Authority Magazine: Education Revolution: On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming Education

The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Mason Ailstock.

Mason Ailstock is a recognized leader in innovation districts and anchor-driven developments. With nearly 20 years of experience working with non-profit institutions, governments and industry, Mason has a track record of converging real estate, academia, and business to advance communities of innovation. Immersed in the planning and visioning of Rowen, Mason is responsible for project leadership and operations as President and CEO of Rowen Foundation, the non-profit steward that ensures the long-term vision for Rowen is never compromised.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?

For nearly 20 years, I have had the privilege of working with higher-education institutions, governments and industry leaders working to converge real estate, academia and business to advance communities of innovation. I served as the COO of Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, President of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), Co-Chairman of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) University Development & Innovation Council, a member of the ULI Center for Leadership and the Global Eisenhower Fellowships. So I’ve built my career around place-based, mission-driven real estate projects oftentimes, with education at the forefront.

Growing up, both of my parents were educators, and I’ve just always had a passion for how higher education institutions play such a critical role in the surrounding community to generate jobs, economic development and technology commercialization. There’s so many things that universities, as anchor institutions, do for our nation, and a lot of this impact flows through places like innovation districts, research parks and knowledge communities — the very places I’ve worked on for the past 20 years.

Now, I am involved in the planning and visioning of Rowen, a knowledge community located in Gwinnett County, Georgia. In this position, I oversee project leadership and operations as the President of Rowen Foundation, the not-for-profit entity that ensures the long-term vision for Rowen is never compromised.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

During graduate school at Clemson University, I worked with the International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville and BMW. At the time, the US Green Building Council and LEED certification were newly established. There was a growing interest in sustainability in the environment, yet no one on my team had gotten involved in the LEED certification and its requirements. I raised my hand, among our large team of experienced professionals, to become LEED certified. As a research associate working for BMW, I decided this leap of faith was a crucial move so that I could best serve in that role on their project in partnership with Clemson.

Through stepping up in boldness, I learned to not be afraid of new things or areas that seem out of your capacity, regardless of your title. This decision not only opened professional doors, but it also brought massive impact to all levels of the team on a project that is still thriving today, and that was something I really loved to see. I learned a lot about the different parts of the team that are needed to execute on a long term project, which has continued to serve me well in my career 20 years later.

Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?

I’m an authority in building platforms to support educators in achieving their mission and vision, and that’s part of why I’m passionate about the work I get to do. Educators are brilliant people that do many amazing things in the areas of instruction, research and innovation. One of the things that I love about my job is that I get to use a sense of place, programming and partnerships to enable the wonderful minds of educators and help them to use the gifts that they have. As the President of the Rowen Foundation, I get to help steward a platform where universities and colleges can collaborate, and the better we can equip a piece of real estate or create a program like our Living Lab initiative, hopefully the more successful these students and educators will be.

One way we’re walking alongside educators and providing a pathway to enhance their job and create new opportunities for experiential learning and industry partnerships is through our Living Lab agreement with the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia. This agreement opens the door to new research and collaboration opportunities with academic and industry partners. The safe and green “Living Lab” will serve as a showcase for innovation and experimentation. Two projects are already in the works: one addressing Georgia workforce needs in critical industries and another involving Georgia’s e-mobility network.

Can you identify some areas of the US education system that are going really great?

I am encouraged by the influx of collaboration across institutions and regions. I think people are recognizing that in order to be competitive for federal funding, for grants, for a variety of things, there is benefit to creating a one plus one equals three type of an equation that allows others to bring their resources, skills, expertise and networks to the table to complement and collaborate across multiple institutions. That’s really at the heart of what we are doing at Rowen. For example, we’ve seen the University of Georgia, Georgia Gwinnett College and Gwinnett Technical College work together to create collaborative academic programs that meet workforce needs in the growing electric mobility, energy and infrastructure industries for the state of Georgia. They also reach outside of their higher education networks to engage with existing Georgia industry leaders to assess both the immediate and future workforce needs of their organizations.

I think institutions converging in the right areas is the key to taking on global challenges, and it’s encouraging to see this in the higher education system.

Can you identify the key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?

Throughout my life, I have really valued and seen the lasting impact of several mentorship programs, and I believe students, regardless of grade level, would greatly benefit from deeper relationships with professionals across industries. It is inspiring to bring professionals from various fields like life science, technology, a traditional office and a research capacity into a classroom to show students what they do, how they do it, why they do it and just who they are as people. Cultivating connections with young people and the generations that are coming behind us is a really important part of creating a thriving community. I think there are examples of where that’s done really well, but I also think there’s a lot of room for growth and opportunity to show diversity in fields in order to better connect with students, share their story, and make a greater impact on our communities.

Please tell us all about the innovative educational approaches that you are using. What is the specific problem that you aim to solve, and how have you addressed it?

