The Next Chapter
A Conference for Higher Ed Professionals Navigating Institutional Change and Personal Transition
November 4–5, 2026 | The Saint Hotel, New Orleans, LA
You didn’t choose the never-ending CHANGE.
But you DO get to CHOOSE what comes next.
Higher education is in the middle of one of the most significant periods of change in its history. Budgets are shifting. Roles are disappearing, merging, and being reinvented. The institutions that many of us dedicated our careers to look different than they did five years ago — and they will look different again five years from now.
The Next Chapter is a conference built for the people living through that reality — the people in the middle of it figuring out what to hold on to, what to let go of, and what to start building.
“What is changing around you right now that you did not choose?”
That’s the question we start with. And it opens up something most professional conferences never make room for: an honest conversation about what institutional change actually feels like — and what it takes to lead, adapt, and move forward with intention.
You belong in this room.
Faculty & Staff
Navigating change at your institution — questioning what your role looks like now and what it could become.
Administrators & Leaders
Driving transformation from within — carrying the weight of change while living through it personally.
Builders & Explorers
Already building something new — a consulting practice, a nonprofit, a side venture, or still figuring out what that is.
You don’t need to have it figured out. You just need to be willing to start the conversation.
We are coming to New Orleans. 🎵
Day 1 — Nov 4
Pre-Conference: VIP Leadership Workshop + Opening Plenary
Day 2 — Nov 5
Full Conference & Networking Event — open to all attendees
New Orleans is more than a backdrop — it’s a city that knows something about reinvention. We couldn’t think of a better place to talk about what comes next.
Two days of work that matters.
Day 1 opens with a VIP Leadership Experience — an intimate, facilitated workshop for up to 30 leaders driving institutional change. The afternoon brings all attendees together for an opening plenary and evening reception. Day 2 is the full conference: plenary sessions, breakout tracks, peer working sessions, and 1:1 consultation with coaches. Every session is designed so you leave with something concrete.
Entrepreneurial Track
Surface, develop, and pressure-test what you’re building.
A new program, a consulting practice, a nonprofit, a role you want to create.
Institutional Track
Lead change without losing people along the way.
Frameworks for driving change, communicating through disruption, and breaking down silos.
Two organizations. One mission.
Higher Education Networking Collective
Founded by Dr. Alex Fronduto
HENC is an independent 501(c)(3) that brings together professionals from across institutions and functional areas to tackle the real challenges facing higher ed today. Our mission: break down silos across higher education, one conversation at a time.
higheredcollective.org →You Are HigherED!
Founded by Ella Epshteyn, EdD
You Are HigherED! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering current, transitioning, and “recovering” educators, academics, and administrators to achieve their fullest potential through professional development, mentorship, and entrepreneurship support.
youarehighered.org →The Next Chapter is the first major collaboration between these two organizations — and the beginning of something larger.
Organizations making The Next Chapter possible
Interested in sponsoring The Next Chapter? Contact us to learn more.
Your next chapter starts here.
Join a room full of higher education professionals who are ready to lead, adapt, and build what comes next. Registration is handled through our partners at You Are HigherED!
Register Now
Higher Education Networking Collective (HENC), Inc. 