Leading the Future of Education

Jenny Zapf, Faculty and Academic Director, GSE and Wharton, Barbara Bobbi Kurshan, Senior Fellow and Innovation Advisor, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Jenny Zapf is the founding director of Penn’s MSEd/MBA and has an online certificate in education entrepreneurship and innovation from the Graduate School of Education and the Wharton School. She also is faculty in Penn’s online masters in Global Higher Education Management. Zapf specializes in launching next-generation learning programs and preparing entrepreneurial leaders to drive meaningful, future-focused change in education and edtech worldwide.

Dr. Barbara Kurshan is a Senior Fellow and Innovation Advisor at the University of Pennsylvania. A pioneer in education entrepreneurship, she and Dr. Zapf launched the world’s first MSEd/MBA and Global Certificate in Education Entrepreneurship. She brings decades of leadership experience in edtech, venture capital and research to transform how learning evolves globally.

In this interview, Barbara “Bobbi” Kurshan and Jenny Zapf reflect on how a decade of work and relentless innovation has reshaped education at the University of Pennsylvania. Through their leadership, the MSEd/ MBA and Global Certificate in Education Innovation & Entrepreneurship have become launchpads for global changemakers. With a shared belief in learning through research, experimentation, iteration and disruption, they discuss how purpose-driven education can transcend barriers and prepare learners to lead in uncertain times.

Navigating Continuous Uncertainty and an Evolving Competitive Landscape

Over an opportunity-rich and volatile decade, we’ve built and shaped one of the most agile and innovative programs in higher education. Our mission has always been to prepare learners to lead—not only for today’s educational demands but for the unknowns of tomorrow. Together, we bring decades of experience in edtech, systems re/design, entrepreneurship and curricular innovation—anchored in a shared belief that purpose-driven, experiential learning can drive meaningful transformation in education.

As our programs have expanded globally, new challenges have emerged. One of the most pressing recent issues is the growing uncertainty surrounding visa access for international students. This new barrier may have a ripple effect on every aspect of program design and user experience. But that’s part of being innovative in education: working through dynamic complexity and continuously building, testing and redesigning learning experiences that matter.

“Our students are learning to leverage AI to drive meaningful solutions in education, rather than using it for technology alone”

We aim to equip students for today’s entrepreneurial landscape and the challenges and opportunities ahead. When we started this program over a decade ago, there were hardly any competitors. Now, there are many good ones. That motivates us to stay ahead, constantly reimagining what entrepreneurial education can be.

Evolving Curriculum and Embracing a Culture of Change

Our focus is on cultivating a global community of changemakers passionate about understanding, shaping and leading education's future. We’re not interested in replicating the status quo. We’re creating space for disruption, for new thinking, for leaders who thrive amid change. These times are turbulent, but they’re also full of opportunity. Our students are learning to leverage AI to drive meaningful solutions in education rather than using it for technology alone. To stay aligned with that mindset, our curriculum is constantly evolving. Each cohort brings new insights, assets and problems of practice—so no class year-over-year can be identical. We revise based on what’s needed now and tap the best minds and predictive analytics to model what will come next. Our students aren’t just taking courses—they’re simultaneously attending top industry convenings, pitching ideas, building prototypes and gaining market traction. During COVID, we saw what was possible when traditional systems broke down. We’re applying that same energy today by exploring new learning models across time and space.

Innovation inside a university, however, isn’t easy: bureaucracy can stifle creativity. We’ve had to work around outdated practices and policies on what constitutes learning. Still, we’ve built one of the most agile and innovative programs on campus and in the world. While it may look like a typical program from the outside, every component is purpose-built around our students’ goals, dynamic market realities and global pockets of possibility. And we’re proud of that. We’ve spent years working with our faculty to bring an entrepreneurial mindset into teaching. Many were phenomenal scholars but not always using next-generation tech and learning models. We respected their expertise while encouraging experimentation. That delicate balance has paid off in richer learning for everyone involved.

Measuring ROI and Embedding the Five Ps of Venture Success

We often ask ourselves: What’s our ROI? Five years ago, we looked at our MSEd/MBA graduates and our incubator participants. The research showed that the survival rates of the two groups were similar in terms of those who were still leading the companies they began in the program. This is a remarkable success metric - that Ivy League programs can achieve similar results as an ed/edtech accelerator, as well as provide all the rich research-back learning. Today, we have 500+ alumni entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs leading education companies that solve critical problems around the world.

We always tell our students to focus on the Four Ps: Passion, People, Plan and Profit. You must love your idea, have the right team, do your research and understand how your venture will sustain itself. Jenny likes to add a fifth—Partners. Knowing your ecosystem is crucial. Whether it's competitors, allies or mentors, these relationships drive innovation forward!

We’re building agile learning spaces and powerful global leadership communities where students can stumble, pivot and try again. That kind of hands-on iteration is rare in traditional education, but it’s central to how we operate. And that makes this journey so powerful—for us and the alums now working in 45 countries to reimagine what learning can be.

EdTech

Agile

ROI

Predictive Analytics