Future-Ready Learning Takes Center Stage at Emerging EdTech Symposium

The Emerging EdTech Symposium, held on May 6, 2025, in Montvale, NJ, brought together district and school leaders from across the Tri-State area for a powerful day of innovation in AI, STEM, cybersecurity, and classroom technology. Hosted by Eduscape and SHARP Business Systems, the event showcased cutting-edge ideas and practical strategies for transforming education through emerging technologies.

EntreEd was proud to be represented at the event by Strategic Advisor to the Board of Directors, Neferteri Strickland, who delivered the keynote session titled “Divergent Thinking: Equipping Students for an AI-Transformed Workforce.”

Strickland, an influential voice in K–12 cybersecurity career advocacy, national entrepreneurship education standards, and inclusive curriculum development, challenged educators to reimagine classrooms as launchpads for innovation and adaptability. Her talk wove together poetic insight and practical strategy, underscoring the importance of preparing students not just to use technology, but to lead with it.

“  Once upon a time, not far in the past, a spark met a system too small to outlast our teachers lit torches and founders built fire from chalkboard to chip set the stakes climbed ever higher. They taught code like craft and treated questions like gold. Turned errors to insight. Turning, timid, bold. Scribbling on napkins and entrepreneur's dream. Today's students rewired for tomorrow's technical schemes. This isn't a fairytale total for delight. It's tomorrow's blueprint we're building in real time with your real insight.”

Strickland’s keynote explored how entrepreneurship education fosters divergent thinking, encouraging students to take initiative, solve problems creatively, and adapt with purpose. As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and work itself, she emphasized that equipping students with experiential learning opportunities and an entrepreneurial mindset is key to unlocking their potential.

Drawing on her experience across military, nonprofit, and higher education sectors, she pointed to the surprising speed of AI integration in K–12, while calling out the lag in higher education. She challenged educators to reflect on the human dimension of teaching in the age of machines:

“ The dream that AI could teach students effectively neglects the importance of learning how in order to learn that teachers are also role models to flourish in the future. Societies will need people who have learned to think and not, or not just intelligent machines.”

EntreEd applauds the event organizers for curating a day of inspiration and practical insight, and commends Neferteri Strickland for her continued leadership in aligning entrepreneurship education with emerging technologies.

Click to Watch on YouTube 

About EntreEd

The National Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education, doing business as EntreEd, serves as the compass and campfire for the national entrepreneurship education ecosystem. 

For media or partnership inquiries, please contact:

Megan Westbrook – [email protected]