California Competes celebrated our 15th anniversary—our crystal anniversary—on February 2, 2026. The celebration brought together legislators, higher education leaders, employers, advocates, and philanthropy to reflect on 15 years of progress and to look ahead at the work still needed to ensure California’s postsecondary and workforce systems to meet the needs of today’s learners, communities, and economy. We were excited to hear Paul Fain, journalist and co-founder of Work Shift, as our keynote, and he will be sharing additional insights in our new Degrees of Change podcast series, launching this month.
As we move forward, we remain focused on bringing clarity to what’s needed next to drive inclusive opportunity and shared prosperity. To stay engaged, please sign up for our newsletter, catch up on past podcast episodes, and visit our website for ongoing resources and events designed to strengthen policy and practice across the higher education landscape.
Special thanks to:
- Our honorary legislative co-host committee: Senators Christopher Cabaldon, Steven Choi, Megan Dahle, Shannon Grove, Brian Jones, John Laird, Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Roger Niello, Laura Richardson, and Kelly Seyarto; and Assemblymembers Mark Berman, Tasha Boerner, Mike Fong, Heather Hadwick, Al Muratsuchi, and Sharon Quirk-Silva so far.
- Our sponsors: Game Changers College Futures Foundation, the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Michelson 20MM Foundation, and Arizona State University; and Champion sponsor CollegeAPP.
Thank you again for celebrating this milestone with us!