At Rowen, we focus on the workforce of the future, and the challenges we aim to take on require multiple industries to come together and collaborate. Whether it’s around agriculture, medicine or the environment, these challenges are too big for any one faculty member, even any one university, to solve on their own. This is when the intersection of research, both basic and applied research, alongside private sector innovation and capital to commercialize new technologies are helpful to find the right solutions.

One way we aim to support the workforce of the future is through our AI initiative, alongside Emory University and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. This educational initiative, which brings free short courses to local communities, seeks to demystify artificial intelligence, empower Georgians with the skills and confidence to keep pace with the evolving workforce technologies, and will kick off a statewide workforce training program in AI. We found that AI knowledge and its impacts on the future needs to be accessible to all people. Making people feel like they are not just informed, but that they have a level of mastery over AI as a tool, opens the door to use it as a tool to build their education future, business and/or research plan.

In what ways do you think your approach might shape the future of education? What evidence supports this?

I think the more we can enable students and our workforce with the tools and space to be curious, explore their own interests, gather information and learn from other people’s knowledge, the more we are going to be able to accelerate educational growth. As we take on global challenges through a community built upon converging ideas and innovation, we care for ourselves and our communities while building social resilience and connections among our youngest citizens.

Federal grants, like the hydrogen grant, often support efforts like these. Essentially, the government has carved out billions of dollars to support collaborative regions that include multiple universities, foundations, cities and states to work together and take on the challenges of incorporating hydrogen into the energy system for the U.S. They are sourcing those relationships across a really broad physical geography and giving them the tools to use their own skills in order to take on that challenge. These types of grants and the groups that are coming together are the ones that are finding success in receiving those funds.

How do you measure the impact of your innovative educational practices on students’ learning and well-being?

There’s a quantitative and qualitative aspect to it. There’s quantitative in regards to how many people show up, are interested and take action in whatever we’re working on, either in partnership with our universities or on our own as the Rowen Foundation. And then there’s a qualitative piece. This refers to when you feel it and when you know you’ve got it — you hear it from the leadership and you sense it in an audience. Being a part of various initiatives, whether it’s bringing AI knowledge to communities across the state or building a knowledge community, there are many different ways to document that success. Oftentimes, innovating educational practices require a level of patience. As you test ideas, you see what qualitative and quantitative data you get back, and then you continually refine and ask questions of others to improve a process or as you learn together.

That’s something else that’s core to Rowen is we spend a lot of time listening and evolving what we’re doing in education, research and our real estate, in order to always be moving forward and adjusting to meet needs during that time.

What challenges have you faced in implementing your educational innovations, and how have you overcome them?

I’m encouraged to see institutions come together, but it’s not easy. All of our education partners have institutions that they are running, research portfolios to manage and students to steward well. With all of that on their plates, it takes a lot of time and intentionality to create meaningful engagement that produces value for everyone. While it’s definitely a challenge, it’s a challenge we embrace. It’s something that requires intentional leadership and a thoughtful approach, in order to work well with people’s time and clearly articulate the desired outcomes and the benefit to everyone, individually and collectively.

Keeping in mind the “Law of Unintended Consequences” can you see any potential drawbacks of this innovation that people should think more deeply about?

The “Law of Unintended Consequences” reminds me of the work we’ve done on the AI initiative. We’ve seen a tremendous response with sold out rooms — even though tickets to these classes are free — as people are incredibly interested in how AI can benefit them. I think these are the unintended consequences. AI, the workforce and the future are all things that people talk about, but this specific initiative is bringing it to people’s front doors and making it accessible. The response shows the demand and hunger for these tools and an understanding around how to apply these tools to their lives. Whether they’re students, business owners or leaders in a community, people want to hear about these things and then actually use them. The outcome of that is the realization that we really need to scale this up, and we need to go to more places and spend time meeting with folks to answer questions. It’s an exciting opportunity, but also shows the demand and challenge of capacity for this specific initiative.

Though the response was an unintended consequence, one of the great things about the initiative is that Emory University has already developed an online, accessible education resource that people can learn more on their own and seek out those tools, regardless of where they are or when they want to access it.

What are your “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started”?

1. Find a mentor to speak into your life, both professionally and personally.
2. Find someone to mentor because they haven’t walked everything you’ve walked, and you’re going to see how they think differently.
3. Find someone to walk alongside you as a peer and support system.
4. Carry your faith as a motivator for the decisions you make. As a young professional, I did not always do this in business, and I wish I would have done that earlier.
5. Be patient — sometimes the better answer requires a level of maturing thought and socialization to get there.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Others before self.” It is a reminder that what I do is not who I am and that the best use of my time is finding opportunities to lift others up that are doing meaningful things in our communities and institutions.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Learn more at rowenlife.com and by following along on social media.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonailstock/
• Facebook: @rowenlife
• Instagram: @rowenlife

Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!

About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.

Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold