Austin Community College District (ACC) Executive Vice Chancellor for the Future, Dr. Monique Reeves, took ACC’s vision for the future of higher education and workforce development to a national stage in May. She presented at the prestigious Next Level Lab (NLL) Learning Summit hosted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
“Educators, researchers, and industry leaders from across the nation — including colleagues from Harvard — leaned in with thoughtful questions and a shared sense of urgency,” said Dr. Reeves. “Their engagement affirmed what so many of us have believed for a long time: that ACC stands as a leading institution in supporting neurodiverse learners, and that our approach offers a model worth studying and scaling.”
The summit gathered leaders from higher education, workforce development, and industry to explore how institutions can better prepare learners for a rapidly changing economy. Dr. Reeves presented alongside experts from Boston College, Harvard University, and Cool.org.
Her presentation, “The $122 Billion Misunderstanding: Why Higher Education Holds the Key to America’s Untapped Labor Pool,” highlighted ACC’s work supporting neurodiverse learners through transformational coaching, applied learning, and student-centered support systems.
The presentation focused on one of the nation’s most pressing workforce challenges: connecting neurodivergent talent to meaningful employment opportunities. Dr. Reeves highlighted that while more than 50,000 autistic Americans enter the workforce each year, only a small percentage secure full-time employment. This is not because of a lack of ability, but because educational and hiring systems were not designed with them in mind.
“There is something deeply hopeful about gathering with fellow practitioners who believe, as we do, that talent is everywhere — but opportunity is not. Conversations like these remind us that higher education still has the power to open doors, change lives, and shape the future of work in this country,” said Dr. Reeves.
Dr. Reeves highlighted ACC initiatives like Transformational Coaching and ACC GROW as examples of how colleges can build more inclusive pathways that better connect students to long-term success.
“The work we are doing here at ACC matters, not just to our students, but to the future of this country,” said Dr. Reeves.
The invitation reflects ACC’s growing national leadership in future-focused education, workforce innovation, and student success.
Photos from the summit and Dr. Reeves’ presentation slideshow are included below.
