500+ College Presidents interviewed
Higher Education Keynote Speaker
Advocate for higher education.
25 years across institutions and edtech.
About Joe Sallustio, Ed.D.
About Me
I've spent 25 years in higher education. Over the last seven, I've been asking 500 college presidents the questions they don't get asked on a stage.
That combination is the point. I'm not an outside observer of this sector. As Chief Experience Officer, I led a division covering nearly every function a student touches, from admissions and e
I've spent 25 years in higher education. Over the last seven, I've been asking 500 college presidents the questions they don't get asked on a stage.
That combination is the point. I'm not an outside observer of this sector. As Chief Experience Officer, I led a division covering nearly every function a student touches, from admissions and enrollment to marketing, financial aid, registration, advising, retention, and student affairs. I built online infrastructure for adult learners with non-standard terms and competency-based programs, brought marketing and enrollment in-house from an outsourced provider without losing a step, and sat on the team that closed a college acquisition. Before that, I was EVP and COO of a university, VP of enrollment, and VP of marketing.
In 2020, I co-founded The EdUp Experience on the idea that higher education's leaders needed somewhere to talk honestly, without a communications office in the room. Seven years later, it's one of the most recognized media platforms in the sector, with 1,400+ higher education leaders interviewed and more than 500 of them sitting presidents and chancellors. Those conversations give me an unfiltered read on what's happening inside institutions, from the people accountable for it.
That work grew into two more ventures. EdUp Leadership turns the archive into searchable intelligence for leaders and boards. HigherEd PodCon convenes the people building higher education's media around how the sector tells its own story.
Today, as Chief of Industry Engagement at Ellucian, I work at the intersection of technology, leadership, and policy.
WHAT I DO ON STAGE
I keynote and moderate for conferences, boards, cabinets, and system offices on AI, enrollment strategy, governance, and where this sector is actually headed. I also run AI bootcamps for leadership teams that need to get from anxiety to a plan. I'd rather leave a room with a few people genuinely uncomfortable and the rest holding something they can use Monday.
WHAT I BELIEVE
Higher education is worth defending, out loud, by people who understand how it actually operates. I've spent my career serving adult learners and the institutions that take them seriously.
THREE BOOKS
Beyond Survival - Reporting From The Front Lines Of Higher Education's War For Relevance
Digital Transformation for Colleges & Universities: How Boards Shape Strategy For Success
Commencement - The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education
The EdUp Experience
Dr. Joe Sallustio is the Co-Founder, Host, and Co-Producer of America's Leading Higher Education Podcast and America's Leading Higher Education Podcast Network. Beginning in January of 2020, The EdUp Experience has grown to surpass 750,000 streams (August 2026) of its episodes and counting, interviewing leaders from all across higher edu
Dr. Joe Sallustio is the Co-Founder, Host, and Co-Producer of America's Leading Higher Education Podcast and America's Leading Higher Education Podcast Network. Beginning in January of 2020, The EdUp Experience has grown to surpass 750,000 streams (August 2026) of its episodes and counting, interviewing leaders from all across higher education and beyond.
The EdUp Experience Podcast Network is an independent podcast network partnering with the brightest and most influential leaders and creators across education. With over 24 shows in the network, our collective goal is to facilitate positive educational change and inspire lifelong learning through podcasts, live casts, and other mediums.
EdUp Leadership
EdUp Leadership
Joe is Co-Founder of EdUp Leadership - the intelligence platform he built alongside co-founder Elvin Freytes from six years of presidential conversations on The EdUp Experience Podcast.
The platform gives higher education leaders direct access to the collective wisdom of 500+ college and university presidents — synthesized by AI, searchabl
Joe is Co-Founder of EdUp Leadership - the intelligence platform he built alongside co-founder Elvin Freytes from six years of presidential conversations on The EdUp Experience Podcast.
The platform gives higher education leaders direct access to the collective wisdom of 500+ college and university presidents — synthesized by AI, searchable by theme, and deliverable as a branded intelligence report in 30 seconds.
Ask the AI any question about higher education leadership. Generate a personalized PDF for your institution and challenge.
Search 500+ presidential interviews by theme, institution type, and topic.
Available on the web and the Apple App Store.
edupleadership.com
HigherEd PodCon
Digital Transformation for Colleges and Universities -How Governing Boards Shape Strategy for Success
EdUp Leadership
Joe is the Co-Founder of HigherEd PodCon - the first national conference created exclusively for podcasting and digital media creators in higher education. Launched in 2025, it gathers faculty, administrators, students, and podcast professionals to explore how colleges and universities use podcasts for teaching and learning, recruitment,
Joe is the Co-Founder of HigherEd PodCon - the first national conference created exclusively for podcasting and digital media creators in higher education. Launched in 2025, it gathers faculty, administrators, students, and podcast professionals to explore how colleges and universities use podcasts for teaching and learning, recruitment, alumni engagement, and institutional storytelling.
Through focused tracks on strategy, content, technology, and analytics—plus live recordings, awards, and networking—HigherEd PodCon offers a hands-on, community-driven experience where higher ed podcasters can sharpen their craft and leave with concrete playbooks, templates, and ideas to bring back to campus.
