Austin Community College District (ACC) brought together national leaders in education, technology, and workforce development for its inaugural Summit of Future Makers, positioning Central Texas at the center of conversations shaping what comes next.
Hosted by ACC’s Office for the Future, April 30 – May 1, 2026, the two-day summit focused on the theme “Creating the Future: From Insight to Impact” to explore how community colleges can actively design the future of learning and work.
“Community colleges have a responsibility not just to respond to the future, but to help shape it,” said ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. “This summit brought together leaders willing to ask hard questions, challenge outdated models, and think differently about how we prepare students for a rapidly changing world. If we want students and communities to thrive in what comes next, higher education has to become more connected, more agile, and more aligned with the future of work.”
As industries evolve rapidly—from artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing—employers are looking for workers with new skills. At the same time, students need faster, more flexible pathways into those careers.
The Summit of Future Makers focused on bridging that gap—bringing together leaders from across the country to explore how colleges can:
- Prepare students for jobs that don’t yet exist
- Use emerging technologies like AI to improve learning
- Build more responsive, workforce-aligned education models
By the Numbers
The intimate and engaging event drew change-makers from Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, and across Texas.
- 140 in-person attendees
- 20 dedicated staff and student volunteers
- 4 inspiring breakout sessions led by Greg Brisco, Dr. Mary Darden, Dr. JaNice Marshall, Meme Styles, and Jose Teran
- 2 insightful keynote speakers—leading design futurist Mark Bryan and SXSW legend Hugh Forrest
- 1 replica of the “Back to the Future” DeLorean
Event Highlights
ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart kicked off the summit, introducing the College’s Futurist, Dr. Monique Reeves. In her plenary, Dr. Reeves argued that higher education institutions must treat inclusion as a driver of innovation and proactively embrace creative disruption by courageously eliminating outdated, fragmented systems to make space for agile, forward-looking models, such as digital twins and living intelligence.
Emceed by Student Rights & Responsibilities Senior Conduct Coordinator David DeRouen, the programming featured future-focused leaders and discussions, including the Future Fit Panel, which offered a dynamic discussion on preparing learners for jobs that don’t exist yet. The panel featured voices from IBM, Packback, ImaginX, and the City College of Chicago.
Breakout sessions allowed for deeper dives into critical topics such as AI, interrogative reasoning, and higher education innovation.
The Summit marked the culmination of a year of collaboration by the inaugural Alliance of Future Makers (AFM) cohort. The Summit of Future Makers was the catalyst for a broader movement. As community colleges continue to build a workforce ready for what comes next, ACC is looking forward to growing this community.
To apply for the next AFM cohort, visit the Alliance of Future Makers website.
Tags: Alliance of the Future Makers, Office For The Future, Summit of Future Makers
Back to Top