strengths are Technology and digital transformation, strategic product management, and growth. Her focus areas are people, performance, productivity & proﬁtability.

Keedar Whittle Stafﬁng Quality Educators & Bridging Vacancy Gap

ducators Now is a leading education firm providing quality educators and school staff on a temporary, longterm, or permanent basis. The firm is dedicated to closing the teacher vacancy gap each year while assisting with day to day staffing of childcare, grade school, afterschool programs and more. The firm's core values are very important to its daily work habits. “Quality, Flexibility and Going Above and Beyond are just a few of our favorite core values that we look for when considering others joining our team,” Keedar Whittle, Founder and CEO of Educators Now asserts. Drawing from the several years of experience in education, Educators Now understands the urgency of providing the highest quality educators to meet the needs of its partnering schools. Keedar's passion for education is evident by his willingness to go above and beyond by leveraging outside partnerships and community organizations to enhance Educators Now's connection to each school. “Our educators go through a selective screening process to ensure that they

can meet the needs as requested. With a collective mission to help each scholar reach his or her greatest potential, let us find you permanent or temporary positions,” he adds. Providing QUALITY Educators for All Educators Now was founded out of necessity to provide quality educators to schools on a permanent or day to day basis. Today, the firm is dedicated to closing the teacher vacancy gap as well as support with day to day operations. The journey, since the foundation, has been fast and awesome, according to Keedar. Word of mouth from a reliable source has proven to be most effective for Keedar and his firm. However, there have also been difficulties that needed to be tackled since the inception of the firm. “The initial difficulties were around establishing trust that we could deliver with our clients and educators. Our second biggest challenge was and continues to be making sure we have enough quality educators to fill all the positions 44 | DECEMBER 2025

needed. Each year, there are over 700 vacancies country wide in public schools. How do we close that gap?! Well, that's one of our missions.” Over the past 3 years, Educators Now has grown over 4500%. This growth has enabled the team to help over 100 educators find permanent job placement and provide resources for tuition assistance for educators. Educators Now also provides an opportunity for those going through career transition to leverage their expertise as an educator to provide for themselves during their transition. 'Schools and Programs are Partners and not Clients.' “We call ourselves an education firm and NOT a staffing agency. The schools and programs we serve are our partners and not clients. We make this distinction because we are here to serve in any way possible. We partner with outside organizations to add value to our existing schools and educators that work with us. For example, we are partnered with an organization in Atlanta that will provide free tuition

Founder & CEO, Educators Now

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and give additional living allowances if they major in education. We have several of our educators that take advantage of this opportunity. We are also partnered with financial institutions that provide financial planning and education for some of our schools. Making education obtainable, non-traditional and possible improves educator retention and helps close the vacancy gap,” Keedar explains Educators Now's core values. Post-Covid Education Sector and Challenges Keedar believes that Covid-19 has exposed our deficiencies in education and made us reevaluate what is necessary. There are clear differences in access amongst states, counties and even within the same school system. He says there is no way we can expect scholars to learn if some don't even have access to internet. “Some schools gave out work packets. Work packets? Work packets are the quickest way to get a teacher fired! But now, it's acceptable, why? Because we weren't prepared, we didn't value all homes having internet or all scholars having access to technology prior COVID. We will be 2-3 years behind when it's all said and done, if we don't act with purpose and quickly,” Keedar further adds. He also believes that the “new” requirements post-Covid will continue to evolve and change the future forever. “Our educators sign a waiver agreeing to not go to work if they are displaying symptoms or have been exposed. Having parents that are both working from home while trying to play the role of educator, supportive staff, and parent can be difficult. Most parents haven't been trained to teach curriculum in the same format as their

