CEO Leonard Pagon joins education industry discussion exploring how leading universities move from AI pilots to enterprise-scale platforms with governance and speed

CLEVELAND, April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Robots & Pencils, an applied AI engineering partner known for high-velocity delivery and measurable outcomes in complex institutional environments, today announced that its CEO, Leonard Pagon, will participate in a panel discussion at the ASU-GSV Summit, a premier global event focused on the intersection of education, technology, and workforce innovation.

As a seasoned operator who has built and scaled technology-driven companies, Pagon will share practical insights on how universities are operationalizing AI across institutional systems while maintaining governance, security, and accessibility.

What Education Leaders Will Learn at ASU-GSV

The panel discussion, “ASU CreateAI Platform. An Enterprise Strategy for Designing AI for Everyone at Scale,” will take place Tuesday, April 14, 2026, from 10:00 to 10:40 AM at the Manchester Grand Hyatt.

Pagon will be joined by Kyle Bowen, Deputy CIO, Arizona State University; Matthew Gee, Director, U.S. Program Data, Gates Foundation; Stephanie Khurana, CEO, Axim Collaborative; and Elizabeth Reilley, Chief AI Officer, University of North Carolina. The panel will be moderated by Lev Gonick, Enterprise CIO, Arizona State University.

The session centers on the real-world mechanics of enterprise AI in higher education, including:

How institutions connect AI across SIS, LMS, CRM, and operational systems
Governance models that allow rapid experimentation without losing institutional control
Real examples that enable non-technical users to design and deploy AI solutions
The growing role of agentic AI in strengthening institutional resilience and operational efficiency

“A lot of AI activity in higher education is happening at the use case level, which creates fragmentation across the institution.” said Pagon. “The real shift is building platforms that bring those efforts together and make AI work inside everyday institutional constraints. The impact shows up when AI moves from pilots into production systems that perform, with the right guardrails in place.”

Scaling AI Across the University with Governance and Control

Robots & Pencils has worked with Arizona State University since 2019 on cloud-native architecture, platform modernization, and applied AI initiatives that improve the student experience and strengthen institutional operations. This collaboration has produced practical insight into how universities move from small pilots to enterprise AI programs through platforms that support rapid innovation while maintaining strong governance, security, and accessibility standards.

From Experimentation to Enterprise AI

Institutions are increasingly looking to AI to improve student support, reduce manual processes, and extend staff capacity without increasing headcount. The ASU-GSV Summit brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and education leaders who are shaping the future of learning and workforce development through technology.

Higher education leaders are moving quickly to modernize operations, improve student experience, and prepare graduates for an AI-driven economy. Enterprise AI platforms give universities a structured way to design, deploy, and govern AI solutions across departments while enabling faculty, staff, and researchers to use AI in their day-to-day work with security, compliance, and accessibility built in. This approach enables institutions to scale AI in higher education with clarity, control, and speed.

Robots & Pencils team members will be onsite throughout the April 12 through April 15 event. Education leaders attending ASU-GSV can connect with Robots & Pencils to explore how enterprise AI platforms and applied AI solutions scale across institutions, edtech platforms, publishers, and workforce organizations.

Schedule time with the Robots & Pencils team at ASU-GSV.

About Robots & Pencils

Robots & Pencils is an Applied AI Engineering Partner that builds AI systems designed for enterprise velocity and measurable business impact. With delivery centers in Canada, the United States, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, and partnerships with AWS, Salesforce, Databricks, and leading technology platforms, the company combines world-class UX with elite engineering talent for rapid, enterprise-grade delivery. Founded in 2009, Robots & Pencils has earned the trust of leaders in Agriculture, Business Services, Education & EdTech, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Nonprofit, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Hospitality & Entertainment, Manufacturing & Industrial, Real Estate, Retail & Consumer Goods, Software & Technology, Telecomm & Media, and Transportational Logistics industries, gaining a reputation as a high-velocity alternative to traditional global systems integrators. Visit robotsandpencils.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

Contact: Scott Young
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