D2L Fusion 2026 Executive Summit

Dr. Cristi Ford

Chief Learning Officer, D2L

Dr. Cristi Ford serves as the Chief Learning Officer at D2L. She brings more than 20 years of cumulative experience in higher education, secondary education, project management, program evaluation, training and student services to her role. Dr. Ford holds a PhD in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia and undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field of Psychology from Hampton University and University of Baltimore, respectively.

David Coletto

CEO, Abacus Data

Named one of Canada’s top 100 most influential people in Canadian politics by The Hill Times, David Coletto is one of Canada’s most recognizable pollsters and commentators on politics, consumer behaviour, and the workplace.

He is Chair, CEO and founder of Abacus Data, a full-service market research and strategy firm based in Ottawa, Toronto and Halifax. With almost two decades of experience in the industry, David and his partners founded Abacus 15 years ago and since then it has grown into one of Canada’s most respected market research firms.

He earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary in 2010 is an adjunct professor at Carleton University in the Clayton H. Riddell Master of Political Management program. He is the host and producer of inFocus with David Coletto a podcast that explores the intersection of public opinion, politics, public policy, and consumer behaviour. He is also the official pollster for the Toronto Star and The Logic.

Elise Awwad

President/CEO, DeVry University

Elise Awwad is the president and CEO of DeVry University. Elise advanced through multiple leadership roles over her 22-year career at DeVry, culminating in her appointment as the university’s first female President and CEO in 2023.

Having spent more than two decades in higher education, she is recognized as one of the most innovative leaders in her sector, with a history of breaking down barriers and leading cultural transformations.

At DeVry, Elise is committed to fulfilling the university’s mission, vision, and values with internal and external stakeholders, as well as supporting and enhancing the institution’s overall operations. As president and CEO, she is focused on university strategy, innovation, academic integrity, and student success, helping learners pursue their ambitions through in-demand programs, supporting employers in realizing their organizational goals through strategic partnerships, and helping society address the urgent need to reskill a workforce transformed by technology and automation.

Previously, she served as DeVry’s Chief Operating Officer, where she reimagined student support with a holistic focus on academic achievement, career readiness, and lifelong professional growth. She is widely recognized for integrating technology and operational excellence to better support faculty, advisors, and learners, contributing to sustained improvements in key student success metrics and graduate outcomes.

Elise is a member of the Forbes Business Council, where she contributes thought leadership on workforce transformation, leadership, and the future of education in an AI-driven economy.

With deep roots in Chicago and the Midwest, Elise is committed to civic engagement and community impact across the region. She serves as a National Trustee for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a Board Director for the Chicago Area Runners Association, a Board Director for the International Women’s Forum Chicago, and a member of the League of Women Voters in Illinois.

She is a two-time recipient of the Titan 100 Chicago award, recognizing the region’s top CEOs and C-level leaders. A lifelong learner by both profession and philosophy, she holds a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in small business management and entrepreneurship from Southern Illinois University, an Executive MBA from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from Keller Graduate School, and a certificate in public policy from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Emilee Irwin

SVP Global Strategy, D2L

Emilee Irwin is Senior Vice President, Global Strategy at D2L, where she leads corporate strategy, global market expansion, public affairs, sustainability, and social impact. She has built a career centered on expanding access to high-quality education and training. With more than 20 years of experience across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, she brings a global, cross-sector perspective grounded in both impact and execution. Previously, she served as Vice President, Strategy and played a central role in shaping D2L’s strategic evolution, including driving enterprise strategy and planning, sharpening market and competitive insight, and building the company’s public affairs capability. A recognized voice on digital and education policy, as well as the future of work and learning, Emilee partners with governments and thought leaders on how technology can expand access to quality education and strengthen workforce training and development. Her background also includes senior advisory roles to provincial Cabinet Ministers, consulting experience with a leading Canadian government and management advisory firm, and early-career work leading NGO partnerships and programs across Africa. Emilee is a graduate of McGill University, considers Canada home, and lives abroad with her husband and children.

Garrett Groves

Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives, Austin Community College

Garrett Groves is Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives at Austin Community College District (ACC), where he leads institution-wide efforts to align workforce development, economic development, and higher education systems across Central Texas. In this role, he works with major regional employers—including Samsung Electronics, NXP Semiconductors, Tesla Inc., and Applied Materials—alongside public and community partners to design workforce pathways that expand access to high-demand careers for students and working adults. Serving more than 80,000 students annually, ACC operates in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. In connection with this work, Groves is a member of the Federal Reserve Board Community Advisory Council and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Community Advisory Council, where he provides regional economic insight with a focus on low- and moderate-income communities.