child's teacher. Our business model is also everchanging and we will now deploy educators to the homes or virtually to assist with instruction,” he adds. Why Educators Now (Testimonials) “I was referred to Educators Now from a friend that I just told I got laid off. Within 1 month I was able to land a longterm assignment which gave me the financial blessing I needed to keep our home from going into foreclosure. I'm forever grateful and appreciate Educators Now for helping me. Professional, genuine, caring are some of the words I can think of for them. If you want to get into education or need a job, they can help!” Brain T. (Former Educator) “I have been working with Educators Now for over a year now. They are very efficient and provide exceptional service. Keedar and the staff are friendly, approachable, helpful and understanding. Educators Now demonstrate professionalism and passion in our field with hiring QUALITY educators. I appreciate their quick response, efficiency and prompt follow-up to my requests.” – Premier Academy Minnie Howell “It has been an absolute pleasure working with Educators Now. The staff is so supportive, motivating and highly professional. I have gained very valuable information and had such a positive experience throughout the process. Thank you Educators Now!!” – Staff of Atlanta First Day School Education is my calling in life! When asked about why education sector, Keedar said, “Education is my

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calling in life. I'm the Rockstar of Education “Changing Lives Through Education”. This is who I am and who I have always been. It's in my blood. I've always wanted to make a difference and feel education. The act of knowing can be a major factor. I do other things in life that bring me joy and even had a career outside of education but ultimately, education is why I was born.” Going ahead, educators have to be adequately trained, supported, guided, rewarded, and retrained again. Education is an evolution and not exact. “As the world changes, we do as well. Now we are faced with new technology, family dynamics, understanding of mental illness, learning habits, and more. Ongoing development is vital, and our educators have to be supported as they work through change.” Eyeing towards exponential future for his firm, Keedar says, “Educators Now will continue to grow because we solve a problem. We will be the most significant education firm in the Southeast within the next five years, nationwide in the next 15 and international before 20 years. But more importantly, we want to see graduation rates increase, teacher vacancies decrease, and more scholars pursuing education majors.”

Kristi Messer A Renowned Educator, Humanitarian, and Impactful Leader

he environment we create comes from within us and this is a profound responsibility. We ﬁrst need to honor ourselves and have a clear understanding of who we are at our core, what we stand for, our strengths and challenges, and our dedication to others.” These are the words from Kristi Messer. She is MPH, LCSW, DHSc(c) - Assistant Dean of Bachelor's Education at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is a talented public health professional with a profound commitment to education, students, and underserved populations. Kristi is an impactful leader who believes that leadership is about 'who we are as people.' She states, “We get stuck when we are not encouraging, inspiring, advocating, supporting, and loving one another. I innately believe that people are worthy, capable, and trustworthy. I believe that life is better together and that we are more productive when we work as a team. The healthiest, most sustainable, and

most eﬀective way to INFLUENCE is to love and support those we lead.” Passion for Learning and Teaching Kristi's passion for education has always been salient, although admittedly, it changed throughout her professional life. Prior to joining KPCOM, she proudly taught at multiple levels, including elementary and high school, college, and with students diagnosed with various disabilities. These robust educational experiences provided ample opportunities to appreciate education from a developmental perspective, the direct application of learning theories, curriculum development, student motivation, challenges and opportunities, collaboration, teamwork, and communication strategies. A Progressive Opinion on Personal Growth During Uncertain Times Challenges are opportunities when one changes the way we think about them.

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Eﬀective leaders must be able to look at any situation from an alternative perspective, reframe it, and subsequently pivot. To be a good leader, it is necessary to be a good follower. Kristi submitted the following recently regarding her perspective of personal growth during COVID. “I learned a long time ago to adopt the belief that life happens FOR me, and not TO me.” She adds, “If we embrace this belief system, then it changes the way we perceive the events in our life.” Indeed, COVID has had a profound impact on all humanity; life as we knew it will be changed forever. Kristi notes, “I witnessed ﬁrst-hand that there are heroes among us in every space. We all played the role of a hero to at least one student during this unprecedented time. I am thankful for the heroes among us. I am thankful for each of you. Thank you for being my heroes.”

