EDGE is the nation’s premier education-to-employment conference for practitioners who want to turn ideas into scalable opportunities for young people. It sits at the intersection of youth voice, employer needs, and systems change, powered by Jobs for America’s Graduates’ (JAG) 40+ years of evidence and outcomes.
Credit: Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau
Featured Speakers
Coach Ken Carter
Author, Speaker, Philanthropist
Subject of the 2005 film “Coach Carter”
Coach Ken Carter
Ken Carter is a successful author, speaker, and philanthropist who continues his message of teamwork, accountability, integrity, and leadership. With over 5000 presentations and speaking to over a million people worldwide, Ken Carter is one of the most sought-after success speakers and businessmen in the world today.
Coach has been amongst the presence of many greats, such as the President of the United States of America, well-known TV hosts, and a list of talented stars from films and music – the list itself would fill a page. However, Coach considers the greatest and most impressive stars he has worked with are young adults, the boys and girls he impacts. Coach’s tough love and mentorship in succeeding in life have helped students such as Cruz from the movie, who today is a top medical professional. Coach brings hard-hitting advice on accountability, integrity, teamwork, and leadership to succeed both on & off the court.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has built a career spanning both private industry and public service, holding leadership roles at HESS Oil Corporation, the V.I. Housing Authority, and Innovative Communications before earning his MBA from the University of the Virgin Islands in 2003. In 2002, he co-founded Generation Now! Inc. to promote civic engagement and mentor young professionals.
Appointed Commissioner of Labor in 2007, Bryan served eight years, securing more than $164 million in funding, modernizing workforce systems through technology, supporting underserved youth, and advancing economic development initiatives while chairing key financial boards. After leading private-sector ventures and hurricane recovery efforts in 2017, he was elected in 2018 as the ninth Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr.
Governor | US Virgin Islands
Coach Ken Carter
Author, Speaker, Philanthropist
Subject of the 2005 film “Coach Carter”
Ken Carter is a successful author, speaker, and philanthropist who continues his message of teamwork, accountability, integrity, and leadership. With over 5000 presentations and speaking to over a million people worldwide, Ken Carter is one of the most sought-after success speakers and businessmen in the world today.
Coach has been amongst the presence of many greats, such as the President of the United States of America, well-known TV hosts, and a list of talented stars from films and music – the list itself would fill a page. However, Coach considers the greatest and most impressive stars he has worked with are young adults, the boys and girls he impacts. Coach’s tough love and mentorship in succeeding in life have helped students such as Cruz from the movie, who today is a top medical professional. Coach brings hard-hitting advice on accountability, integrity, teamwork, and leadership to succeed both on & off the court.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr.
Governor | US Virgin Islands
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has built a career spanning both private industry and public service, holding leadership roles at HESS Oil Corporation, the V.I. Housing Authority, and Innovative Communications before earning his MBA from the University of the Virgin Islands in 2003. In 2002, he co-founded Generation Now! Inc. to promote civic engagement and mentor young professionals.
Appointed Commissioner of Labor in 2007, Bryan served eight years, securing more than $164 million in funding, modernizing workforce systems through technology, supporting underserved youth, and advancing economic development initiatives while chairing key financial boards. After leading private-sector ventures and hurricane recovery efforts in 2017, he was elected in 2018 as the ninth Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
WHAT MAKES EDGE DIFFERENT?
EDGE isn’t just a conference.
It’s a launchpad. A collaboration studio.
A future-forward lab for reimagining what school, work, and life readiness should look like in the next economy.
A CONFERENCE BUILT AROUND YOU
Affiliate & Program Leaders
Recharge your practice, showcase your success, and shape JAG’s future
- Align local practice with JAG’s national strategy and standards
- Learn what’s working across the network—and why
- Bring back tools and partnerships that strengthen local outcomes
JAG Specialists & Managers
Bring back concrete tools and momentum you can use immediately.
- Practical, implementation-ready strategies for student success.
- Peer learning from practitioners doing the work.
- Recognition, growth, and renewed professional energy
JAG Alumni & Youth Leaders
Turn your JAG experience into leadership and opportunity.
- Build leadership skills and professional networks.
- Gain visibility with employers and decision-makers.
- Use your voice to help shape what comes next.
Educators & Workforce Practitioners
- Discover actionable strategies grounded in real practice.
- Take home implementation-ready tools and models.
- Build partnerships that extend learning into careers.
Employers & Talent Leaders
- Understand emerging trends in education and workforce readiness.
- Connect with practitioners preparing career-ready talent.
- Co-create solutions for the next economy.
EdTech Builders
- Engage directly with practitioners and system leaders.
- Test ideas in real-world, practice-driven contexts.
- Build relationships that inform product and impact
Funders & Policy Leaders
- Learn from evidence-based models delivering outcomes.
- Connect with practitioners driving measurable impact.
- Help advance scalable education-to-employment solutions.
Event Details
Conference Highlights
LABS
High-powered think tanks.
Deep Dives. Big Ideas.
90-minute, expert-facilitated conversations tackling the most pressing challenges in education and workforce development. Collaborate with peers, contribute to shared insights, and help shape published thought leadership that lives on beyond the conference.
Immersions
Real-world problem solving.
Experience the Real World.
Step outside the conference and into the field. These 90–120-minute, hands-on experiences with industry partners offer firsthand exposure to real-world work environments, talent pathways, and practical application.
WORKSHOPS
Skill-up sessions.
Power-Packed Skill Building.
Fast-paced, 60-minute sessions led by practitioners and changemakers. Gain practical tools, fresh perspectives, and immediately applicable skills across leadership, innovation, and workforce-focused topics.
SANDBOX
Your playground for tools, and training.
Try. Test. Tinker.
Drop-in, interactive spaces to explore tools and technology driving workforce readiness and modern learning. Get hands-on with new resources, test ideas, and turn curiosity into capability.
Registration
Early Bird Registration is now open!
Event Sponsors
Call for Session Leaders
Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) invites innovative professionals, educators, and industry experts to lead engaging sessions at our premier conference, EDGE 2026.
We are seeking dynamic proposals that focus on the intersection of workforce development, education, and technology. Your expertise will shape the national conversation around the future success of our students and the American workforce.
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Contact
Phone: 703.684.9479
Location
Long Beach Convention Center
300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