His work sits at the intersection of industry demand and community access. At ACC, he has led initiatives to expand tuition-free college access, childcare supports, and mental health partnerships, while also building employer-embedded training models in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and skilled trades. Beyond the college, he helps guide regional workforce and economic development strategy through leadership and advisory roles with the Austin Regional Manufacturers Association, Workforce Solutions Capital Area, and Rally Austin. He also contributes to statewide and national efforts through roles with the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium (Workforce Subcommittee Chair), the Texas Semiconductor Institute (External Executive Advisory Member), and the United Way’s Texas Research Advisory Committee for the United for ALICE initiative, which focuses on the financial stability of working households.

Prior to joining ACC, Groves was Director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Every Texan, where he led policy and research efforts to expand economic mobility across the state. He also served as Scholar in Residence at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and held policy roles at the National Governors Association and the U.S. Department of Labor. Groves earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy and his Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin, and his bachelor’s degree from University of Denver. He is based in Austin, Texas.

Dr. Ian R. Roark

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Workforce Development, Pima Community College

Dr. Ian R. Roark was recently directly appointed as Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Workforce Development. As the college’s chief academic officer and single point of contact for workforce and economic development initiatives, Ian works with internal and external stakeholders to improve teaching, learning, and programmatic outcomes across all of Pima CC’s offerings; improve transfer rates to our state universities; to respond to the workforce needs of businesses and industry; and, lead the College’s alignment to the economic development priorities of the region and state.

He is dedicated to collective impact partnerships, community college innovation, the future of work, early college programs, university transfer programs, and business and industry engagement, with an emphasis on learner access, success, and upward mobility. He is dedicated to collective impact partnerships, community college innovation, the future of work, early college programs, and business and industry engagement, with an emphasis on learner access, success, and upward mobility. He also oversees innovation for the college district, including the development and implementation of new models such as micro-pathways, apprenticeships, and baccalaureate degrees.

Ian serves on a number of boards and committees at the local, state, and national levels. He was named to the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence for 2019-2020, received the Workforce Development Practitioner of the Year Award from the Arizona Association for Economic Development in 2019, named Steering Committee Lead for Arizona’s Reskilling & Recovery Network Team in 2020, named to the New America New Models for Career Preparation Advisory Committee in 2021, was selected as a Designer in Residence by the Education Design Lab for 2021-2022, was named to the New America Workforce Transformation Advisory Committee in 2023, and called to serve on the Higher Learning Commission’s Credential Lab Innovation Design Team in 2024.

Ian has been married for 27 years to his awesome wife, who is an exemplary public-school teacher, and they have two children in college. Together, they enjoy road trips, watching movies, and backyard cookouts. Ian’s favorite activities include hiking, camping, writing, and playing music.

Kaiwei Hsu

Corporate Citizenship Impact Hiring Lead, Accenture

Kaiwei Hsu leads Impact Hiring for Accenture Corporate Citizenship, where she designs employment pathways for talent from nontraditional backgrounds through skilling, apprenticeship, and early career programs in the US and Canada. Based in Washington, DC, she focuses on connecting underserved communities to high-quality jobs in technology and beyond.

Her work spans early work exposure, internships, apprenticeships, and employer partnerships — connecting workforce strategy to economic development priorities at the local, regional, and federal level. She works closely with government agencies, educational institutions, and employers to build pathways that meet people where they are. She is a coalition member of DC Compact 2043, a cross-sector coalition of educators, government partners, and employers committed to building an equitable economy and expanding pathways to opportunity for DC residents.

Kaiwei sees AI literacy as an increasingly essential component of workforce readiness and works with nonprofit, education, and employers to expand access to foundational AI skills for young people and early career talent, from education into the workforce.

John Baker

Chief Executive Officer, D2L

John founded D2L in 1999, while attending the University of Waterloo. He strongly believes that learning is the foundation upon which all progress and achievement rests. For over 25 years, John has been a leading visionary in the ed tech space and a frequent speaker on the future of learning and technology.

As a leader in Canada’s business community, John provides insights and advice on the future of Canada’s prosperity, including as a member of the Business Council of Canada, as a board member of the Business Higher Education Roundtable, and having served on the Governing Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

John graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours B.A.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering, with First Class Honours and an option in Management Sciences.

Lev Gonick

Chief Information Officer, Arizona State University

Lev Gonick is an educator, technologist and smart city architect, recognized for his forward-thinking approach to advances in artificial intelligence. He has been teaching, working, and living on the “Net” for more than 25 years.

Today, Lev is the Chief Information Officer at Arizona State University. In his role, Lev is a visionary leader for ASU Enterprise Technology, which is responsible for the dynamic digital ecosystem that drives how the ASU community learns, works and thrives. Lev also chairs the Sun Corridor Network, Arizona’s Research and Education Network.

In 2023, Lev was recognized by the ORBIE Awards as Arizona’s top large Enterprise CIO. In 2022, EdScoop named him as a Top 50 Educational Technology influencers and leaders.

