Investing in Access & Pathways for HBCUs with Ashley Johnson | GSVtv Podcast

Summary

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Investing in Access & Pathways for HBCUs with Ashley Johnson

ASU+GSV Summit Sessions | GSVtv Podcast | July 17, 2026
Host: Tiffany Taylor (President, ASU+GSV Summit)
Guest: Ashley Johnson (Kresge Foundation)

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Episode Overview

This live-recorded session from the ASU+GSV Summit explores the importance of investing in access and pathways for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Tiffany Taylor sits down with Ashley Johnson from the Kresge Foundation to discuss the Foundation’s longstanding commitment to HBCUs and strategies for supporting student success and institutional strength. The conversation emphasizes the power of partnerships, the benefits of broad inclusion, and the transformative impact of higher education for underserved communities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Kresge Foundation's Historical Commitment to HBCUs

[00:36 - 01:44]

• Ashley Johnson highlights Kresge’s history with HBCUs, dating back to 1947.
  • “Kresge has been funding HBCUs since 1947. So long before it became a popular thing…” (Ashley Johnson, 00:50)
  • Their early focus was on capital support—building libraries, unions, and other campus spaces.
  • Since 2000, Kresge shifted towards strategic investments aimed at influencing systems and institutional strategies.
  • Despite changing approaches, continuing support for HBCUs remains central to Kresge's mission:
    “We’re actually in the middle of a new strategy refresh, and it sounds like HBCUs are still going to be a part of our work.” (Ashley Johnson, 01:41)

Investing for Student and Institutional Success

[01:44 - 02:35]

• Kresge’s approach extends beyond infrastructure and into creating stronger systems for student success.
  • Focus on ensuring institutions are prepared to support students as “whole people…brilliant and as smart as they are.” (Ashley Johnson, 01:56)
  • Building effective pathways to and through college is vital.
  • Acknowledgment of competing post-high school options, but affirmation of higher education as critical for economic mobility, generational wealth, and community influence.
    • “We still believe that higher education is just a very viable pathway…not only to help students go from generational poverty to generational wealth, but also to help them really influence their communities.” (Ashley Johnson, 02:17)

Aspirations for the ASU+GSV Summit & HBCU Partnership

[02:35 - 03:24]

• Johnson expresses hope that partnerships will expand to include every HBCU, exposing more students and administrators to opportunities like the summit.
  • “One is to grow it. I mean, I'd love to see a representative from every HBCU in the room. I'd love to see more students…and administrators…having the ability to access a conference like this, to really make…high quality decisions about the systems they're creating for students.” (Ashley Johnson, 02:53)
  • Observations on the brilliance of student participants and the reciprocal benefit for the education and tech communities.
    • “To be in a space like this, not only do the students benefit, but we all benefit from being around them. And this, the tech industry will benefit from more students like that having access and being exposed.” (Ashley Johnson, 03:24)

Advice for Innovators and Educators

[03:38 - 04:22]

• Johnson’s call to action for building real pathways: prioritize broad representation and inclusion.
  • Ensure diversity in lived experiences, socioeconomic backgrounds, and interests.
  • “Make sure you have a broad representation…of the things that bring people joy and the things that light people up. Like really trying to make sure you have the most broadest group. A big tent, a big table…” (Ashley Johnson, 03:54)
  • Inclusivity is essential:
    “To be as inclusive as you possibly can.” (Ashley Johnson, 04:22)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On legacy:
  “Kresge has been funding HBCUs since 1947. So long before it became a popular thing.”
  (Ashley Johnson, 00:50)

• On higher education’s importance:
  “Higher education is just a very viable pathway…not only for economic mobility…but also to help them, like, really influence their communities.”
  (Ashley Johnson, 02:17)

• On inclusion:
  “To be as inclusive as you possibly can.”
  (Ashley Johnson, 04:22)

• On aspiration:
  “I'd love to see a representative from every HBCU in the room. I'd love to see more students in the room…”
  (Ashley Johnson, 02:53)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:36–01:44: Kresge Foundation’s history and strategic shift
• 01:44–02:35: Student support, access, and higher education’s impact
• 02:35–03:24: Hopes for expanding partnerships and student participation
• 03:38–04:22: Advice on inclusion and building real pathways

