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169
October 5, 2023
Ep. 169: Should University Brands Be Franchised? (And Other Exciting Ideas with Steve Kerge of Spark451)

Should University Brands Be Franchised? (And Other Exciting Ideas with Steve Kerge of Spark451)

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About the Episode

In this episode, Zach Busekrus sits down with Steve Kerge Co-founder of Spark451 & Jenzabar Vice President, Enrollment Marketing for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of enrollment management, marketing and communications, and higher education as a whole. 

For more than 20 years, Steve worked in enrollment management for Adelphi University, NYU Polytechnic, Hofstra University, and NYIT. In fact, his strategic leadership at NYIT helped raise freshman enrollment by as much as 25 percent.

In this conversation, Zach and Steve riff on how the enrollment management and marketing and communications units of the future should be structured, what higher ed can learn from the banking and hospitality industries, and much more.

 

This Episode is Sponsored by Pathify

Meet Pathify —  an innovative higher ed engagement hub that puts students at the center of their college journey. Pathify sits at the center of your school’s digital ecosystem, becoming the single, user experience interface tying together all systems, content, and communications.Their engagement hub elevates the information that matters most and pushes systems like the SIS behind the scenes where they belong, making it simpler for students to discover and engage with the opportunities your institution provides at every step of their higher ed journey, from prospect to alumni. What’s even better, Pathify has a mobile experience that provides 100% parity with the responsive web app, so your campus app is always in sync. Pathify is a platform that EVERY stakeholder on campus  — from marketing, to admissions, to student affairs, to IT, etc., — can get equally excited about.Learn more about how Pathify is uniting strategic units across campus and bettering the entire student experience by visiting Pathify.com

 

About the Enrollify Podcast Network 

The Enrollify Podcast is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Our podcast network is growing by the month and we’ve got a plethora of marketing, admissions, and higher ed technology shows that are jam packed with stories, ideas, and frameworks all designed to empower you to be a better higher ed professional. 

Our shows feature a selection of the industry’s best as your hosts. Learn from Jaime Hunt, Allison Turcio, Corynn Myers, Dustin Ramsdell, Terry Flannery, Jaime Gleason and many more. 

Learn more about The Enrollify Podcast Network at podcasts.enrollify.org. Our shows help higher ed marketers and admissions professionals find their next big idea — come and find yours! 

People in this episode

Host

Zach is the Founder of Enrollify. He thoroughly enjoys building new brands, developing and executing content marketing strategies, and hosting podcasts. When he's not working on Enrollify, he enjoys discussing life's quandaries over coffee (or a good bourbon) with friends, building Sponstayneous (his travel brand side hustle), trying out new HIIT workouts, and adventuring across the globe with his wife!

Interviewee

Steve Kerge

For more than 20 years, Steve worked in enrollment management for Adelphi University, NYU Polytechnic, Hofstra University, and NYIT. In fact, his strategic leadership at NYIT helped raise freshman enrollment by as much as 25 percent. In 2007, Steve transitioned from his campus-based position to become a marketing agency executive. He has been consistently creating award-winning and results-driven strategies for many institutions ever since. Steve holds a B.S. in banking and money management from Adelphi University, and an MS in human resource management from NYU Tandon. His career-long commitment to helping students navigate the college search process also earned him the Margaret Addis Award for Outstanding Leadership from the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

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