Before joining ASU in 2017, Lev Gonick was co-founder and CEO of DigitalC, the award-winning non-profit organization enabling and celebrating innovation, collaboration, and productivity through next-generation broadband networks, big open data solutions, and IoT for public benefit

Lev was CIO at Case Western Reserve University from 2001-2013. He and his colleagues were internationally recognized for technology innovations in community engagement, learning spaces, and next-generation network projects. Lev’s innovations, including the Case Connection Zone catalyzed national projects, including US Ignite and Gig.

Inside Business Magazine named Lev one of their Power 100 in 2015. In 2011 Government Technology awarded Lev one of their “Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers in Public-Sector Innovation.”​ In the same year, Crain’s Business Cleveland named Gonick one of its “10 Difference Makers”​ in Northeast Ohio and Broadband Properties honored him with their Cornerstone Award for “using fiber to build an inclusive society and empower individuals.”​ In 2010 he received recognition as “Visionary of the Year” from NATOA. Lev has been recognized by ComputerWorld as a Premier 100 IT leader and honored by CIO magazine with a CIO 100 Award.

Dr. Marie Cini

Provost, University of the People

Dr. Marie Cini was named Provost and Chief Academic Officer of University of the People in 2022. An accomplished senior leader in higher education and nonprofit associations, her career spans more than 25 years in organizations serving working learners.

Most recently, Dr. Cini was Acting President of ED2WORK, a service firm focused on helping higher education institutions create new models for serving today’s learners. Prior to this, she served as president of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). She has also served on the board of the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) where she was chair of the board for two years.

Previously, Dr. Cini served as Provost and Senior Vice President at the University of Maryland University College (now University of Maryland Global Campus). She also has led programs for adults at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and held increasingly responsible positions at Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, New Jersey, and at City University of Seattle in Washington.

A strong advocate for broad access to higher education, Dr. Cini is committed to expanding the view of postsecondary education to a true lifelong model for learners of all ages. She believes that a robust 21st-century economy and the health and well-being of the planet depend on the ability of all individuals to learn across a longer lifespan.

Dr. Cini earned her Ph.D. and master’s degrees in social psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, and a master’s degree in counselor education from the Pennsylvania State University. She was inducted into the International Adult Continuing Education Hall of Fame in 2016. She has published and presented widely on topics related to online education, nontraditional learners, and the future of higher education.

Phil Hill

Founder, Phil Hill & Associates Phil Hill is an independent higher education and EdTech market analyst, founder of Phil Hill & Associates, and publisher of the widely read On EdTech newsletter. Known for his candid, deeply informed analysis, Phil cuts through industry hype and policy complexity to explain what developments in technology, markets, and regulation actually mean for colleges, universities, and education companies. His coverage spans learning platforms, online and hybrid education, AI, institutional sustainability, market dynamics, and the changing federal policy landscape. Phil is frequently among the first to identify consequential shifts in the EdTech market and higher education strategy, combining original reporting, data-driven analysis, and distinctive visualizations. In his advisory work and conference appearances, he helps leaders connect emerging trends to practical decisions—often challenging conventional wisdom while making complex issues understandable, relevant, and actionable.

Sandy Rezendes

Head of Corporate Learning and Development, D2L Sandy Rezendes is a seasoned leader in talent development and corporate learning, currently serving as Head of Corporate Learning and Development at leading LMS provider D2L. She brings extensive experience from senior leadership roles at Ameriprise Financial Services, Manulife / John Hancock, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citizens Bank and Fidelity Investments. Throughout her career, Sandy has built a reputation for driving innovative learning strategies, fostering leadership growth, and creating cultures of continuous development. Her global expertise and results-driven approach have transformed learning organizations, enabling companies to adapt, grow, and thrive in today’s fast-changing business environment.

Van Davis

Executive Director, WCET & Vice President, Digital Learning, WICHE

Dr. Van L. Davis serves as the executive director of WCET (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) and vice president of digital learning for WICHE (Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education). Before joining WCET, he served as founder and principal at Foghlam Consulting, working with colleges, universities, and nonprofits on digital learning, strategic planning, higher education policy, and research. Previously, Van served as Associate Vice President for Policy and Research at Blackboard (now Anthology) and Director of Innovations at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Van began his career as a professor and academic administrator and has 30 years of experience in higher education. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in 20th Century United States History with an emphasis in civil rights from Vanderbilt University. Van has devoted his career to improving educational access and affordability for students and has led numerous projects such as the development of Texas’ adult degree completion initiative (GradTX), Texas’ statewide course redesign project which leveraged adaptive courseware, and the development of the first competency-based baccalaureate degrees at Texas public institutions. He currently focuses on artificial intelligence and federal distance education regulations and their impact on student access and equity.