New York's leading education innovation festival returns October 20–22, 2025 with expanded AI upskilling and training for educators. The initiative engages 100,000 education and workforce leaders to prepare students for the AI-driven economy.
NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- StartEd and Teachers College, Columbia University are proud to partner again for EDTECH WEEK, taking place October 20–22, 2025 in New York City. For the first time, the four-day festival will be hosted at Columbia University, creating an expansive new hub for connection, learning, and innovation.
This year's event builds on the success of 10 years of EDTECH WEEK and introduces an ambitious expansion of the AI for Educators & Employers initiative—an educator-led, national effort to prepare 100,000 educators and workforce leaders for the AI-driven economy.
On the first day of EDTECH WEEK, over 2,000 educators will be selected to convene for focused, hands-on programming centered around AI literacy and professional development.
Through tactical workshops, conversations with AI training providers and employers, and real-world certification experiences, this initiative is designed to ensure educators are not just reacting to AI—but helping lead its responsible implementation and forging deeper partnerships between educators and employers.
"This moment calls for more than just AI awareness—it calls for bold leadership from educators, faculty, and administrators, working in partnership with employers to prepare students for what's next," said Ash Kaluarachchi, CEO of StartEd and founding producer of EDTECH WEEK. "Together with Teachers College, we're creating space for thousands of education leaders and employers to gain hands-on experience with AI, shape future-ready schools, and ensure this technology strengthens—not replaces—the human connection at the heart of learning and work."
"This partnership between StartEd and Teachers College enables us to work together to meet this extraordinary moment for educators and classrooms," said Thomas Bailey, president of Teachers College, Columbia University. "AI has great potential as a tool for teaching and learning, and skilled teachers are a vital component in helping students to be creative, critical thinkers as they navigate this next chapter of digital innovation. We are eager to provide educators with the preparation necessary to achieve that end."
Now in its 11th year, EDTECH WEEK brings together founders, funders, educators, employers, and policymakers for a multi-day celebration of learning, innovation, and community-building. 2025 programming highlights include:
- 200+ World-Class Speakers: Hear from visionary founders, district leaders, technologists, investors, and workforce experts tackling the most pressing issues in education.
- The StartEd CEO Summit: An invite-only gathering of top EdTech CEOs leading companies with an annual revenue of $10M+.
- Shark Tank Pitch Competitions with Top Investors: Watch early-stage EdTech startups pitch their ideas live to a panel of leading investors.
- The EDTECH WEEK Expo: Meet the CEOs behind the biggest innovations in EdTech, try out new products, and connect directly with the founders shaping the next generation of EdTech.
- A Centralized Festival Hub at Columbia University: For the first time, EDTECH WEEK will unfold across the Columbia University campus—including exclusive programming at Teachers College—expanding access and visibility across NYC's education ecosystem.
For more information about EDTECH WEEK 2025, including registration details and the full event schedule, please visit www.edtechweek.com.
To learn more about the AI for Educators Summit, visit: www.edtechweek.com/ai-for-educators-summit
About StartEd and EDTECH WEEK
StartEd grows and exits companies that solve the biggest problems in education and workforce learning—our north star is founder success. We advise and execute alongside innovators at every point in the journey of building an organization that makes an impact, to ensure equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. Our members access community, capital, connections, and culture via a network of industry-leading operators and investors, whom we gather at EDTECH WEEK. For more information, please visit started.com.
About Teachers College, Columbia University
Founded in 1887, Teachers College, Columbia University, the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States, is perennially ranked among the nation's best. Teachers College engages in research and prepares professionals in its three main areas of expertise—education, health, and psychology— to work with public and private entities in local, national, and global communities and inform public policy. Students choose from among 150 separate programs to earn graduate degrees, which are conferred by Columbia University. While it is closely affiliated with Columbia University and collaborates with it on many programs, the College is an independent, autonomous institution with a separate, independent governing board, president, and financial endowment.
Media Contact
Ash Kaluarachchi, Started Companies, Inc., 1 2025312405, [email protected], www.edtechweek.com
Teachers College, Columbia University, [email protected], www.tc.columbia.edu
SOURCE StartEd and Teachers College
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