Dr. Joiselle Cunningham Smith’s Keynote

Higher Education & Transitions to Careers

In this keynote address, Dr. Joiselle Cunningham Smith will examine the challenges and opportunities facing higher education institutions to help students to transition into meaningful careers. In this talk, Dr. Cunningham Smith will explore various strategies that institutions may consider while maintaining a commitment to the overall student learning experience. Dr. Cunningham Smith will also share real-world examples from existing programs and highlight possible shifts that will better prepare college students for the workplace. This talk will encourage participants to bring their questions, experiences and reflections during brief opportunities to share during the presentation.

About Dr. Joiselle Cunningham Smith

Dr. Joiselle Cunningham Smith is a federal policy advisor, consultant, and award-winning educator who has worked in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. 

Joiselle is the CEO of Pathways to Creative Industries, an organization focused on building access for youth interested in creative careers in partnership with the CFDA and is currently on the faculty at NYU. 

Joiselle has served as a Senior Advisor and consultant at The Dimon Family Foundation, HERE to HERE, Teach For Sweden, Empieza por Educar, and other social impact and education organizations. Joiselle served in the Obama Administration in the Office of the Secretary at the United States Department of Education and managed educator engagement for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. She was named one of top women leading in education and social impact by the University of Southern California and has won other awards for her work in social impact efforts across the globe.

Joiselle has previously worked with several organizations, including the New York City Department of Education, KIPP and America Achieves. She has also worked with business leaders from JP Morgan Chase, Amazon, Accenture and other corporations to build pipelines of local, diverse talent in New York City.

Joiselle studied Public Policy and Economics at Duke University, where she received the Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholarship for academic achievement. She earned her doctorate from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.


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