Monday, August 4, 2025

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Support Office Hour
Location: JHBC 1020

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Pre-Conference: Admin 101
Location: JHBC 940/944
This session is open to all 2025 Innovator attendees; however, it is specifically formatted for those with less than 18 months on the platform.

4:00 – 6:00 PM
Networking Reception and Check-In
Location: JHBC 9th Floor Terrace & 955
Enter through the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center’s Main Lobby and proceed to the 9th Floor Foyer to pick up your badge and join us for our networking reception.

6:00 PM
Evening on Your Own in D.C.
Relax and enjoy your evening in Washington.

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

8:00 – 9:30 AM
Support Office Hour
Location: JHBC 1020 & 1024

8:30 – 9:30 AM
Check-In and Networking Breakfast
Location: JHBC 820

9:30 – 10:45 AM
CEO’s Welcome and Partner Spotlights
Location: JHBC 820
PeopleGrove CEO Dawn Hiles will share insights from PeopleGrove's transformative year, including the CORE merger. Learn how this evolution benefits our community and explore real-world examples of partners achieving impactful results through meaningful engagement and experiential learning.
Brand Spotlight
Ashley Spain will share an inside look at PeopleGrove’s evolving brand.

10:45 – 11:00 AM
Snack Break
Location: JHBC 820

Concurrent Sessions | 11:00 – 11:50 AM

Engagement Magic: The LoyolaLinked Recipe for Success
Location: JHBC 820
Discover how Loyola University Chicago navigated the platform lifecycle, successfully building and scaling strategies to grow engagement and boost visibility. Through examples including formal and informal mentorship programs, you'll gain practical ideas and a customizable approach to strengthen student and alumni adoption, engagement, and vital connections.
Speakers: Paityn Korner (Loyola University Chicago), Saidouri Zomaya (PeopleGrove)

Creating Community through Intentional Engagement Strategies
Location: JHBC 940/944
Learn how the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) achieved remarkable platform growth, reaching over 38,000 users. This session explores their effective integration of peer mentoring, student-led clubs, and targeted outreach. Gain insights into their key initiatives, such as dynamic virtual events, focused interest groups, and a network of departmental champions. Walk away with practical strategies to create a thriving, scalable, and inclusive online environment for your students and alumni worldwide.
Speakers: Vanessa Greaves (UAGC), Katie Caperton Bellenger (PeopleGrove)

12:00 – 1:00 PM
Lunch and Awards
Location: JHBC 820
Celebrate excellence in our community. This session honors the 2025 Innovators Awardees – the individuals and institutions demonstrating exceptional creativity, collaboration, and measurable impact in learner engagement and community building across the PeopleGrove partner network.
Speaker: Jason Langdon (PeopleGrove)

Concurrent Sessions | 1:00 – 1:50 PM

From Non-Essential to Mission Critical: A Roadmap to Transformation
Location: JHBC 820
Hear Drexel University's compelling journey of transforming their PeopleGrove platform from underutilized to essential. This session explores how they built institutional trust, fostered crucial internal partnerships, and leveraged impactful storytelling to drive adoption among alumni and staff. You'll gain a practical roadmap to elevate your own platform's success and engagement.
Speakers: Cassandra Sassaman (Drexel University), Katie Caperton Bellenger (PeopleGrove)

Cultivating Revolutionary Success: Three Strategies to Drive Mentorship, Career Readiness, and First-Year Engagement
Location: JHBC 940/944
Discover George Washington University's innovative three-pronged strategy for maximizing PeopleGrove's impact. This session unpacks their successful use of influencer programs, seamless curriculum integration, and strategic alumni partnerships to foster robust mentorship, enhance career readiness, and captivate students from their first year. Learn how to craft initiatives that drive platform adoption and create truly meaningful student experiences.
Speakers: Katherine Norton (George Washington University), Tyler McCoy (PeopleGrove)

Concurrent Sessions | 2:00 – 2:50 PM

More with Less: Advancing Student Growth & Belonging with a Lean Team
Location: JHBC 820
Learn how Oklahoma State University is strategically using PeopleGrove to champion the success of underrepresented students. This presentation will showcase their methods for fostering student growth and a robust sense of belonging by integrating efforts across campus and implementing distinct program branding.
Speakers: Amanda Harrison (Oklahoma State University), Conor O’Kane (PeopleGrove)

