Education Power Breakfast

Aman is Partner at Ground Game Ventures and has an extensive background in leading technology companies through periods of high growth, M&A, and integration. Ground Game invests in early stage B2B software companies. Previously, Aman launched Canvas, the world’s first text-based interviewing software. The startup was acquired by Jobvite sixteen months after launch. Aman then led Jobvite as CEO and Board Member while acquiring and integrating a variety of recruiting technology companies. As former president of Apparatus, Aman helped lead the company through a strategic acquisition by Virtusa where he subsequently led the global infrastructure business unit.

Aman graduated from Wabash College with degrees in Economics and Religion. He also completed his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University – Bloomington. Aman, Susan (spouse), and Navraj (son) live in Indianapolis, IN.

State Sen. Rodric Bray has represented Hoosiers in Senate District 37 since being elected in 2012. Bray represents all of Morgan County and portions of Johnson, Owen and Putnam counties.

Bray serves as the leader of the Indiana Senate as the President Pro Tempore. Among other duties, Bray is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Senate, appoints all committee chairs and assigns all legislation to the various Senate committees.

Bray holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Indiana University and a Juris Doctor Degree from Valparaiso University School of Law. He is an attorney and practices law in Morgan County with his family law firm.

Bray also serves on the Home Bank Board of Directors and is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Martinsville.

He and his wife live in Martinsville where they raised two sons.

Claire J. Fiddian-Green joined the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation as President & CEO in 2015.

Previously, Fiddian-Green was Special Assistant for Education Innovation to Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Co-Founder of the Center for Education and Career Innovation. She also served as founding Executive Director of the Indiana Charter School Board, a statewide charter school authorizing agency. Prior to that, she was president of The Mind Trust.

 Fiddian-Green holds a B.A. from Brown University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. In 2024, she received an Honorary Doctor of Education degree from Marian University. She is a member of Class XXXIV of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series and was named an IBJ Women of Influence honoree in 2022.

 Fiddian-Green serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Indy Chamber and chairs their Health Policy Council. She also serves on the boards of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Regenstrief Institute, and CareerWise USA. She served as President of The Economic Club of Indiana for the 2017-2018 season and was a Board and Executive Committee member through 2024. She served as co-chair of the Legacy Impact Committee for the 2022 Indy College Football Playoff, Inc. and was a member of the Board and Executive Committee. She is the co-chair of CEMETS iLab Indiana, a coalition of leaders seeking to build the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway, a new professional education and training pathway to help ensure all Hoosiers have access to high-quality education and training options.

Dr. Mike Godard proudly serves as the 13th President of Indiana State University, bringing over 25 years of higher education leadership. His distinguished career spans multiple pivotal roles, from dedicated faculty member to department chair, vice provost, provost and most recently as president.

A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Godard holds a PhD in Human Bioenergetics from Ball State University, a master’s in Exercise Physiology from Adelphi University, and a bachelor’s in Exercise Science from Vermont State University.

Dr. Godard has led initiatives that boosted student retention, improved graduation rates, and expanded academic programs to align with workforce demands. His leadership style prioritizes transparency and data-driven decision-making, earning him a reputation as a visionary and approachable leader.

Since arriving at Indiana State University, Dr. Godard has concentrated on enhancing the university’s mission of delivering outstanding education grounded in experiential learning and community engagement.

Dr. Godard’s commitment to education goes beyond campus. He actively engages in community development initiatives and champions the importance of higher education. His leadership is transforming Indiana State University into a model of innovation and impact, ensuring its ongoing success as a foundational opportunity for students and the state of Indiana.

Jamie Merisotis, an internationally recognized leader in higher education, human work, philanthropy, and public policy, has been Lumina Foundation’s president and CEO since 2008.

Frequently sought as a media commentator and contributor, his writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,  Stanford Social Innovation Review, Washington Monthly, Politico, The Hill, Roll Call, and other publications. He is also a regular Forbes contributor.

Previously, Merisotis was president of the nonpartisan, D.C.-based Institute for Higher Education Policy, which he co-founded. He was also the executive director of a bipartisan national commission, appointed by the president and congressional leaders, to study college affordability. Merisotis is the author of America Needs Talent, named a Booklist Top 10 Business book of 2016, and Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines, an Amazon bestseller released in 2020.

Merisotis is an experienced board leader. He serves as board member and advisor to several organizations, including the Commission on the American Workforce, The Ditchley Foundation in the UK, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Citizens Energy Group, and LifeHikes. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s The Future Skills Alliance. Merisotis also advises companies that rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning to address complex challenges related to work and learning.

Merisotis is past chairman and trustee emeritus of the Council on Foundations.  He also is past chairman and investment committee chair of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

A distinguished graduate and trustee emeritus of Bates College, he has been awarded honorary degrees from colleges and universities worldwide.

Dr. Tanuja Singh became the 10th president of the University of Indianapolis in July 2023, bringing extensive leadership experience in higher education. Since her arrival, she has led a period of strategic renewal, guiding the development of a new University-wide strategic plan focused on relevance, growth, and institutional strengths, along with a refreshed mission and vision.

Under her leadership, UIndy has seen a significant increase in enrollment, expanded its academic and global reach through initiatives such as UIndy Online and Sease Institute, the Women’s Executive Leadership Institute, and international partnerships with leading universities in India. Her presidency has also been marked by notable philanthropic success, including transformative gifts supporting the expansion of the Ron and Laura Strain Honors College, the creation of the Stephen F. Fry Business Scholars Program, and new endowed professorships. The University has also seen significant increases in grant funding by federal agencies as well as private foundations.