Assistant Dean of bachelor’s Education - Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

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A Journey of Empathy, Learning and Immeasurable Progress Kristi started her journey at NSU in August 2010 after leaving her federal position in Washington D.C. at the Department of Health and Human Resources to return to a career in academics. As an Executive Director at NSU, she was hired to develop and implement the most robust medical school curriculum in the countryspeciﬁc to homelessness. She says, “To position me for this task, I spend considerable time with individuals experiencing homelessness to better understand their plight, gain perspective of their experiences with the healthcare system, and to further appreciate how healthcare providers can meet their needs with not only clinical expertise but with compassion.” According to Kristi, as a result of this grant, all NSU medical students were exposed to a required curriculum that helped them to better understand the challenges of individuals experiencing homelessness, including health consequences, mental health issues, substance use, and personal biases that aﬀect care and compassion.

Kristi asserts, “Project HOPE was a project that I will carry with me forever.” The ability to aﬀect the way burgeoning physicians understand, appreciate, and care for a misunderstood populations such as the homeless was a honor and privilege. During her service to the unstably housed, she met some of her life's heroes on the streets. NSU is proud to be one of the few universities to have a direct partnership with the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council. When Project HOPE can to a close, Kristi's roles diversiﬁed to building community-based and undergraduate programs. Kristi was key in developing an innovative medical immersion camp experience for aspiring healthcare providers. AIMHigh (Achieve in Medicine) recruited high school students from across the nation and exposed to a plethora of medical experiences that would serve as their foundation for pursuing a career in healthcare. AIM-High was followed by the development and implementation of four undergraduate pre-medical academic programs within the Dr.

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Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine: Bachelor of Science in Public Health (2017), Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition (2019), Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness Coaching (2020), and a Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics (2021). These four undergraduate programs represent the only accelerated pre-medical programs where students can complete their undergraduate degree and medical school curriculum in seven years. These KPCOM programs are among the most highly sought after at NSU because of the innovative curriculum, vertical integration opportunities into the health professions, hands-on faculty, experiential approach to learning, and international and domestic travel outreach courses that expose students to underserved populations across the world. Standing Sturdy during Pandemic According to Kristi, KPCOM professors have been in the classroom teaching since August 2020. As a team, we mastered the balancing act of meeting the needs of in-person and online students simultaneously. She asserts, “We never missed a beat, and our students appreciated that. When the rest of the world was unpredictable, we created an environment and structure that students could depend on. This helped our students thrive academically and emotionally.” An Achiever and Passionate Social Worker In 2010, Kristi relocated to Florida from Washington D.C where she had spent years working with the Department of Health and Human Services to successfully launch community health centers across the nation. She has served as a leader within the NSU community since that time. Kristi is the founder and president of the non-proﬁt organization 'On My

Own' (www.on-my-own.org). The organization focuses on independent living and employment skills training for adults with disabilities. She also serves on the Board of Directors for three local non-profit organizations dedicated to positively impacting underserved populations, Broward County Taskforce for Ending Homelessness, Showering Love (mobile showers for the homeless), and HAAPE, Helping Adults with Autism Perform and Excel. For more than twenty years, Kristi has dedicated her professional life to underserved and vulnerable population groups through her involvement with the homeless, individuals with disabilities, communities affected by disasters, and persons impacted by mental illness. She has presented her research and academic achievements at over 40 international, national, state, and local conferences. Also, she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is committed to positively impacting communities, children, families, and adults. She is currently working with individuals affected by substance use disorders. Responsibilities as the Assistant Dean of bachelor's Education At KPCOM, Kristi is responsible for the development, implementation, coordination, planning, and evaluation of KPCOM's undergraduate academic programs, including data reporting, program and faculty evaluation, budget oversight, academic program forecasting, and process improvement. She also collaborates with KPCOM's Associate Dean and Dean to develop the strategic vision, management, and growth of KPCOM's undergraduate academic and community-based programs. A Sense of Satisfaction Kristi feels that she is intrinsically motivated and that her role in this life is one of service. The balance between her professional and personal life is

derived from assuring a sense of meaning and purpose in all that she does. She says, “If I feel that I am positively impacting others (students, colleagues), then arduous and relentless days are worth it. I view the challenge and responsibility as a gift, an opportunity for service.” Aspiring to Create Interprofessional Academic Opportunities “I aspire to continue to positively impact the lives of students, to build a CIO VIEWS | 53

cohort of pre-medical students that understand and appreciate patients from a whole-person perspective,” says Kristi. She seeks to continue to build interprofessional academic opportunities for students that serve to create health professionals who understand people, relate to the challenges patients experience, appreciate the importance of preventative eﬀorts, and value the traits of building relationships based on trust.

