Xello presents
Where education and workforce unite to advance readiness for college, career, military, entrepreneurship, and beyond.
K–12 schools & districts
Higher education
Government & nonprofits
Industry & employers
Highlights Gallery - Future World 2026
Xello Co-Founders Matt Quillen and Jeff Harris kicking off Future World 2026
An event highlight, the Future World recent graduate panel
Having fun while sharing future readiness best practices
The educators from Tuscaloosa City Schools got an A+ for audience engagement
Creating new connections at Future World
Contributing to a worthy cause, PENCIL connecting businesses with Metro Nashville Public Schools
Just one of the 50+ workshops and presentations at Future World
Richard Culatta engaging attendees with his opening keynote
Dr. Kiesha King moderating an insightful fireside chat, bringing together the education-to-workplace ecosystem
The fireside chat panel pauses for a photo op at Future World
Richard Culatta
Innovator, Tech Futurist, and Author
Richard Culatta
Innovator, Tech Futurist, and Author
Richard Culatta is an internationally recognized learning innovator and tech futurist. His work centers around using technology to empower people and accelerate problem solving. Culatta is the CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) + ASCD, a nonprofit organization focusing on using technology to improve learning opportunities around the world. Culatta served as the first Chief Innovation Officer for his home state of Rhode Island, where he gained national attention for pioneering strategies for using technology to help government be more responsive and collaborative.
Culatta was appointed by President Obama as the Executive Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education. In that capacity, he focused on expanding internet connectivity to schools across the US and developed a national ed tech plan to make learning more equitable and engaging. He also pioneered new opportunities for the tech industry to engage with the Department of Education to address tough problems, including bringing top game designers from around the world to the White House to help re-design testing and learning materials.
Richard’s new book Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World (HBR Press) uncovers the challenges with our current approaches to preparing young people to be effective humans in virtual spaces and presents a path to a healthier and more civil future digital world. Culatta holds degrees in humanities and instructional technology from Brigham Young University. He serves as a senior fellow at NYU’s GovLab, design resident for the global design firm IDEO, and Innovation Dean for the Masie Learning Collaborative. He is married to the violinist Shaundra Baird Culatta, and the two live in Virginia where they spend most of their free time running around after their four children.
Preparing Students for the Future of Work
As U.S. Head of Strategic Engagement and Market Development at Apple, and former leader of one of the largest digital equity initiatives in U.S. history at T‑Mobile, Dr. King brings deep expertise at the intersection of education, policy, and large-scale transformation. A Forbes contributor, Harvard guest lecturer, and FCC Digital Equity Honoree, she offers a powerful, real-world perspective on driving meaningful change across systems.
Education and Workforce Innovation Leader
WHERE FUTURE READINESS CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN
Future World is where the readiness movement converges—a national gathering of educators, employers, higher-ed leaders, and innovators defining what it means to be future ready. Immerse yourself in two-and-a-half days of learning, networking, and activation.
- Keynote sessions: Visionary voices exploring the future of learning, work, and human potential.
- Curated learning: In-depth, real-world sessions aligned to core conference themes, designed to spark new thinking and deliver practical takeaways.
- Future readiness partners: A curated group of partners advancing future-ready learning, workforce, and credentialing solutions—integrated into the program and conference experience.
- Interactive workshops: Facilitated, hands-on sessions focused on skill-building, applied learning, and translating ideas into action.
- Networking & connection: Intentional meetups, roundtables, and evening gatherings designed to foster meaningful conversation and collaboration.
FUTURE WORLD PARTNERS
Shaping the future of education and workforce alignment together.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Future World partners don’t just sponsor an event—they join a national conversation shaping the future of education and workforce alignment.
Why sponsor?
Ensure your brand's at the center of the future readiness conversation. Show up where the most influential decision-makers, innovators, and educators connect.
For sponsorship details email futureworld@xello.world
FAQs
- Future World, presented by Xello, is a new national conference dedicated to strengthening K–12 career and college readiness.
- Our inaugural event took place July 22–24, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. Planning is underway for 2027.
- Future World is not a product user conference—it’s a gathering designed to bring together educators, district leaders, higher education, employers, and policy innovators to explore the future of student readiness.
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Future World is designed for anyone shaping college, career, and life-readiness pathways for students, including:
- K–12 counselors and CTE leaders
- School and district administrators
- Higher-education and community college partners
- Workforce, industry, and employer representatives
- Government and nonprofit organizations supporting student readiness
- Most attendees are decision-makers and influencers responsible for driving CCR strategy in their schools, districts, or organizations.
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Future World offers a mix of inspiration, practical learning, and collaboration:
- Visionary voices exploring the future of learning, work, and human potential
- In-depth sessions aligned to core conference themes, designed to spark new thinking and deliver practical takeaways
- Facilitated, hands-on sessions focused on skill-building, applied learning, and translating ideas into action
- A curated group of partners advancing future-ready learning, workforce, and credentialing solutions
- Intentional meetups, roundtables, and evening gatherings designed to foster meaningful conversation and collaboration
- Xello created Future World to help advance and unify the national conversation on student readiness.
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The goal is to:
- Bring together leaders across education, industry, and policy
- Foster collaboration and innovation around emerging CCR trends
- Highlight best practices and real-world implementation models
- Strengthen alignment between K–12 education and the future workforce
- Future World is the only national event dedicated to uniting K–12, higher education, workforce, and industry around the shared mission of preparing every student for future success.
- Unlike traditional conferences focused on a single sector, Future World brings all CCR stakeholders into one space to collaborate, solve challenges, and map out what readiness should look like in the years ahead.
- Attendees can expect a blend of thought leadership, practical frameworks, and cross-sector innovation — all designed to elevate and accelerate student readiness efforts.
- 2027 pricing will be posted soon.
- Yes. Future World offers several sponsorship levels including, Presenting, Gold, Silver, and Exhibitors.
- A-la-carte opportunities will be available as well, such as, Wi-Fi sponsorships, receptions, and attendee experiences.
- Organizations interested in sponsoring can email futureworld@xello.world for details.
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Future World is designed to support and elevate district CCR efforts through:
- Research, frameworks, and practical sessions
- Professional development for counselors, CTE educators, and CCR teams
- Opportunities to share district successes and innovations
- Networking with national leaders, employers, and peer districts
- It is not a sales event — it is a learning and leadership experience.
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Yes. A call for 2027 proposals will be made in the coming months. Session categories will include:
- District leadership panels
- CTE and counseling roundtables
- CCR implementation and best-practice sessions
- Innovation and case-study presentations
- For any questions about Future World, please reach out to the Xello team at futureworld@xello.world or visit our event website for updates.
PROUDLY PRESENTED BY XELLO