Building a Seamless Career Journey: From Orientation to Reunion
Location: JHBC 940/944
Discover how Ensign College masterfully designed a continuous career journey, guiding students seamlessly from onboarding to engaged alumni using PeopleGrove. This session maps their student lifecycle approach—from initial orientation and career preparation to robust alumni mentorship. Uncover proven strategies for embedding vital career touchpoints at every stage, ensuring a consistent, engaging, and supportive platform experience throughout.
Speakers: Dr. Rob Bagley (Ensign College), Sarah Myksin (PeopleGrove)

3:00 – 4:00 PM
PeopleGrove’s New & Next: Exploring the Product Roadmap
Location: JHBC 820
Catch an exclusive look at the platform's exciting roadmap. We'll unveil key enhancements and upcoming releases, spotlighting powerful new AI-driven tools and features engineered to significantly increase user adoption and create vibrant engagement.
Speakers: Dawn Hiles, Ela Provost, Jason Langdon (PeopleGrove)

4:00 – 5:00 PM
Walking Tour Meetup
Adjourn for the day and prepare for an evening stroll. Attendees must arrange transportation (Uber, Lyft, or taxi) to the 5:00 PM starting location, which will be announced shortly.

5:00 – 6:00 PM
Walking Tour: Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean Memorials

6:00 PM
Evening on Your Own in D.C.

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

7:30 – 8:30 AM
Support Office Hour
Location: JHBC 1020

7:30 – 8:30 AM
Networking Breakfast
Location: JHBC 820

8:30 – 9:20 AM
PeopleGrove’s New and Next: Turning Insights into Action
Location: JHBC 820
Discover PeopleGrove's latest innovations designed to transform your institution's approach to tracking success and engagement. This session introduces upcoming features like benchmarking groups, significantly enhanced user analytics, and integration with CASE engagement scoring. Learn how to leverage these new tools to interpret data, compare performance with peers, and apply insights to elevate student support, alumni engagement, and overall platform strategy.
Speakers: Dawn Hiles, Sarah Myksin (PeopleGrove)

Concurrent Sessions | 9:30 – 10:20 AM

Building the Foundation for Campus-Wide Platform Adoption
Location: JHBC 820
Learn from McGill University's journey in launching PeopleGrove across their entire campus. This session details their strategic methods for winning over key stakeholders, overcoming early obstacles, and positioning the platform as an indispensable tool for student and alumni connections.
Speakers: Elizabeth Lallemand (McGill University), Dori Branch (PeopleGrove)

Centralizing Mentorship & Engagement through MyBerkeley
Location: JHBC 940/944
Discover how UC Berkeley successfully centralized its diverse mentorship and engagement efforts with "My Berkeley," their branded PeopleGrove platform. This session explores their journey in creating a unified digital experience, fostering extensive cross-campus collaboration, and integrating vital student support resources into a single, accessible hub.
Speakers: Paula Cevallos (UC Berkeley), Sarah Myksin (PeopleGrove)

Concurrent Sessions | 10:30 – 11:20 AM

Creating Personalized Communities that Have a Big Impact: Engagement at Scale
Location: JHBC 820
Discover how the University of Pennsylvania cultivates deep relationships within smaller communities using PeopleGrove, at scale. Learn their targeted recruitment, event design, and personalized support strategies that forge lasting connections and boost student and alumni satisfaction.
Speakers: Mary Ann Baricuatro (University of Pennsylvania), Saidouri Zomaya (PeopleGrove)

Optimizing the Go Anywhere Platform to Increase Student & Alumni Engagement
Location: JHBC 940/944
Discover UNC Chapel Hill's journey in optimizing their PeopleGrove platform to significantly enhance student and alumni engagement. This session explores their innovative strategies, including deep integration into HNRS 101 and HNRS 201 courses and the facilitation of a robust Student-to-Student Mentoring Program. Learn how UNC utilizes the platform for valuable coaching meeting feedback and successfully generates impactful internship and job opportunities for their students.
Speakers: Bryan Yackulic (UNC Chapel Hill), Katie Caperton Bellenger (PeopleGrove)

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
A Call to Action: Our Shared Purpose
Location: JHBC 820
As we draw this incredible event to a close, join us for a moment of reflection and inspiration as we reaffirm our shared purpose.
Speakers: Dawn Hiles, Jason Langdon (PeopleGrove)

12:00 – 2:00 PM
Support Office Hours
Location: JHBC 1020 & 1024