2026 Conference  Keynote Speaker: 

Dr. Shemeka Brathwaite

Leading at the Crossroads: Sustainable Leadership for the Evolving Workforce

As higher education navigates shifting workforce policies, technological advancements, and adult learner initiatives, leaders are challenged to deliver impact without exceeding their capacity. In this keynote, Dr. Shemeka Brathwaite introduces strategic frameworks to align workforce innovation with sustainable leadership. Leaders will gain actionable tools to strengthen executive presence, navigate organizational shifts, and foster resilient, high performing teams while protecting personal wellbeing and organizational resources.

BIO:

Dr. Shemeka Brathwaite is a Sustainable Leadership Strategist, TEDx speaker, and founder of Productive Presence™. She brings over 15 years of higher education leadership advancing workforce pipelines, student success, and career-connected learning across the City University of New York. An interdisciplinary practitioner-scholar, she specializes in curriculum design for emerging professionals, strategic university-community partnerships, and executive civic leadership. She holds a Doctorate in Community-Based Leadership from the College of Staten Island and a Master’s in Adult Education and Human Resource Development from Fordham University.

Learn more here: https://www.shemekabrathwaite.com/about