Higher Education Partnership Network USA

Returning in 2026

Welcome to HEPN: Shaping the future of higher education

At our Higher Education Partnership Network (HEPN) we transform the traditional trade show into a dynamic hub for the brightest minds in university education. We handpick an elite group of 150-200 digital and senior leaders from premier institutions across the USA, creating an unparalleled platform for innovation and strategic thinking in higher education.

Themes driving discussions in 2025 will include:

At the heart of our mission is the powerful synergy between technology and higher ed. Through cutting-edge discussions and hands-on workshops, HEPN empowers leaders to steer their universities towards digital excellence.

HEPN USA is more than just an event; it is a catalyst for change. Join us to engage with peers, share insights, and collaboratively shape the future of higher education. Take a look at our full agenda and register your spot now.

Real-time answers to your challenges: world-class speakers, industry visionaries and innovative technology suppliers will be on hand to give you inspiration and advice you won’t get anywhere else.
Peer-to-peer knowledge exchange: over 150 senior executives like you will be in the room ready to share their challenges and how they have overcome them.
Transformative solutions: meet innovative suppliers ready to revolutionize your patient outcomes.
Expand your network meaningfully: forge relationships with senior leaders and build lasting relationships beyond the event.

Get a feel for the event in action

Get guaranteed face time with key decision makers: a minimum of 9 one-on-one meetings with senior leaders that are looking to invest in new solutions
Connect with the education sector C-suite: take part in a range of formal and informal networking opportunities across the event
Put your solution in the spotlight: present your solution on the keynote theater, in breakout areas, and during our popular Shark Tank speed presentation
Maximise your ROI: event sponsorship includes branding, meals, and refreshments. No stand costs, no surprises – just a guaranteed return on investment

