A National Imperative… Jim Shelton on the Work of Opportunity in the Age of AI

Jim Shelton (CEO, Blue Meridian Partners) keynotes at the ASU+GSV Summit 2026 in “A National Imperative… Jim Shelton on the Work of Opportunity in the Age of AI” to explore how cross-sector leadership can expand opportunity at scale.

Former Deputy Secretary of Education and dedicated social mobility catalyst Jim Shelton will keynote at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit. With a multi-sector background spanning policy, philanthropy, education, technology, and investing, Jim Shelton forges connections that spark change at scale. Last year, he was named CEO of Blue Meridian Partners, a major philanthropic platform bringing together donors and social sector leaders working to “strengthen the upward path for all Americans, especially those in poverty.”

Blue Meridian’s national and place-based investments include Code for America, Grameen America, the HBCU Transformation Project, CodePath.org, Jobs for the Future’s Center for Justice & Economic Advancement, and more. He previously served as the organization’s President & Chief Investment and Impact Officer, increasing the scale of its nationwide investments, expanding support of comprehensive place-based strategies and partnerships, and extending its work to include and leverage for-profits, policy, and advocacy.

Jim has shaped education innovation and policy as an operator, investor, entrepreneur, and impact accelerator—leading education funding at the Gates Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, serving as President & Chief Impact Officer at 2U, co-founding LearnNow and Amandla Enterprises, and serving as Deputy Secretary of Education and founding Executive Director of My Brother’s Keeper under President Obama. He has also lent his expertise to the Aspen Institute, AERDF, KKR, and the Brookings Institution, and was named one of The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 16 People to Watch in 2025.

In every chapter of his career, Jim Shelton demonstrates how cross-sector collaboration can unlock opportunity at scale—highlighting how education, workforce, and economic mobility are deeply interconnected.