Maria José Amich Committed to Developing Students' Full Potential to Become Principled Global Leaders

he most popular sort of business education remains top MBA programs. According to statistics by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), MBA programs account for two-thirds of all business school admissions. The MBA's capacity to adapt to changing corporate environments is one of the reasons it has stayed so popular throughout the years. By adapting to new technology and changing corporate needs, MBA programs have maintained their status as signiﬁcant career boosters. The Lisbon MBA Católica | Nova is cooperation between two prominent European business schools situated in Portugal: Católica-Lisbon and Nova SBE. It began in 2007, and then in 2009, it partnered with MIT Sloan School

of Management, a relationship that has grown stronger since then. The Lisbon MBA offers students a unique blend of a challenging academic component, a "learning by doing" educational method, a truly international orientation, and a unique component in leadership qualities development. Given that its MBA is situated in Lisbon, a diverse and dynamic European centre, with an immersion program at MIT Sloan in Boston, a globally famous start-up hotspot. The MBA program at the institute helps students become inventive thinkers and innovators with an entrepreneurial and forwardthinking attitude, ready to make a significant effect on business and society.

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The Lisbon MBA Católica|Nova has been consistently recognized as one of the top MBAs in the world by the prestigious Financial Times ranking, and belongs to the selective club of <1% of MBAs in the world with the Triple Crown Accreditation (AACSB; Equis; AMBA) The Executive; Maria José Amich Maria José Amich's role as Executive Director of The Lisbon MBA is to continue working to improve the institute's competitiveness, unique positioning of the programs, and international reach by collaborating with deans of the schools, academic directors, and all stakeholders (faculty, alumni, students, and partner companies) to foster long-term and

Executive Director, The Lisbon MBA Católica

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sustainable relationships. She states, "Our goal is to continue attracting the best talent to our programs with the integrity and the open-innovative mindset that identifies us, investing in fostering diversity in all criteria and boosting the prestige of The Lisbon MBA in the international academic landscape, reflected in our growing position in the rankings." The Lisbon MBA Católica | Nova The Lisbon MBA offers two MBA programs: Ÿ International MBA- An intensive 12-month full-time program aimed at high-potential professionals with an average of 8 years of experience (minimum of 3), who want to accelerate or change their careers through a unique transformational experience in the development of management and leadership skills. Ÿ Executive MBA is a 22-month part-time program, aimed at more senior professionals, with an average of 13 years of experience (minimum of 5), who wish to progress to top management positions in their organizations or change careers, with minimum disruption to their professional and personal life. Both programs feature an immersion program at MIT Sloan: the International MBA lasts one month and the Executive MBA lasts one week, with both focused on entre(intra)-preneurship, digital business transformation, and technological innovation.

According to Maria, the Lisbon MBA is constantly updating its curriculum to incorporate the latest business trends, guaranteeing that students gain the management technical abilities and behavioral competencies that firms, and organizations in general, want in their managers and leaders. She states, "We offer high levels of employability, sector change, and salary increase of 90% after 3 months of completing the MBA and salary increase of close to 80% after 3 years of having completed the program (source: FT Global MBA 2021 Ranking)." Finally, despite the pandemic's impact over the last two years, executive management programs have grown in popularity, with the institute receiving an increasing number of domestic and international applications as more companies, entrepreneurs, nomad business people, and investors from around the world consider Portugal as a place to live and work. Redefining Business Education The management of the Lisbon MBA Católica|Nova is looking for more than just strong CVs. It is committed to quality and diversity. It seeks out future global leaders who can have a substantial effect on business and society with a wide range of abilities, accomplishments, and goals, and who embrace the institution's values of honesty, cooperation, excellence, innovation, and sustainability. "People who have a high degree of self-awareness, can do introspection, and identify exactly their areas of improvement are open to change, to 56 | DECEMBER 2025

