2025 Agenda

* Subject to change.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Time	Topic	Location
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Registration Check-In	Newport Lobby
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Opening Reception featuring Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12)

Monday, July 7, 2025

Time	Topic	Location
7:00 am - 4:00 pm	Registration Check-In	Newport Lobby

7:15 am - 8:30 am	HBCU Innovative Solutions VIP Breakfast Session (pre-registration required) Powered by the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation	Salon 4
7:15 am - 8:45 am	Breakfast (*registration check-in required)	Eastham Lobby/Newport Ballroom
8:45 am - 9:15 am	Opening	Newport Ballroom
9:15 am - 9:45 am	Plenary Session: This Is Our Moment Dr. Harry L. Williams, President & CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund	Newport Ballroom
9:45 am - 10:45 am	Panel Discussion with Presidents	Newport Ballroom
10:45 am - 11:00 am	Photo Op with Drum Major Mickey	Newport Ballroom
11:00 am - 11:45 am	Disney Feature: Student Voices & Imagineer Carmen Smith	Newport Ballroom
11:45 am - 1:00 pm	Lunch	Eastham Lobby/Newport Ballroom
1:00 pm - 1:45 pm	Keynote Address Teach By Teacher: A Fireside Chat with Former US Secretary of Education: The Honorable John King, Jr.	Newport Ballroom
1:45 pm - 2:00 pm	Break
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm	Plenary Session: TBA	Newport Ballroom
3:00 pm - 3:45 pm	Overview of Executive Orders: What They Mean for HBCUs Sherrie Rhodes, Vice President, External Affairs & Deputy Chief of Staff, Thurgood Marshal College Fund Victor Santos, Associate Vice President, Government Relations, Thurgood Marshal College Fund	Newport Ballroom
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm	Day#1 Wrap-up	Newport Ballroom

7:00 pm - 9:30 pm	President and Leaders Reception (invite only, wristbands required)

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Time	Topic	Location
7:15 am - 4:00 pm	Registration Check-In	Newport Lobby

7:30 am - 8:45 am	Breakfast	Eastham Lobby/Newport Ballroom
9:00 am - 10:00 am	Policy Outlook for Higher Education & HBCUs Brian Flahaven, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships; Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Victor Santos, Vice President, Government Relations; Thurgood Marshall College Fund	Newport Ballroom
10:00 am - 10:45 am	Closing the Near Completer Gap	Newport Ballroom
10:45 am - 11:00 am	Transition to Breakout Sessions
11:00 am - 12:00 pm	Breakout Sessions	Salons A-C, Cape Cod A-C
	How America Pays for College 2024: Spotlight on HBCU Insights Darwin Morency, Director Relationship Management, Sallie Mae Kevin McCrary, Director of Financial Aid, Bethune-Cookman University
	Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Philanthropy Dr. Brandi Tatum-Fedrick, Florida A&M University
	Enhancing the Corporate Relations Capacity of HBCUs: Best Practices and Lessons Learned Dr. DeShanna K. Brown, Regional Director of Philanthropy, Bethune-Cookman University
	Storytelling Relationship-Based Philanthropy Danielle Blackwell, Associate Vice Chancellor, Institutional Advancement, North Carolina Central University
	Presidents and Philanthropy Leaders
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm	Transition to Lunch
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm	Lunch
1:15 pm - 2:00 pm	2024 HBCU Pitch Competition Finalists Stephanie Johnnie, Executive Director, Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation	Newport Ballroom
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm	What Comes Next: HBCUs, Employers and the Future of Talent Aimee Eubanks, CEO, Braven Dr. Tony Allen, President, Delaware State University	Newport Ballroom
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm	Increasing Capacity through Planned Giving	Newport Ballroom
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm	Plenary Session: TBA	Newport Ballroom
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm	Diageo Cohort Meetup (invite only)	Salons A&B/Wellfleet Lobby

9:00 pm - 11:30 pm	Game Night (powered by Disney on the Yard)	Salons 2 &3

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Time	Topic	Location
7:00 am - 4:00 pm	Registration Check-In	Newport Lobby

7:30 am - 8:45 am	Breakfast	Eastham Lobby/Newport Ballroom
9:00 am - 9:45 am	Ongoing Impact of Strada Education Foundation’s HBCU Initiative	Newport Ballroom
9:45 am - 10:45 am	Enhancing Technology Capacity to Maximize Artifical Intelligence (AI) Mr. Darrell McMillon, VP/CIO for Information Technology, Delaware State University Dr. Carie Ann Potenza, Senior Director, Strategy and Planning, Ellucian Mr. Daryl Thomas, Sr. Leader Demand Systems & Data, Cisco Systems	Newport Ballroom
10:45 am - 11:00 am	Transition to Breakout Sessions
11:00 am - 12:00 pm	Breakout Sessions	Salons A-C, Cape Cod A-C
	Using FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to Drive Engagement Karen Wright, Vice President of University Advancement, Fort Valley State University & Executive Director of the FVSU Foundation Jaron Lucas, Director of Development, Fort Valley State University
	Leadership’s Role in Philanthropy: Building A Financially Sustainable Future for HBCUs Mrs. Tamara Foster-Montgomery, Executive Director, Southern University and A&M College Dr. Luria Young, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Southern University and A&M College
	HBCU Donor and Alumni Engagement for Diverse Audiences Brent Swinton, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Bowie State University
	Planned Giving With Purpose: Securing the Future of HBCUs
	Presidents and Philanthropy Leaders
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm	Transition to Lunch
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm	Lunch	Eastham Lobby/Newport Ballroom
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm	HBCU Impact on Innovation Rodney Oddoye, Senior Vice President, Governmental, Regulatory & External Affairs, Pepco Holdings	Newport Ballroom
1:30 pm - 1:50 pm	The Disney Institute Introduction	Newport Ballroom
1:50 pm - 2:00 pm	Break
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm	Enrollment and International Partnerships Impact on Revenue and Philanthropy	Newport Ballroom
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm	Roundtable Discussion - Top Issues in Higher Education	Newport Ballroom
4:00 pm - 4:45 pm	Strada Education Foundation Cohort Meetup (invite only)	Salons A&B

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Time	Topic	Location
7:30 am - 10 :00 am	Registration Check-In	Newport Lobby

7:30 am - 8:45 am	Breakfast	Eastham Lobby/Newport Ballroom
9:00 am - 10:00 am	NIL and Collectives Effect on HBCU Philanthropy	Newport Ballroom
10:00 am - 11:00 am	Panel Discussion: International Partnerships The Honorable Waleed Shamsid-Deen, Ambassador, Sierra Leone	Newport Ballroom
11:00 am - 12:00 pm	2025 Wrap-up and Next Steps	Newport Ballroom