Digital Transformation for Colleges and Universities -How Governing Boards Shape Strategy for Success
Digital Transformation for Colleges and Universities -How Governing Boards Shape Strategy for Success
Digital Transformation for Colleges and Universities -How Governing Boards Shape Strategy for Success
Now more than ever, higher education governing boards need to know how to evaluate and support their institution’s digital evolution. Higher education is rapidly transforming along with the rest of the world as the fourth industrial revolution (technology) accelerates, driven by advances like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and
Now more than ever, higher education governing boards need to know how to evaluate and support their institution’s digital evolution. Higher education is rapidly transforming along with the rest of the world as the fourth industrial revolution (technology) accelerates, driven by advances like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing.
Trustees and boards do not need to be experts in these trends or their minutiae. They do, however, need to be educated enough to ask probing and insightful questions of administrative leaders at the right time to ensure they are pursuing and developing the right priorities, strategies, systems, and resources to support the transformation of their institutions. The basic nature of teaching, learning, and research is changing, driven by the influence and adoption of new ways of interacting, communicating, and collaborating. Thus, the modes and methods by which a college or university actualizes its mission to serve students, enable cutting-edge research, and sustain vibrant learning communities must also change.
Available NOW
Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education
Digital Transformation for Colleges and Universities -How Governing Boards Shape Strategy for Success
Digital Transformation for Colleges and Universities -How Governing Boards Shape Strategy for Success
Through the Eyes of 100+ College & University Presidents
The colleges and universities providing millions of degree and non-degree credentials each year are a vital backbone of communities and economies. These institutions elevate the critical-thinking capacities of students and learners, and they provide crucial job skills and life skill
Through the Eyes of 100+ College & University Presidents
The colleges and universities providing millions of degree and non-degree credentials each year are a vital backbone of communities and economies. These institutions elevate the critical-thinking capacities of students and learners, and they provide crucial job skills and life skills to emerging workforces.
But the skills we need, the ways in which we collaborate, and the very jobs available to graduates are changing. It’s time for higher education to start anew. It’s time for Commencement into a new era.
Available NOW
Professional Experience
Chief of Industry Engagement
Ellucian
As Chief of Industry Engagement at Ellucian, the global leader in educational technology serving higher education, I am dedicated to shaping the future of learning through digital transformation and dynamic leadership. I drive transformative change across higher education at the intersection of technology, leadership, government relations, and strategic engagement, leveraging my ~25 years of experience in higher education institutions to spearhead industry collaborations, digital initiatives, and enhance institutional success and student outcomes worldwide.
I help guide higher education C-suites via global keynote speaking, moderating, and facilitating engagements—from boardrooms to international higher ed conferences—where I deliver actionable ideas and challenge audiences to reimagine what’s possible.
Vice President of Industry Engagement
Ellucian: 2024-2025
Foster strategic collaborations and drive initiatives to propel the digital evolution of higher education and enhance student outcomes. Ellucian's global influence includes servicing over 22M students.
Senior Vice President & Chief Experience Officer
Lindenwood University: 2022-2024
As the Chief Experience Officer, I worked between all student-facing departments to create a more efficient and student-centered experience at Lindenwood University. Students were at the center of decision-making by synergizing efforts and streamlining communication between departments. I oversaw the areas of residential enrollment, online enrollment, financial aid, student accounts, the center for diversity and inclusion, retention, advising, student affairs, student involvement, and food service.
Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President
Claremont Lincoln University: 2018-2022
Current responsibilities include oversight and administration of system-wide operational performance through strategic leadership in planning, directing, and evaluating the business affairs of Claremont Lincoln University in accordance with its mission and direction from the Board of Directors. Areas of oversight include finance, financial aid, enrollment, marketing, human resources, compliance, student services, information technology, business-to-business relationships, and vendor management (1/2018 - Dec 2021).
**CLU named 2019 Higher Education Marketing Team Of The Year by the American Marketing Association**
Vice President for Enrollment Management & Marketing
National American University: 2015-2018
Guided enrollment, marketing, and operational efforts of the University to realize growth in enrollment, brand recognition, and revenue, by maximizing human potential and re-engineering and streamlining systems. Responsibility for compliance, system consistency, operational efficiency, and increased enrollment and marketing performance for over 40 ground and online campuses spread across the United States (2015-2017).
Vice President of Admissions
Heritage College: 2003-2015
Led and developed 80 staff members comprising the college’s student admissions, staff recruiting, and call center teams. Ensured compliance of admissions decisions with federal, state, and accreditor regulations. Partnered with Campus Executive Directors to advance central business strategy. (2003-2015)
Previous Roles Include:
Various Organizations:
Regional Director of Admissions, National Admissions Team Developer, Admissions Coordinator, Business to Business Sales.
AWARDS
Dr. Joe Sallustio named "EdTech Person of the Year" for 2024 by EdTech Chronicle
EdTech Chronicle’s Best in Education Awards recognize the industry, the partners, and people in education.
The EdUp Experience Named BEST HigherEd Podcast Episode/Show
The EdUp Experience Named BEST HigherEd Podcast Series
The EdUp Experience Named BEST HigherEd Podcast Series
EdTech Chronicle’s Best in Education Awards recognize the industry, the partners, and people in education.