A recent study from the Digital Education Council has revealed that while 86% of college students are using artificial intelligence tools in their academic work, only 20% believe their universities are effectively leveraging these technologies to support learning, collaboration, and student preparedness for an increasingly digital world. This data point sets the stage for the Entrepreneur Breakthroughs session, which delves into strategies for closing this confidence gap through inventive real-world solutions.
The upcoming event features Isabella Kulstad of Cloud IX and Dan Futrell of Polymath University, both semifinalists in the Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition. They will discuss how their ventures are utilizing artificial intelligence to address critical needs on college campuses. For Cloud IX, that means enhancing campus safety and security, including sensitive topics such as sexual violence prevention and response. Polymath University, meanwhile, is focused on using technology to cultivate essential human skills—curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking—ensuring students thrive in a landscape fundamentally changed by artificial intelligence.
Entrepreneur Breakthroughs is structured as a series of monthly conversations spotlighting dynamic entrepreneurs who have identified pressing issues in education and crafted innovative solutions. Each hour-long session, originating from Catalyst´s EIR Office Hours, provides a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and recognition of persistence and ingenuity within the education sector. Through these discussions, the event series aims to inspire collaboration across the higher education and edtech communities, underlining the need for holistic approaches that combine technological tools with human-centric learning values.
