Driving Digital in Higher Ed: Empowering Digital Trailblazers to Lead Transformation

Abstract

Following the success of Isaac Sacolick’s first book, Driving Digital, in this keynote, Isaac will share stories and insights from his new book publishing this summer, Digital Trailblazer: Essential Lessons to Jumpstart Transformation and Accelerate Your Technology Leadership. Your business needs more transformation leaders — what Isaac calls Digital Trailblazers — who can lead teams, evolve sustainable ways of working, develop technologies as competitive differentiators, and deliver business outcomes. This keynote highlights who are Digital Trailblazers, how to empower them, and what practices they will need to drive digital transformation at higher ed institutions. Topics will include developing agile cultures, becoming data-driven, and transforming experiences. Isaac Sacolick, contributing editor at InfoWorld and president of StarCIO, will inspire leaders at all stages of their careers to expand their skills and grow confidence in leading transformation initiatives.

Bio

Isaac Sacolick is the president and founder of StarCIO, a technology learning company that guides leaders on digital transformation. A lifelong technologist, Isaac has served in startup CTO and transformational CIO roles. He founded StarCIO with the belief that agile ways of working and data-driven practices can empower diverse teams to drive transformation. He is a writer, keynote speaker, and author of the Amazon bestseller, Driving Digital: The Leader’s Guide to Business Transformation Through Technology. His new book, Digital Trailblazer: Essential Lessons to Jumpstart Transformation and Accelerate Your Technology Leadership, is available for preorder. Recognized as a top digital influencer, and is a frequent contributor to InfoWorld and CIO.com, where he writes about digital transformation, agile management, and other technology and leadership topics. You can find him sharing new insights @NYIke on Twitter, on his blog Social, Agile, and Transformation, or the 5 Minutes with @NYIke YouTube channel.

Secret Stashes of Emotional Wealth: Finding Hidden Gems in Dark Spaces

 

Abstract

A confluence of events (e.g., political, social, economic, public health, resurgent race-hate, and global unrest) during past six to seven years, and the resultant and ongoing disruptions, distractions, and devastations continue to spawn opportunities for individuals to turn dramatic and traumatic personal tests into testimonies of growth, transformation, and renewal. Importantly, concurrently reconciling dark shadows of painful pasts that sometimes carry over into adulthood, and about which most people have been incentivized to keep secret, vitalizes consequential maturation and restyling. 

It has been said that wherever and whenever shadows have been cast it must mean that light is nearby because shadows cannot be cast without light! In short, despite life’s weighty trials and tribulations, unexpected moments abound for people to discover ways to excel in their careers, distinguish themselves amongst their peers, bring recognition to family, friends, and communities from which they hail and cement their legacies as colleagues who performed their best when their best was needed. Yes, people in the grip of ill-fortune often find ways to tap into sources of ‘light’ or inner strength that allows them to navigate themselves successfully through life’s ups and downs. 

Reconciling intra-personal emotional disruptions while maintaining across-time high-caliber career performances evidence brilliance and splendor yet untapped. This presentation will explore the price of the ticket for pursuing excellence in the face of life-changing adversity. The social construction of stigma, one of several barriers which impedes deep-dive self-reflection and help seeking behaviors, will also be examined.

Bio

WILLIAM D. PARHAM, PH.D., ABPP is a Professor in the Counseling Program and serves as the Inaugural Director of the School of Education Center for Trauma Informed Education (CTIE). He also has served as the Interim Director of the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership for Social Justice, Interim Associate Dean of Faculty, Chair of the Department of Specialized Programs in Professional Psychology, Program Director of the Counseling Program and President of the LMU Faculty Senate.

Dr. Parham, aka ‘Dr. P.’, has devoted his professional career to teaching, training, clinical, administrative, and organizational consultation venues. He is a licensed psychologist, Board Certified in Counseling Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) and Past-President of the Society of Counseling Psychology of the American Psychological Association where he also is recognized as a Fellow in Divisions 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology), 45 (Society for the Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race) and 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology).

In addition, Dr. Parham serves currently as the inaugural Director of the Mental Health and Wellness Program of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), a position he has held since 2018. He is a member of the mental health and wellness task force of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and a member of an international think tank on the mental health and wellness of athletes.

For most of his professional career, Dr. Parham has focused on working with athletes across organizations (e.g., National Basketball Association; National Football League; Major League Baseball; United States Olympic Committee; United States Tennis Association; Major League Soccer, UCLA, UC Irvine) across levels and across sports. He also has worked with performance artists in drama, theatre and music. Much of his current work focuses on trauma, an unfortunate personal experience of far too many people. Athletes and performing artists are not immune from these experience.

Parham’s emphasis on personal empowerment, discovering and cultivating innate talents and looking for hidden opportunities in every situation are trademark foci. He is widely known through his scholarship and conversations with domestic and international audiences for his work on the interplay between sport psychology, multiculturalism/diversity, trauma, and health psychology. His participation on local, state and national boards, committees, task forces, and positions of governance adds to the visible ways in which he has tried to make a difference.