Bill Hughes

Great session at Venture Café Cambridge and CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) for Mass Technology Leadership Council's panel discussion on The Power of Mentorship as part of their #techrunsboston series.   Christopher Hughes hosted the event which focused on the importance of finding the correct mentor. The panel, moderated by Emily G., Software Engineer at Capital One included Anil Persaud; Associate Director, Systems & Analytics at Northeastern University Igor Bratslaver; Founder of SpringUp Mateo Chaney-Martínez , Head of Partnerships at Harvard St. Commons Ryan Graham, Account Executive at CarGurus   Some of the takeaways from the discussion included how to ask for mentorship and the difference between a mentor and a coach. Ultimately if one is looking for a mentor, it will be incumbent for that person to seek it out.   Finding mentorship will mean finding someone who is interested in you. Some points made by the panel toward steps you can take to find a mentor included: ➡ Not everyone is meant to be a mentor ➡ It’s a relationship, trust your gut. ➡ Treat it like a board of advisors. ➡ You can have more than one.   When choosing a mentor ➡ Talk to a lot of people ➡ Ask a lot of questions ➡ Try to be specific about what you want to learn, such as a skill set. ➡ Look for a giver ➡ Shared values/chemistry   A lot of good perspectives from the panel in the value of mentorship with some actionable advice for those seeking it out. Kudos to MassTLC for putting together a great event.  

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NM Entrepreneurs—Thinking of joining an accelerator? Here's good insight from The Wharton School: "Accelerators that include more training activities, like pitching competitions, advice specific to certain industries, and structured learning sessions, tend to improve startup business success rates after they finish the accelerator. A few in-state accelerators exist for all types of businesses (not just high-growth tech). Choose wisely, AND make sure you are willing to do the work. #NMstartups #NMInno https://lnkd.in/gMMSYVRW

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As colleagues meet at #NAFSA this week, it cannot be much fun being an #agent aggregator right now. Once the darling of #edtech, with eye-watering valuations & record levels of investment, the #future is looking far less rosy now. #Student caps, more regulation, a number of whistle-blowers & growing anti-#immigration rhetoric in three of the major Anglophone study destinations – #Australia #Canada & the #UK – mean that making the numbers add up is becoming increasingly problematic. What does this mean in real terms for aggregators & institutions alike? Aggregators work on various different models. Some, for instance, are members’ clubs for agents & universities who pay an annual membership fee, matched up to provide increased student applications, universities hope, admissions. This model will be hit by increased regulation & scrutiny of #agents & their numerous #subagents. The other more common model is where the aggregator takes a percentage of the agent’s commission for increasing the lead pool & reducing the administrative burden on the agent & #education institution. The issue with the split commission model is that the aggregator only gets a percentage of the agent’s commission, with the agent keeping the majority. Even if the aggregator’s share is as high as 30%, it means that for them to turn a profit they need a significant volume of prospective students to make it work. So if study permits are cut as they were in Canada by 20%, you can say ‘cheerio’ to 20% of your revenue. Increasingly problematic for many aggregators is their reliance on private sector colleges delivering their own or joint programmes with public institutions. The government net is tightening on private provision & public-private partnerships (PPPs)… #Artificialintelligence (#AI) now permeates every facet of modern life, with its impact on education poised to be profound & enduring. The response from #highereducation institutions – whether they advocate its integration, resist it or remain indifferent – is unfolding in real-time. Yet, amidst this dynamic landscape, few are considering the global #recruitment prospects & the subsequent winners and losers that will emerge. Crucially, AI is able to eradicate the frustrating bias of existing platforms, which often prioritise universities based on financial arrangements rather than merit. Consequently, there will no longer be a need to rely on intermediaries, such as agents & aggregators, as students can autonomously navigate their search process.” Asia Careers Group SDN BHD - Investing in International Futures AUIDF British Council BUILA Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) Innovative Research Universities (IRU) University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia Regional Universities Network The Group of Eight UCAS UKCISA Universities Australia Universities Canada Universities UK #nafsa24 #nafsa2024

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Stop by for some tips and ideas for using Generative AI in your classrooms.

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We're gearing up for a great Startup Showcase this coming Thursday at Microsoft NERD -- and beginning today we'll be bringing you spotlights on the founders and experts panelists who have made it possible. First up -- a very familiar face in the New England startup ecosystem in recent times -- an entrepreneur taking things by storm. Anushka Singh is the founder of Kathalyst AI, a startup transforming software documentation using artificial intelligence. Kathalyst automates the creation of clear, concise documents for complex codebases, specifically focusing on legacy programming languages like COBOL. This innovation is particularly valuable for modern developers who need to maintain older systems but lack expertise in outdated languages. This has fascinated me from the moment Anushka first let me in on the value prop of her venture. One of the finalists for Startup World Cup Boston 2024, Anushka is a classic example of bravery, curiosity, and critical problem solving. Reducing complexity, curing pain, she truly has built a career at the intersection of AI and software development, operating at the bridge where communication gaps between technical teams can be much more easily solved. What follows are excerpts from "Story Behind The Name" a fascinating explanation as to why Kathalyst is called that (be sure to come see Anushka pitch this Thursday, link in the comments below): “Katha” – Power of the Story The word “Katha” holds special significance in Hindi. It translates to “story” and carries a rich cultural context. Stories have been an integral part of Indian tradition, passed down through generations to impart wisdom, values, and knowledge. They bridge gaps between people, contexts, and time periods. In the context of Kathalyst, “Katha” represents the storytelling aspect of our work—helping developers understand and communicate the intricate stories woven into the code, especially legacy code like COBOL, which often lacks proper documentation and context. “Catalyst” – Sparking Innovation The second half of the name comes from the word “catalyst,” which, in scientific terms, refers to a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process. For Kathalyst, this concept represents the role we aim to play in software development. Our platform uses AI to rapidly generate comprehensive documentation, visualize complex code structures, and enable deeper interactions with legacy code. We’re accelerating the process of understanding and modernizing codebases, sparking innovation within development teams without replacing or eliminating the original structure. #BostonNewTechnology #BNT_EdTechAI2024 #womenwholead #startups

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Educators Wrestle with the real-life applications of the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan - insights from David Miyashiro, Eileen Belastock, CETL, Bonnie Chelette, and D'Andre Weaver, Ph.D. I love this quote: "Holistic planning also means encouraging teachers to ask, “Why am I using this technology? What am I using it for, and how is it helping?” There should be a balance between work that’s on the computer and work that isn’t." #edtech #k12education

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Do you have a clear map of your educational technology ecosystem to guide decisions? Join me on June 19, 2024 at 2PM ET to capture your educational ecosystem using this template. As part of an interactive session at the Expert Educator Exchange virtual conference June 19-20, 2024, I will share what each of these categories mean, what standard methods can be used for integration, and help you identify where the digital products you use or your customer use fit in this ecosystem. If you haven't registered yet, go to https://lnkd.in/ePAywZxi and use the promo code SPEAKEREEE to register! See you there!

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How is your school's enrollment? While overall enrollment has remained relatively stable, underlying trends suggest potential challenges for school districts in the future. #educationalinnovation360 #publicschools, #enrollmenttrends, #K12education https://lnkd.in/gBACdyke

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