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Ray Batra
Co-Founder, Future of Higher Ed
Ray Batra is a prominent figure in the education sector, currently serving on the Advisory Board at Interplay Learning. He is also the Co-Founder of the Future of Higher Ed, a global community aimed at advancing higher education through collaboration among founders, operators, and investors. This initiative has grown to include over 2,000 members since its inception in September 2018.1
Batra has a diverse professional background, having founded ShiftUp, a job training system that was acquired by Springboard in September 2023. His previous roles include working as a Venture Associate at Entangled Group and contributing to EdSurge, an edtech media startup. He has also engaged in various advisory roles with organizations like Teach For America and the College Board, focusing on educational innovation and community development.1
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Michigan, where he also completed minors in Business and Urban Studies. His early career included internships with the U.S. Department of Education and the City of Detroit, showcasing his commitment to public service and education reform.1
Highlights
Future of Higher Ed just hit two milestones: 3,000 members, and our first local conference is now in the books :)
Thanks to everyone who made last weekend's inaugural FOHE Boston Summit a success - especially our event crew Hannah Newman, PMP Michael Goldstein David Shacklette Jake Weissbourd Jeff Dieffenbach, FOHE Boston Co-Lead Kaitlin Dumont, and sponsors Michael Larsson (Duet) and Marjorie Ringrose (Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation) 🙏
Apply here to join: www.fohe.org
~6 years ago I started ShiftUp.
It’s been a helluva run. What started as a side project for youth mentorship in Detroit turned into the first “Learning Gym,” and then into a partnership with the National Association of Workforce Boards to help modernize America’s job training system for the unemployed. Our ShiftUp community rolled with the COVID punches, re-launched in Washington DC, and began scaling operations to three states.
Earlier this year, Springboard acquired ShiftUp.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the outcome we wanted. ShiftUp finally hit a wall I couldn’t overcome. Though I joined Springboard with our company assets in the acquisition, ShiftUp wound down operations. Now I’m leaving Springboard, and turning my attention more fully to another side venture I co-founded five years ago: the Future of Higher Ed community (FOHE, www.fohe.org).
FOHE’s mission is to accelerate higher-ed innovation. Today, incredibly, FOHE has grown organically to become the largest global community of its type – 2,000 founders, execs, and practitioners engaged in postsecondary innovation. We’re active 24/7 online, as well as now in-person with 12 FOHE local groups in cities all over the world, and a bi-annual summit.
To everyone who supported me and ShiftUp until now, to my FOHE co-founder Jake Weissbourd, and to Springboard–thank you.