Get a feel for the event in action

SPONSORS

Smarthub / Smartlab LinkedIn siso.co.uk Siso Software Ltd is a UK-based company with over 25 years' experience delivering cloud-based solutions. Our flagship products, Smarthub and SmartLab, streamline the management of equipment, rooms, and personnel, specifically tailored for the Higher Education sector. We support bookings, asset management, maintenance, and compliance processes such as risk assessments and CoSHH. Trusted globally across the science, media, healthcare, and engineering industries, we are ISO 9001, 14001, and 27001 certified, ensuring quality, sustainability, and data security. Siso provides personalised support and seamless integration with existing systems.
Anthology LinkedIn anthology.com Anthology delivers education and technology solutions so that students can reach their full potential and learning institutions thrive. Millions of students around the world are supported throughout their education journey via Anthology’s ecosystem of flagship SaaS solutions and supporting services, including the award-winning Blackboard® (LMS), Anthology® Student (SIS/ERP), and Anthology® Reach (CRM). Through the Power of Together, we are uniquely inspiring educators and institutions with innovation that is meaningful, simple and intelligent to help customers redefine what’s possible and create life-changing opportunities for people everywhere.
Poll Everywhere LinkedIn polleverywhere.com Poll Everywhere is a student real-time response system designed to make every classroom, whether in-person, fully virtual, or hybrid, more engaging and inclusive with ease—giving every instructor an effective pathway towards insights-driven teaching and improving the student experience. Founded in 2008, more than 300,000 educators use Poll Everywhere’s real-time polling, surveys, Q&As, and other interactive tools to keep students engaged and improve learning outcomes. ● A suite of 20+ interactive polls, activities and templates including multiple choice questions, Q&A, word clouds, and more ● Direct integrations with popular slideware and communications tools such as Powerpoint, Google Slides, Keynote, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and Zoom ● Connections to leading learning management systems (LMS) including Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard and Brightspace through LTI 1.3 ● Protected by the industries only SOC2-II and ISO 27001 certification
Quorum Cyber LinkedIn quorumcyber.com Quorum Cyber is on a mission to help good people win. Founded in Scotland in 2016, we’ve become one of the fastest-growing cyber security companies, protecting over 400 customers across four continents. We deliver tailored, threat-led cyber security services that empower higher education institutions to stay ahead of attackers, align security with strategic goals and budgets, and thrive in an unpredictable digital world. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Security, a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), and the 2025 Microsoft Security MSSP of the Year. We are building a future where security and efficiency go hand in hand, allowing education institutions to protect their establishment, students, and staff from potential cyber-attacks.
Interfolio @interfolio www.interfolio.com Empowering scholars worldwide, Interfolio from Elsevier is an education technology company trusted by more than 500 colleges and universities across 20 countries since 1999. With innovative products designed to support major milestones in the faculty lifecycle, Interfolio’s technology enables academic leaders to effectively advance institutions and their academic staff. The most comprehensive platform of its kind, the Interfolio Faculty Information System streamlines processes for faculty hiring and recruitment, academic appointments and timelines, activity data reporting, and reviews and promotions. In addition, millions of scholars have used the Interfolio Dossier service to pursue academic programs and positions.
CDW LinkedIn cdw.com With expertise in IT services, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and more, CDW empowers institutions to navigate the complexities of modern technology environments. By providing assessments, tailored consultation, procurement support, and implementation services, CDW enables colleges and universities to optimize their IT investments, enhance operational efficiency, improve the performance of their IT infrastructure and elevate the overall student experience. With a focus on innovation and reliability, CDW helps higher education institutions thrive in the face of change and remain at the forefront of educational excellence.
Niche LinkedIn niche.com Niche is where real-time, student intent, and engagement powers smarter, more efficient enrollment. Last year, more than 28M students and families turned to Niche as the trusted and transparent place to help them find, compare, take action, and enroll in the right institution. That trust fuels authentic signals that reveal who is ready to act and why. Institutions use these insights to uncover new markets, prioritize high-intent students, and create meaningful connections that influence enrollment decisions. By aligning directly with student behavior, Niche reduces friction in the student journey and increases efficiency for enrollment teams. The result is faster funnel velocity, higher yield, and sustainable enrollment.
Generation Marketing LinkedIn generationmarketing.ca We help Schools Get more Students! We are a premium lead generation company, a prominent player in the industry throughout Canada and USA., always exceeding client's expectations. We have a wide reach, with representatives present in 7 countries, ensuring that it is able to cater to a large client base across the world. This global presence is further enhanced by the company’s ability to operate in 4 different languages, allowing us to serve clients from diverse linguistic backgrounds with ease. With a commitment to quality and an unwavering focus on customer satisfaction, we are established as a leader in the field of lead generation. Services include lead generation, campaign management, website/landing page development, proprietary lead conversion improvement software (at source), conversational AI call centre Agent tool, offshore developers for hire.
AppsAnywhere LinkedIn appsanywhere.com AppsAnywhere enables universities to deliver education software to any device, anywhere, anytime by challenging the notion that application access, delivery, and management must be complex and costly. AppsAnywhere provides the only platform to reduce the technical barriers associated with hybrid teaching and learning, BYOD, and complex software applications while ensuring a seamless experience for students and staff. Used by 4 million students and 300 institutions in 22 countries, AppsAnywhere is uniquely designed for education and continues to innovate in partnership with the education community and the evolving needs and expectations of students and faculty to achieve equity, flexibility, and student success.
Juniper Networks LinkedIn juniper.net Juniper Networks empowers higher education with its AI Native Networking Platform—delivering seamless, secure, and uninterrupted connectivity across campuses. Trusted by universities worldwide, it simplifies network deployment and troubleshooting via automation and AIOps, optimizing ROI and operational efficiency From dorms to data centers, Juniper supports mission critical research, bolsters Zero Trust security, and ensures robust threat detection Success stories at institutions like William & Mary, GWU, Penn State, UTSA, and UMass highlight rapid Wi Fi rollouts, scalable infrastructure, and elevated digital experiences. As a strategic partner, Juniper safeguards campuses and fuels innovation through resilient, AI driven networking.
Study Fetch LinkedIn studyfetch.com
StudyFetch is an AI Study Platform that allows students to use their own course material to create interactive study aids like Flashcards, Practice Tests, Quizzes, Podcasts etc to effectively understand concepts in classes and prepare for exams. We have millions of students already on the platform and universities signing up by the week to get StudyFetch for their students.
Qualtrics LinkedIn qualtrics.com Qualtrics empowers educational institutions to build stronger connections with students, faculty, and staff, boosting loyalty and institutional success. Our advanced AI and specialized Experience Agents allow schools and universities to proactively engage with their community, address issues instantly, and anticipate future trends. With over two decades of leadership in the education sector, we serve K-12 and higher education institutions globally, including 99 of the top 100 business schools and thousands of higher education institutions, to enhance their student and faculty experiences.
Pathify LinkedIn pathify.com Pathify is a higher ed engagement platform, revolutionizing student journeys from prospect to alumni (and beyond!). Delivering cloud-based, integration-friendly experiences designed to drive engagement and success, Pathify pushes personalized information, content and resources to the right people, at the right time — across any device. As the preferred student portal choice over homegrown or SIS-packaged platforms, Pathify is trusted by nearly 250 institutions and led by a team of former higher ed executives, builders and technology leaders
DRUID AI LinkedIn siso.co.uk DRUID AI is an enterprise-grade Agentic AI platform that helps healthcare organizations transform patient and staff experiences through intelligent automation. With AI Agents designed for healthcare, DRUID enables secure, personalized, and omnichannel interactions that streamline administrative tasks, improve care coordination, and enhance patient engagement. The platform integrates seamlessly with existing clinical systems and RPA technologies, supporting faster access to information and reducing staff workload. Trusted by healthcare providers worldwide, DRUID accelerates digital transformation, boosts operational efficiency, and maximizes ROI, all while enabling more connected, responsive, and efficient healthcare experiences for patients, clinicians, and administrators alike.
Coursera LinkedIn coursera.org
Coursera partners with innovative universities to bridge industry and academia, preparing students for future jobs. We support universities in enriching curricula with industry-recognized micro-credentials, and providing a platform that helps educators create engaging learning experiences. Through collaboration with Coursera, universities can achieve sustainable growth meeting both student and industry demands.
Otter.ai LinkedIn otter.ai Otter.ai empowers over 2,000 universities and colleges by providing students, faculty, and administrators with AI-powered real-time notes, captioning, and automatic slide capture. This enhances lectures, classes, and meetings, whether conducted in-person or virtually.
Turnitin LinkedIn turnitin.com Turnitin is the global leader in evaluating and improving student writing. The cloud-based service for originality checking, online grading and peer review saves instructors time and provides rich feedback to students. Over 1 million instructors and 10,000 institutions in 126 countries use Turnitin to submit, track and evaluate student papers.

