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Highlights from the 2025 Innovators User Conference
August 20, 2025
Highlights from the 2025 Innovators User Conference
Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Center, Washington, D.C
By Charles Ramos, Vice President, Campus Partnerships
PeopleGrove’s annual user conference, Innovators, reminds us why higher education matters, not as a system, but as a lifeline for students to find their place in the world.
The 2025 Innovators cohort gave us stories of students landing dream jobs through alumni mentors, students finding belonging on campus, and universities transforming culture to make career readiness part of every student’s journey.
These aren’t just case studies. They’re turning points in students’ lives. They prove that when colleges and universities invest in connection, mentorship, and outcomes, the return is measured in more than just graduation rates; it’s measured in social mobility, community impact, and lifelong success. And here’s the thing: the next great story could come from your campus!
Be Part of Next Year’s Stories
At 2025 Innovators, we heard from institutions leading the way:
- Loyola University Chicago shared how they built a thriving culture of engagement through mentorship. As one presenter put it: “When we stopped treating mentorship as a side project and made it central to our student experience, adoption skyrocketed.”
- Drexel University walked us through their journey of transformation. “PeopleGrove went from something optional to something our community can’t imagine living without,” said Cassandra Sassaman as she detailed Drexel’s roadmap from “non-essential” to mission critical.
- George Washington University revealed their three-part approach, using influencers, curriculum integration, and alumni partnerships. As Katherine Norton explained: “Our goal was to make mentorship and career readiness unavoidable. Wherever students turned, they saw opportunity.”
- University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) showcased how they scaled to 38,000+ users. “We realized students didn’t just want connections, they wanted communities they could own. That’s when engagement truly exploded,” noted Vanessa Greaves.
- UC Berkeley demonstrated the power of centralization with MyBerkeley. “Our biggest win wasn’t technology, it was trust. Faculty, staff, and students all saw themselves in one hub,” said Paula Cevallos.
- Oklahoma State University, McGill University, and University of Pennsylvania each offered blueprints for advancing belonging, adoption, and engagement at scale.
These sessions weren’t just about platforms; they were about cultural transformation. They showed what’s possible when institutions treat mentorship, engagement, and career outcomes as essential infrastructure. Next year, the story we highlight could be yours!
Here Are the Problems We Solve for You at PeopleGrove
Higher education leaders often ask us: Where do we even begin? The challenges are real, and they’re consistent across institutions. Here’s how we help:
- Belonging & Persistence: Nearly 70% of students using PeopleGrove say they feel they belong and picked the right school. We help institutions turn belonging into retention.
- Career Outcomes: We help embed career readiness into the student experience—not just the career center.
- Alumni Engagement: Nearly 60% of alumni say they are more likely to give back to their institution. We transform alumni from occasional donors into lifelong partners in student success.
- Mentorship at Scale: We connect students with peers, faculty, and alumni mentors, measurably strengthening social capital and career confidence.
- Institutional Transformation: We help campuses move from siloed initiatives to student-centered systems that scale impact across the entire lifecycle.
Why Now?
Higher education is under pressure! Affordability and employability are certainly top of mind. 2025 Innovators showed us that when institutions choose transformation over transaction, those pressures become opportunities.
At next year’s conference, institutional leaders will once again share powerful stories. The only question is: will your institution be one of them?
Let’s build that story together. Become a PeopleGrove partner, and let your students, alumni, and faculty write the next chapter in higher education transformation.