innovation, and to being challenged outside of their boundaries," explains Maria. To be able to adapt to the requirements of a global, everchanging corporate environment, the Lisbon MBA emphasizes diversity, inclusivity, and a culture of integrity. It has more than 20 nationalities represented in its programs, with 60% of full-time MBA international students coming from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds, including engineering, medicine, law, management, economics, and social sciences, and working in a variety of business sectors. The educators at the Lisbon MBA are always on the lookout for applicants who can bring a variety of experiences and views to the table, and who can inspire others with fresh ways of thinking, new models of analysis, and new solutions and techniques to improve collective learning. Furthermore, the faculty is made up of professors who are a mix of academics and practitioners with extensive international experience, bringing not only the results of their original research but also real-world business experience to the classroom, contributing to a global perspective on business management. Keeping Innovation at the Front The management of the Lisbon MBA Católica|Nova places a high priority on creativity and innovation, and believes that training managers and leaders with an entrepreneurial

mindset, who can turn ideas into business models and generate creative solutions, is critical. In this regard, its long-standing partnership with MIT Sloan is evidence of this curricular focus, as the internationally acclaimed Professor Bill Aulet's entrepreneurship course (Disciplined Entrepreneurship) is part of the MIT immersion program for its students, which is supplemented by subjects focused on technological innovation management and digital business models. Students can also take courses in Big Data & Data Analytics, Artiﬁcial Intelligence, Business Transformation, and Financing Entrepreneurial Ventures, among other subjects.

operations, organization, and human resources, as well as behavioral skills, into practice in order to excel in their teamwork as high individual and collective contributors for high performance.

partnerships that allow it to continue innovating and strengthening its unique value proposition.

It's also worth mentioning the alumni community's vitality, which just inaugurated the Entrepreneurship Chapter, with monthly seminars and a start-up context, in collaboration with the world-renowned Web Summit, which takes place in Lisbon every year. The winner of the context, who might be a Lisbon MBA alum or current student, will receive a booth at the Web Summit.

In terms of goals, the management seeks to improve the Lisbon MBA's status as a European and international reference for MBA programs.

In all degrees, the institutions' action learning component – learning by doing – is particularly strong. Students in the International MBA program have the option of completing an in-company assignment, participating in an international consulting project that takes our students to diﬀerent geographies, being a part of the Lisbon MBA Entrepreneurship Hub's accelerator program, for those students who want to turn their business idea into a viable business project, or participating in an ESG consulting initiative, for those students who want to broaden their knowledge in this key business d

By oﬀering students with a unique learning experience in an entrepreneurial and international setting, the Lisbon MBA Católica|Nova is devoted to helping students reach their full potential as global, principled leaders who contribute to a better society. As a result, it has a value proposition based on ﬁve elements:

All students in colleges' Executive MBA programs work in groups to complete a business project and a business simulation, which allows them to put what they've learned throughout the program in marketing, commercial, ﬁnance,

Rooting with Core Values

Truly Global MBA experience, outstanding Action Learning, a Holistic approach, combining the learning and development of hard and "deep transferable" skills, a Meaningful Career Advancement, contributing to its students' finding and pursuing their life and career purpose, and finally, the city: Lisbon, the place to learn, live, and grow. Within these five strategic pillars, the institute is constantly renovating its proposal, by incorporating new projects, new expertise, and new CIO VIEWS | 57

Comprehensive, Custom-Oriented MBA Program

As previously stated, the Financial Times has named the Lisbon MBA Católica|Nova as one of the greatest MBAs in the world, and it has been ranked #1 in international experience for several years. It was also named one of the best MBA programs in the world by The Economist for the first time in 2021. Maria asserts, "As we look for candidates who are open and eager to challenge themselves, at the Lisbon MBA we need to set the example by permanently questioning how we do things and how we can do them better." Being a part of the world's finest MBA program makes the participant extremely proud, but it also comes with a great deal of responsibility to stay one step ahead in every aspect, including academics, but also in the way it recruits, communicates, and offers career services and customoriented program support.

