TIDEL Speaker Series: Today’s Ideas…Tomorrow’s Impact
Rob Urstein is a lecturer in management at Stanford Graduate School of Business where he teaches courses on innovation in higher education and education technology, at the intersection of the future of learning and the future of work. An experienced academic leader, Urstein has more than 25 years of professional experience managing academic programs and teaching, advising, and coaching undergraduates, graduate students, and executives.
In addition to his teaching and research, Urstein is co-founder of software company Gather Learning. He formerly served a principal at Guild Education, and entrepreneur-in-residence at Entangled Ventures — prior to its acquisition by Guild — where he helped launch education technology ventures to equitably transition society to a knowledge economy.
Urstein spent more than 12 years in leadership roles at Stanford, including three years as associate vice provost for undergraduate education. At Stanford Graduate School of Business, Urstein served for eight years as assistant dean, leading the PhD program, and for two years as managing director of global innovation programs, where he managed a portfolio of on-campus and international programs focused on leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In 2000–2001 he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Oslo, Norway, working for the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education. He has been at Stanford since 2004.
Dr. Gabby Cudjoe Wilkes is a public theologian, innovation strategist, pastor and author. She is the Director of the Technology, Innovation & Digital Engagement Lab Fellowship housed at Union Theological Seminary. She studied under the doctoral advisement of Dr. L. Gregory Jones at Duke Divinity School where she completed her Doctorate in Ministry on innovation, social change and the church.
Dr. Gabby is a sought after voice in the public square. She was a featured contributor on The 2023 Oprah Winfrey Network’s documentary series: Time of Essence (HBO MAX), a contributor to The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History’s new film, gODTALK (2023) and was a featured contributor to Dr. Henry Lewis Gates’ documentary, GOSPEL (2024) on PBS. In 2022 she released her first book: Psalms for Black Lives, Reflections for the Work of Liberation. The book has sold more than 10,000 copies worldwide.
Dr. Gabby travels the nation training and equipping faith leaders to do the work of love & justice. At the height of both a global pandemic and a contentious presidential election season, Dr. Gabby was appointed to then NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s COVID-19 Clergy Task Force . She also served as an Eastern Region Convener of the Black Church PAC where she trained hundreds of clergy across the eastern region of the nation on matters of faith & voter engagement strategies. In 2024 she was appointed to New York City Public School’s Chancellor David Banks’ Interfaith Advisory Council.
She is a graduate of Duke, Yale, NYU & Hampton University. She currently serves as Vice President of The Yale Divinity School Alumni Board.