SPEAKERS

Kathi Kern Ph.D.
Senior Vice Provost of Education
University of Miami
Vanessa Hammler Kenon Ed.D.
Associate Vice President Technology Compliance and Community Engagement
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Mary Lou Ortiz
Chief Financial Officer and Vice Chancellor
University of California, Irvine
Geordie Hyland
President
American College of Education
Ben Nelson
Founder
Minerva University and Minerva Project
Shaun Carver, Ed.D., MBA
President
International House Association
Gil Singletary, JD, Ph.D., MBA, MSSW
Vice Chancellor and Provost
South University
Donna Johnson Ed.D.
Chief Innovation Officer
Louisiana Tech University
Miloš Topić Ph.D.
Vice President for IT and Chief Digital Officer
Grand Valley State University
Luke Schultheis, Ph.D.
Chief Enrollment Officer
Mayville State University
David Jones
Chief Diversity Officer
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Zach Lewis
Assistant Vice President IT and Chief Information Security Officer
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis
Kevin Massey Ph.D.
COO
Purdue Applied Research Institute
Steve McKellips, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
University of Akron
Katie Dawson, Ed.D.
Associate Vice President for Enrollment, Innovation and Talent Strategy
University of Louisiana System
Bryan Aylward, PsyD
Associate Vice President, Office of Academic Innovation, Operations and Technology
University of Arizona Global
Sue Roberts Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Internationalization
University of Kentucky
Tiffany Bellafant Steward, Ed.D.
Vice President, Enrollment Management and Student Success
Fisk University
Rich Nagle
Assistant Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer
Ohio State University
Eric Klein Ph.D.
Assistant Provost, Doctoral Research and Student Success
American College of Education
Trey Conatser Ph.D.
Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning and Director of CELT
University of Kentucky
Ian Washburn
Deputy Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Information Security
University of Notre Dame
Christine Looser, Ph.D.
Senior Director
Minerva University
Kevin Calkins
Director, Institutional Research
Florida Polytechnic University
Jeanene Singleton, Ed.D.
Director, Academic Technology
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St Louis
Tom Merrick
Associate Director of VR/AR Initiatives
University of Miami
Zach DeBruine Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, College of Computing
Grand Valley State university

TESTIMONIALS

I need to make myself available to learn what other trusts are doing, while being present in my own trust.

Lisa Emery
CIO

Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
I believe it is incumbent upon all of us as senior health leaders to offer strategic direction, that goes without saying. But we also need to amplify curiosity, agility and a passion to improve, fostering commitment in the art of the possible.

Jonathan Lofthouse
Site CEO

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The only thing that’s going to be constant now is change. Trusts and staff need to be ready for whatever the future brings and sharing best practice between trusts, safely, is an important part of the solution.

James Devine
CEO

Medway NHS Foundation Trust
As NHS trusts, the need to collaborate and learn from each other has never been stronger. But neither has our need to reduce unnecessary social interaction as a society.

Paul Bytheway
Chief Operating Officer

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Foundation Trust
Events like the Healthcare Partnership Network are really important in bringing together senior leaders both from the industry and from the NHS, because you can start to see the connections that people are making. There’s a lot of synergy and energy around being able to look at a product a company has to offer and being able to relate that to what happens in the NHS.

Paula Head
Chief Executive

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

Become a sponsor at HEPN

Sponsor our event and get guaranteed facetime with senior leaders in education

SPONSOR NOW

Register to attend HEPN

Complete our registration form to apply for a complimentary delegate pass

Become a partner at HEPN

Partner with us and find out how you can connect with key decision-makers in education.

GET IN TOUCH

Homepage