Austin Community College District (ACC) hosted the first-ever Summit of Future Makers, organized by ACC’s Office for the Future, April 30 – May 1, 2026. Centered around the theme “Creating the Future: From Insight to Impact,” the two-day gathering brought together educators, industry leaders, and innovators from across the nation 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 “This summit brought together leaders willing to ask hard questions, challenge outdated models, and think differently about how we prepare students for a rapidly changing world.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.”

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

Dr. 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must treat inclusion as a driver of innovation and proactively embrace creative disruption by courageously eliminating outdated, fragmented systems to make space for agile, forward-looking models, such as digital twins and living intelligence.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. 

After a closing plenary with ACC’s Head of Product, Dr. Andrea Kehoe, attendees had the option to attend a behind-the-scenes campus tour of the Highland Campus—including stops at the Advanced Manufacturing Impact Lab, Incubators, and the Make It Center.

If you missed the Summit, ACCTV will re-air the keynotes and panel portions. Keep a lookout for this on the ACCTV schedule. 

Showcasing Innovation: The Alliance of Future Makers

The Summit marked the culmination of a year of collaboration by the inaugural Alliance of Future Makers (AFM) cohort. The cohort—split into five teams—showcased how they are applying strategic foresight to build capacity within their own institutions.

Leadership Fellows:

  • Dr. Frances Villagran-Glover, Houston City College
  • Dr. Tyjuan Lee, Metropolitan Community College
  • Dr. Linda Garcia, The University of Texas at Austin, Center for Community College Student Engagement
  • Harshal Shah, Venture Build

Fellows:

  • Dr. Susanne Brock, City Colleges of Chicago 
  • Lani Dame, Austin Community College District
  • Jana McCarthy, Austin Community College District
  • Elizabeth Maze, Austin Community College District
  • Aaron Moeller, Austin Community College District
  • Christopher Rzigalinksi, Austin Community College District
  • Dr. Tim Self, Austin Community College District
  • Dr. Hoda Tavakoli, Austin Community College District
  • Samantha Thomson, Austin Community College District
  • Dr. Alan Murdock, Forsyth Technical Community College
  • Shar-Day Campbell, Houston City College
  • Laura King, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
  • Dr. Antija Allen, Pellissippi Community College
  • Dr. Arturo Ozuna, Tarrant County College
  • Dr. Lorna Torrado, The Girls’ School of Austin and Leadership & Design 
  • Erica Richardson, Trinity Valley Community College
  • Richard Crosby, Trinity Valley Community College
  • Dr. Anthony Martinez, The University of Texas at Austin

Looking Ahead

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.