Dr. Mary Landon Darden Pioneering Higher Education Futurist Shaping the Future of Academia

r. Mary Landon Darden, a renowned higher education futurist, author, and leadership expert, is the Founder and President of Higher Education Innovation LLC, established in 2015. With the mission to "transform higher education," HEI has been at the forefront of innovative initiatives. With a keen focus on entrepreneurship and revenue stream development, she has been instrumental in guiding colleges and universities towards transformative change. Dr. Darden's expertise is widely recognized, evident in her two books, Beyond 2020: Envisioning the Future of Higher Education in America (2009) and Entrepreneuring the Future of Higher Education: Radical Transformation in Times of Profound Change (2021) – Winner of the 2021 American Bookfest

Award (education/scholarly). Both books are co-published with the prestigious American Council on Education and Rowman and Littleﬁeld. Beyond her impressive professional accomplishments, Dr. Darden is also an advocate for social justice. Her outstanding eﬀorts in mobilizing churches in Central Texas to address the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina garnered national recognition. As she continues to lead an executive coaching team at HEI, Dr. Darden remains at the forefront of shaping the future of higher education, inspiring others to embrace innovation and drive positive change. From Early Leadership to Academic Achievement Dr. Darden recalls that her career truly commenced at the age of three

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when she would independently ride the Chicago city bus to and from nursery school. One memorable day, she arrived home with a note pinned to her shirt from the principal, stating, "Mary is doing very well in school, but you need to explain to her that she cannot run the school." This anecdote never fails to elicit uproarious laughter from those who know her. It seems that even at a very young age, she not only embraced leadership roles but perhaps even commandeered them. Over time, she learned to temper her assertiveness and complement it with humility. As her father's job involved frequent transfers, Dr. Darden experienced numerous relocations throughout her lifetime. Eventually, her father settled into work in New York City, and she spent her formative years growing up in the Connecticut suburbs. She received an

President, Higher Education Innovation, LLC

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enhancing student recruitment and retention, ensuring program relevancy in light of emerging job markets, and meeting the hiring demands of businesses, industries, and government. These services take the form of assessments, training programs, coaching, collaborative innovation processes, and relationship building. Harnessing the Power of Higher Education

exceptional education attending public schools in New Canaan, followed by Sweet Briar College, The University of Texas, Permian Basin, and ultimately earning her master's and doctorate degrees from Baylor University. At one point, she ventured into running her own business before eventually ﬁnding her way to the academic world in 1993 when she accepted a coordinator position at McLennan County Community College. During her tenure there, she achieved several remarkable successes. Revolutionizing Higher Education for Sustainable Success and Innovation HEI's mission is centered around the transformation of higher education.

The company initiates this transformation by collaborating with college and university presidents, as well as their leadership teams. Through extensive research and practical experience, HEI has discovered that maintaining the status quo in higher education will result in the failure of numerous American institutions. Clayton Christensen, formerly of Harvard, once predicted that approximately half of all colleges in America would face closure within a 15-year timeframe. While this statement has been adjusted to some extent, the underlying concern about the precarious state of many institutions remains valid. HEI oﬀers tailored services to assist each institution in fostering innovation, cultivating unique niches, 60 | DECEMBER 2025

