Higher Education Innovation Leader & CEO of University Innovation Alliance; Advisor on College Completion & Workforce Readiness; Host of "Innovating Together" Podcast
Bridget Burns Biography
Dr. Bridget Burns is a leader in higher education innovation and the founding CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, a national coalition of 19 public research universities focused on scaling solutions to improve college completion, workforce readiness, and U.S. economic competitiveness. Burns' work centers on translating innovation into institutional change, supporting universities in delivering stronger workforce outcomes and increasing the return on public investment. Drawing on her background growing up in a low-income family, Burns works to transform higher education's approach to innovation and change, with a focus on serving low-income, first-generation, and students of color.
Under Burns' leadership, the University Innovation Alliance has helped member institutions produce more than 183,000 additional graduates, significantly increasing completion rates for students from low-income backgrounds. The alliance has also contributed to a 43 percent increase in graduates from low-income backgrounds and an 89 percent increase in graduates from historically underrepresented groups. Burns has advised university presidents, system chancellors, and policy leaders on strategies to expand access, address costs, and promote completion for students of all backgrounds.
Before founding the University Innovation Alliance, Burns held roles in higher education policy and administration, including serving as an American Council on Education Fellow at Arizona State University and as senior policy advisor and chief of staff for the Oregon University System. She led governance reforms and received the Edward Crawford Award for innovation in government relations. Burns has also served as a national associate for the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and as an advisor to the Institute for College Access and Success. Her service includes appointments to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education and the Oregon Student Assistance Commission.
Burns' work has been recognized in national conversations about the future of higher education. She was named one of the "16 Most Innovative People in Higher Education" by Washington Monthly and one of the "35 Leading Women in Higher Education" by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, 60 Minutes, and the documentary "Unlikely." Burns has been published by Forbes.com, Educause Magazine, and EdSurge.
Burns is an international keynote speaker who shares insights from the University Innovation Alliance to support change and innovation in higher education. She is the executive producer and host of the "Innovating Together" podcast and the show "Weekly Wisdom," broadcast on Inside Higher Ed. Burns addresses policymakers, university leaders, and public audiences, offering experience and data-driven insight on higher education reform, student success, and institutional innovation.
Bridget Burns Speaking Topics
-
Transforming Higher Education Around Student Success
Dr. Bridget Burns will draw upon her extensive experience working across the most innovative universities in higher education, helping you clarify what to focus on, the key questions your institution needs to ask, and the first steps you should take. This keynote session will not only leave you energized to begin implementing new strategies, it will give you the tools you need to roll up your sleeves and begin the work.
You’ll learn how to:
- Create the time, space and structure for innovation
- Sustainably support student-centered transformation
- Start small and scale your efforts to create massive change without overwhelm
- Surface key questions to support a more innovative culture on your campus
-
Innovating Higher Education for the New Normal
- Leveraging proven tactics to enable sustainable innovation and progress (despite burnout and a rapidly changing context).
- How higher education can shift and adapt to meet the needs of new majority learners, adult learners, and the students of the future.
- The key questions institutions should be asking themselves to navigate, survive, and lead in the new normal.
- Reimagining higher education to meet the needs of future learners in the new normal (flexible, bite sized, and digitally enabled).
Bridget Burns Videos
-
How do I book Bridget Burns to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Bridget Burns for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Bridget Burns, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Bridget Burns or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Bridget Burns
Speaking fees for Bridget Burns, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Bridget Burns are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Bridget Burns, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Bridget Burns speak about?
Bridget Burns is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Civil Rights, College, Disruptive Thinking, Diversity & Inclusion, Education, Executive Leadership, Influential Women, Innovation, Social Activism, Social Justice, Thought Leadership -
Where does Bridget Burns travel from?
Bridget Burns generally travels from Scottsdale, AZ, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Bridget Burns’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Bridget Burns for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Bridget Burns for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Bridget Burns or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Bridget Burns is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Transforming Higher Education Around Student Success, Innovating Higher Education for the New Normal, How Higher Education Can Thrive in the Future of Higher Education and Leading Innovation & Change (No Matter Where You Sit on the Org Chart). The estimated speaking fee range to book Bridget Burns for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Bridget Burns generally travels from Scottsdale, AZ, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Shiza Shahid, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Kimberley Doyle, Jamira Burley and Maria Teresa Kumar. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Bridget Burns for an upcoming live or virtual event.
This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.