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Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is passionate, forward-looking, and inclusive. There’s a deep respect for the legacy of HBCUs and a shared excitement about broadening access and impact through strategic partnership. Listeners are left with a call to embrace diversity and sustained investment to build stronger pathways for students—especially those served by HBCUs—and for the broader education and technology ecosystem to benefit from their participation.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, my name is Tiffany Taylor, and I have the pleasure of serving as the president of the ASU GSB Summit. And, you know, I get a chance to wear a number of different hats here at the summit, but one of the ones that matters so much to me is our HBCU partnership work. And that's why I am so incredibly grateful that the Kresi foundation has said yes to supporting these efforts. So, Ashley, one, thank you for being here and too, thank you for believing in our work.

[B]

Absolutely. What an honor to be able to support this work. So excited about it.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

So talk to us a little bit,

[A]

because I know the Kresge foundation one is, you know, always has made an impact in our hometown of Detroit. But when you think about your national efforts and your commitment to HBCUs, can you talk to us a little bit about why that continues to be a priority?

[B]

Sure. So Kresge has been funding HBCUs since 1947.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

So long before it became a popular thing. And honestly, we've had a grant with UNCF or some other HBCU affiliate since 1947. We started as a capital giving organization. So we built a lot of buildings on HBCU campuses, but also on all kinds of other places in other types of communities. So it was, you know, common to go into an HBCU campus and visit a Kresge Library or Kresge Union or something like that. And then in 2000, we shifted from being all about capital and buildings to being more about strategic. How do we strategically influence systems?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And as part of that, HBCU still continues to be a huge part of our work. I love it. And so we're actually in the middle of a new strategy refresh, and it sounds like HBCUs are still going to be a part of our work. So I'm excited about that. So we've been funding HBCUs for a very long time.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So when you think about impact, what does it mean to invest in a way that not only supports institutions, but strengthens pathways that students have over time?

[B]

Yeah. I mean, I think we want institutions to be strong so that when students arrive as whole people, as brilliant and as smart as they are, that the systems are ready to receive them for who they are and help them actually get to and get a degree. So that's very important to us. Yeah. But we also know that we have to keep building a pathway to help students get there. Yes. I mean, sadly, there's a lot of competition around what students should do after high school these days.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And we still believe that higher education is just a very viable pathway not only for economic mobility, not only to help students go from generational poverty to generational wealth, but also to help them, like, really influence their communities. I love it. So it's just very important for us to stay in the access space and helping students get to college and have those aspirations.

[A]

Absolutely. When you think about this partnership that we have embarked on, what's one of your greatest hopes for it? And I know you've been with us just for a day and a half, and I know one of the things that you immediately said was just sitting, seeing the brilliance in the room from the students and the curiosity. What's one of your greatest hopes for this partnership?

[B]

Oh, my gosh. One is to grow it. I mean, I'd love to see a representative from every HBCU in the room. I'd love to see more students in the room, and I'd love to see administrators in the room thinking about having the ability to access a conference like this, to really make quality, high quality decisions about the systems they're creating for students. So I have a lot of dreams and aspirations after one and a half day. I'll talk to you about that later.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

But number one, I just love to see how do we get more students in this space? Yes. First off, the students themselves are brilliant.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Geniuses. Smart, outstanding. Right. And so to be in a space like this, not only do the students benefit, but we all benefit from being around them. And this, the tech industry will benefit from more students like that having access and being exposed.

[A]

So one last question. What's one piece of advice that you would give to the entrepreneurs, the innovators, the educators that are listening to us about what it means to create real pathways for students at HBCUs and elsewhere?

[B]

Yeah. I mean, I think the one thing that I would say is make sure that you have a broad representation of people of lived experience, of socioeconomic background, of, you know, ethnicity, of, you know, the things that bring people joy and the things that light people up. Like really trying to make sure you have the most broadest group. A big tent, a big table. I think anytime you're building something, I love it. To be as inclusive as you possibly can.

[A]

That's it. Be as inclusive as you possibly can. Well, one, thank you so much for being here. Thanks so much for your partnership and we hope you enjoy the rest of the summit.

[B]

I will, yes. Look forward to talking later. Thanks, though.

[A]

Okay.