Frame Your Future 2026: Public Speaker Series Elevates the Conversation on Innovation, Education, and the Evolving World of Work

Columbia University School of Professional Studies convenes thought leaders from industry and academia, spanning NASA, IBM, Deloitte, Paramount Global, and its own Scholar Practitioners to explore the enduring value and impact of professional learning

Kicks off with launch of new book: Sustainability Metrics and Management: The Path from Innovation to Routine

NEW YORK, April 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This spring, Columbia University's School of Professional Studies (Columbia SPS) will host a public thought leadership event program that highlights the value of strategically investing in one's own professional education in order to succeed in today's volatile organizational environment. Because true career agility will only result from preparation, the Frame Your Future 2026 event lineup addresses challenges, such as guiding organizations through technology-driven transformation, and mastering an increasingly intricate risk landscape, that the industry leaders of tomorrow will face. The signature series features industry leaders, faculty, and alumni who will share insightful perspectives and practical solutions to support professional advancement.

Frame Your Future opens with introductory remarks from Columbia SPS Dean Troy Eggers. "The stakes have officially been raised. In a professional landscape reshaped by artificial intelligence and rapidly shifting geopolitics, lifelong learning has become a true force multiplier for accelerating careers, sharpening judgment, and expanding influence across roles and industries," said Dean Eggers. "Now, education cannot be a one-time credential; in the future of work, it's a strategic, career-defining commitment." The slate of thought-provoking events, taking place in some of New York City's most iconic spaces, begins this spring, will continue through the summer, and will return annually. The initial lineup includes:

• Monday, April 6 – How Sustainability Is Transforming the World of Management – Moderated by Senior Associate Dean Louise Rosen, this panel conversation explores how sustainability measurement has evolved from experimental practice to embedded management systems. The authors of Sustainability Metrics and Management: The Path from Innovation to Routine, M.S. in Sustainability Management Program Director Dr. Steven A. Cohen, Dr. William B. Eimicke, and Dr. Guo Dong, will sign copies of their book at the evening event.
  
  
• Tuesday, April 14 – Unlocking the Return on Education – As technology reshapes work, sustainability redraws value and supply chains, and volatility becomes the norm, standing still is the fastest way to fall behind. In this panel conversation, Jessica Thurston, vice president of ESG and sustainability at Paramount Global, Len Elmore, M.S. in Sports Management senior lecturer, and Basil A. Smikle Jr., Ph.D., professor of practice and Director of the M.S. in Nonprofit Management program, reframe professional education as a dynamic, cumulative investment.
  
  
• Monday, April 20 – Risk, Resilience, and Returns: Biodiversity as Competitive Edge for Business – This webinar, hosted by Viorel Popescu, Director of the M.S. in Biodiversity Analytics (BIDO) program, and featuring Kevin Webb, Co-Founder & Managing Director for Superorganism, the first venture capital firm dedicated to biodiversity, Edward Pollard, Founder of Positive by Nature and a leading expert in the field of business and biodiversity, and Dr. María Uriarte, Professor and Chair in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology at Columbia University, will explore how biodiversity analytics translate nature from a perceived "nice-to-have" into actionable strategic intelligence.
  
  
• Thursday, April 23 – Tech-Driven, Human-Centered: Leading Through Disruption – Sherif Sakr, COO of New Ventures, Technology and Innovation (NVTI), Deloitte; Lauren Goodwin, former CIO of NASA and founder of Mission Ops; Francesca Rossi, IBM Fellow and global leader for responsible AI and AI governance at IBM; Richard Goldberg, a lecturer in the M.S. Enterprise Risk Management and M.S. in Technology Management programs and an authority on the global financial sector; Vrunda Shah, Senior Product Manager at Google and graduate of the Technology Management program; and Shahryar Shaghaghi, Director of the M.S. in Technology Management program and professor of practice at Columbia University, will share practical insights drawn from real-time decision-making at Deloitte's Midtown Manhattan office. They will discuss how leaders assess value and risk, guide adoption amid uncertainty, and navigate the cultural, operational, and ethical shifts introduced by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
  
  
• Thursday, April 30 – Critical Junctures: Project Management at the Center of Growth – William (Bill) Squires, Chief Venues Officer 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup New York New Jersey Host Committee and Lecturer, M.S. in Sports Management, joins Kathy Cage, Lecturer in M.S. in Technology Management program and Associate Managing Director of Cyber, Data, and Resilience at Kroll, Kenyetta Lovings, Director of Energy Policy, Compliance, and Programs at NYS Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and lecturer in M.S. in Sustainability Management and Evangelia Ieronymaki, Director and Senior Lecturer in discipline for the M.S. in Project Management and M.S. in Construction Administration programs, for a candid discussion of missteps, near misses, and unexpected outcomes that became turning points for stronger leadership. Grounded in core principles such as risk awareness, stakeholder alignment, adaptive leadership, and decision-making under pressure, the conversation will explore how experienced practitioners diagnose problems in real time, course-correct with confidence, and transform disruption into sustainable growth.

Frame Your Future 2026 and Columbia SPS uniquely provide access to sophisticated insight and smart analysis through their extensive network of accomplished Scholar Practitioners, business leaders who bring their expertise to the classroom.

In Summer 2026, the series will continue to examine topics including pedagogy in professional education and AI and student support. Details on upcoming events will be shared on the SPS events page.

About the Columbia University School of Professional Studies
As one of the 17 prestigious schools affiliated with Columbia University, the School of Professional Studies (SPS) is committed to supporting a diverse community of faculty, students, and staff while expanding the reach and impact of an Ivy League education so that more students can excel in their careers. Online and around the world, SPS brings together the best and brightest minds to deliver personal, practical, and purposeful educational experiences. Since 2002, the School of Professional Studies and its forebears have administered and developed innovative programs to fulfill a diverse array of inquisitive students' needs and desires. Whether pursuing one of 19 master's degrees, returning for post-baccalaureate credentials, or visiting from another university to accelerate undergraduate or graduate studies, every student at the School of Professional Studies benefits from intentionally designed resources and services that make SPS the place to study, no matter their path.

SOURCE Columbia University School of Professional Studies