Alex Kaplan is a nationally recognized innovation leader with a career spanning AI, blockchain, education technology, and public-sector transformation. He is also a thought leader in the application of AI for both education and workforce. Alex has decades of experience in consulting and strategic leadership, including breakthrough solutions that align advanced technologies with real-world impact in business processes for education and workforce.
After earning degrees from Columbia University and the University of New Mexico, Alex launched a consulting career in the technology sector that led to senior roles at IBM, including Partner in IBM Consulting and IBM’s most senior Global Thought Leader for Education. His work has shaped national conversations on digital identity, skills-based hiring, the future of learning, and the intersection between HR and Education technologies.
Notably, he co-led IBM’s Watson Education division at IBM Research, partnering with Apple, Sesame Street, and Pearson to apply AI in K-12 classrooms and higher education. He also helped launch the blockchain-based Learning Credential Network, designed to make it easier to connect people with jobs and New York’s Excelsior Pass, for COVID verification - one of the world’s largest blockchain-based digital credentials applications. Alex was an influential member of the team that created Learning and Employment Records and presented at the White House on this topic.
The White House has recognized Alex’s thought leadership, as well as the U.S. Department of Commerce and institutions such as Harvard and Columbia. He has advised on national workforce strategy and co-authored influential papers on LERs, AI and Blockchain in education, and digital identity. His approach blends strategic thinking with practical innovation, making complex technologies accessible and impactful.
Today, Alex continues his work as a consultant, helping organizations navigate digital transformation, AI adoption, and strategies for a future-ready workforce. He is a frequent speaker, author, and collaborator, known for connecting vision to execution in ways that advance institutional missions and unlock opportunity for individuals.
For more information about Alex Kaplan and to access webinars and papers about his professional work, please visit his LinkedIn account,
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