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EdTech Exchange x The Key Group: How do we empower humans on the AI journey?
When
Thursday, 18 June 4:30pm - 7:00pmWhere
The Conservatory, Folgate StreetPrice
£5.00Join EdTech Exchange a BESA initative and The Key Group for an evening of insight, discussion and connection, exploring how founders and leaders are preparing for an AI‑first future.
Bringing together EdTech founders, education suppliers, technologists and sector leaders, the session will examine the skills that matter now, and those that will define the next generation of EdTech businesses.
Our panel, ‘Tech skills that matter now (and beyond)’, will explore how the rapid growth of AI is reshaping roles, expectations and leadership across the education sector.
Discussion topics will include:
- How to prepare for jobs in an AI‑first world, including what new entry‑level roles in EdTech might look like
- The skills and support needed to scale and sustain growing businesses
- Job displacement within the education sector and what this means for suppliers
- The changing expectations of boards, investors and product teams
The evening will also feature short mini‑note presentations from selected community submissions, followed by informal networking and drinks.
Key takeaways:
- Practical insight into the tech and leadership skills that matter most right now
- Real‑world perspectives on how AI is changing roles and organisations
- Peer learning from founders and leaders facing similar challenges
- Valuable connections through relaxed, informal networking
Speakers
Chair: Matthew Koster-Marcon, CEO, Learning Ladders Education
Matt is the Founding CEO of Learning Ladders Education, an award-winning EdTech platform that improves school assessment data management and parental involvement in learning for International Schools across Early Years, Primary and Lower Secondary. He is a former teacher, education author, speaker, Trustee at the charity School Home Support, and is also Chair of Governors at his local school. Matt has been a member of the Executive Council since 2017, and served as Chair of the EdTech Special Interest Group for 5 years. He was voted by BESA members to be Vice Chair in 2024.
Chris Kenyon, CEO, The Key Group
Chris Kenyon joined The Key Group in February 2019 to build on its mission of supporting better decision-making and ways of working in British schools. With a background in technology, Chris has welcomed Arbor, GovernorHub, Integris, TimeTabler, SAMpeople and Habitude into the group. The Key Group now provides services to over 20,000 schools, including over 12,000 that use Arbor, the UK’s market-leading cloud-based MIS. Chris is deeply involved in developing AI-based solutions within the group, both for existing products such as Ask Arbor and KeyGPT, and those developed in-house, such as Robin Education.
Previously, Chris was responsible for the commercial growth of Ubuntu, the world’s leading cloud operating system. Chris is also a governor of a Primary School in North London.
Dawn Taylor, Founder and Director, Challenge Innovate Grow
Dawn Taylor is a recognised voice on AI in education and an EdTech advisor working at the intersection of pedagogy, assessment, and technology. With a background in school leadership, she brings a rare dual perspective—understanding both the realities of classrooms and the strategic demands of edtech development. She works with schools, trusts, and international organisations to navigate the profound shifts AI is bringing to teaching and learning, with a focus on governance, assessment, and protecting the integrity of the learning process. In parallel, she advises edtech companies on product design, pedagogical alignment, and go-to-market strategy, ensuring their solutions are credible, effective, and aligned with how learning actually happens. Her work bridges the gap between education and technology—translating classroom needs into product insight, and product capability into meaningful educational impact.
Sponsors & Supporters
The Key Group brings together a portfolio of education-focused companies supporting over 20,000 schools – and around 80% of schools in England. This portfolio includes Arbor, The Key, GovernorHub, SAMpeople and Robin Education. United by a belief that schools deserve the very best tools and content, we invest in great teams to build products that solve real problems and help all schools thrive, taking an AI-first approach to development.
Welcome to EdTech Exchange, a vibrant community of EdTech founders and others working in the education sector. Our community houses a wealth of talent and original thinkers from the UK and overseas, with opportunities to meet in person and online, explore and potentially create new opportunities and ways of growing, discuss current challenges, work out the solutions and learn from each other, and sometimes, to simply catch up and wind down with old friends and new.
By joining the EdTech Exchange community, you are making a commitment to improve outcomes for learners and educators through EdTech.
If you are already a member, why not tell someone else about EdTech Exchange and get them to sign-up as a member too, it’s free! The more members the merrier, especially when it comes to our fantastic networking events.
Agenda
4:30pm
Guest arrival & check in
4:45pm
Welcome to the EdTech Exchange community
Matthew Koster-Marcon, CEO, Learning Ladders Education
5:00pm
Panel: Tech skills that matter now (and beyond)
This panel will explore how an AI‑first world is reshaping jobs, skills and leadership across the education sector. The panel will discuss what new entry‑level roles in EdTech may look like, the skills boards and investors need to support scaling businesses, and how job displacement is affecting education suppliers. Offering practical insight for founders and leaders navigating rapid change.
Panellists:
– Chris Kenyon, CEO, The Key Group
– Dominic Bristow, CEO, Stylus
– Lee Newman, Harper Collins Publishers
5:30pm
Mini-note presentations
Facilitated by: Dawn Taylor, Founder and Director, Challenge Innovate Grow
6:00pm
Informal networking & drinks reception
7:00pm
Close of event
To ask any questions, please email eventsteam@besa.org.uk.