Dr. Darden dedicated a significant portion of her adult life to higher education administration. Despite being an entrepreneur and visionary, which might seem more aligned with business ventures, she firmly believes that higher education holds the greatest potential for changing the world. She sees it as a vital tool for addressing and resolving issues such as poverty, hunger, war, disease, and more. After spending 25 years working within the system and striving to bring about transformation from within (culminating in her role as a university campus dean), she was compelled to establish HEI. This organization's purpose is to conduct crucial research, develop solutions, and provide training methods for today's leaders, particularly presidents and administrators, enabling them to transform their institutions into what is most needed in contemporary times. Overcoming Challenges Dr. Darden often finds inspiration in a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche: "That which does not kill me, makes me stronger." She has faced moments where she felt she was teetering on the edge of collapse. Starting a company is undoubtedly one of the most formidable challenges one can

undertake. During the initial three years, the company faced multiple instances where it was on the verge of failure due to insufficient funding. Thankfully, several individuals, both financially and in terms of expertise, emerged as angels. Without their support, the company would not have survived. While these challenges undeniably made the company stronger, they also imparted wisdom and improvement. From this experience, Dr. Darden learned that journeys are not meant to be traversed alone. Other people can serve as mentors and guides, and if one focuses on a great mission and wholeheartedly strives to achieve that goal for the betterment of all, the right people and opportunities will manifest themselves. Integrity and Innovation in Higher Education Launching a venture like HEI necessitated possessing foundational expertise and credibility as a scholar in the field of higher education, holding a terminal degree, and having accumulated years of successful administrative experience. However, it also demanded the mindset of a visionary entrepreneur, someone willing to take risks and deviate from conventional norms within academia to forge new paths towards success. Fortunately, Dr. Darden possessed the required credentials and felt a deep sense of calling towards the mission, which motivated her to embrace the risk. Undertaking such an endeavor is not for the faint-hearted. To foster a culture of integrity and innovation within the team, HEI actively seeks out individuals who exhibit both innovative thinking and a lengthy track record of successful practice, while maintaining the highest levels of integrity. It is

paramount that every action and decision align with the most rigorous standards of integrity. Dr. Darden recalls one of her beloved mentors, Robert C. Cloud, who used to emphasize that being merely "clean" is insuﬃcient; one must strive to be impeccably clean, or "squeaky clean." CIO VIEWS | 61

Striking the Balance Dr. Darden admits to struggling with maintaining a healthy harmony between her personal and professional life. Throughout her career, she consistently dedicated excessive

expressions bring her immeasurable satisfaction and fulﬁllment. Today, Dr. Darden gauges success based on the impact she makes on individuals, institutions, and the world. Her ability to facilitate transformation and growth in colleges and universities, empower people to pursue their dreams, assist her community in meeting their needs, and support her children and grandchildren in ﬁnding their passions are all criteria she uses to measure success. Inspiring Aspiring Leaders to Pursue Passion and Excellence in Higher Education

hours to work, believing it necessary to achieve goals and advance missions. While she acknowledges that she may never truly know if such intensity was essential, she does not recommend this level of overwork to others. Although she always made time for her children and grandchildren, she realizes that she likely somewhat neglected her husband and herself. Balancing personal and professional aspects can feel like a daunting feat, particularly when overseeing a campus around the clock. On the other hand, the team at HEI ﬁnds it relatively easier to stay motivated and deliver their best. Continuous research eﬀorts keep them engaged and enthusiastic about what is possible. Moreover, they

recognize that the success and, at times, even the survival of an institution rest on their shoulders. This knowledge serves as a powerful motivation to stay dedicated and focused on their work. Empowering Lives, Inspiring Dreams, and Making a Meaningful Impact Dr. Darden cherishes the awards and recognition she has received, but what truly brings her the greatest joy is when a student or staff member tells her that she made a difference in their life or helped them achieve their dreams. It is these moments that hold the utmost significance to her, surpassing any other form of acknowledgment. Such heartfelt

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Dr. Darden's personal goals include transitioning into semi-retirement, passing on the leadership of HEI, engaging in part-time consulting, embracing travel, nurturing relationships with family and friends, and making meaningful contributions to her communities. Aspiring higher education leaders can draw inspiration from her message, which emphasizes the pursuit of passion, the acquisition of credentials, the pursuit of excellence, active listening, the embodiment of high values, kindness, proactivity, courage in innovation, mentorship, work-life balance, self-care, and lifelong learning. By incorporating these principles, aspiring leaders can chart a fulﬁlling and impactful path within the realm of higher education.

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