Higher education institutions are among the few organizations capable of producing decades-long returns on social investment. As funding models, enrollment trends and public expectations evolve, institutions face declining state support, intensified competition for students and heightened public scrutiny—particularly public and access-oriented institutions committed to expanding educational opportunity.
With all of this in mind, The University of Baltimore's acclaimed Rosenberg Dialogue Series will host its 2026 edition with a discussion led by three individuals with significant expertise on the topic: Raymone Jackson, president of the T. Rowe Price Foundation; Bob Parsons, B.S. '75, D.H.L. '08, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and founder of GoDaddy and PXG; and Shanaysha Sauls, founder and CEO of the Baltimore Community Foundation and CEO and operator of the Foundation for the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women.
The event will take place on Thursday, April 16 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. via Zoom. It is free and open to the public. Attendance details are listed below. A recording will be shared following the event. Note that upon registration, you will have access to the recording of the event if you can't attend the Zoom session.
In the aforementioned context, philanthropy plays an increasingly strategic role in sustaining higher education. It supports student access, persistence and accomplishment; faculty research; community engagement; and institutional capacity for innovation. At the same time, donors and foundations emphasize measurable outcomes, equity, accountability and long-term societal impact.
Following earlier Rosenberg Dialogue sessions that examined institutional resilience and public policy, the April 16 session will explore philanthropy’s role in sustaining higher education. The discussion will consider how partnerships between donors and institutions—especially public institutions focused on access and long-term public value—can be structured for durable outcomes that strengthen innovation, equity and civic purpose.
The program will open with welcome remarks from UBalt President Kurt L. Schmoke. Alan Lyles, the Henry A. Rosenberg Professor of Government, Business and Nonprofit Partnerships, will introduce the topic, followed by a moderated conversation among speakers, with opportunities for audience engagement.
About the Speakers:
Raymone Jackson, president of the T. Rowe Price Foundation, is a champion for the firm's community investments, inclusion, corporate communications, and sustainability strategies that advance firm priorities, associate engagement, and business outcomes. Since joining T. Rowe Price in 2020, he has spearheaded the strategic alignment of the firm's inclusion strategies. Prior to this, Jackson was employed by Morgan Stanley as the national diversity officer. Before that, he had a 20-year career with Northwestern Mutual, where he held leadership roles in technology, corporate strategy, field distribution, and human resources.
Bob Parsons, B.S. '75, D.H.L. '08, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and founder of GoDaddy and PXG, is dedicated to giving back to the community both on a personal level and through his company. A U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran who received the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Parsons started his first business, Parsons Technology, from his basement. Later, after selling that company for $64 million, he founded GoDaddy.com, which became the world’s largest domain name registrar. Parsons sold 71 percent of GoDaddy in 2011 for $2.3 billion. Since then, he has focused on building more new ventures, including PXG, which is now a global golf brand. In 2012, he and his wife, Renee, founded The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to provide transformational grants for marginalized populations and support underfunded causes in homelessness, medical care, youth, education, and the needs of injured military veterans and military families.
Shanaysha Sauls, founder and CEO of the Baltimore Community Foundation and CEO and operator of the Foundation for the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, is is an educator with a personal and professional passion for improving lives and communities. Since 2015, she has served as Chief Executive Officer and Operator for the Foundation for the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. Her prior professional experience ranges from consulting on strategic direction and marketing for colleges and universities, to teaching political theory at American University and teaching English in Baltimore area high schools.
Registration for this event is available here. The Zoom link will be provided upon registration. Upon registration, you will have access to a recording of the event if you can’t attend the Zoom session.
Learn more about the Rosenberg Dialogue Series.
The Henry A. Rosenberg Dialogue Series is made possible by the generous support of the Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation and The University of Baltimore Foundation. It aims to explore opportunities for the private sector to work in partnership with the public and nonprofit (nongovernmental organizations) sectors to create a vibrant and economically strong society.
This event is organized by UBalt’s College of Public Affairs.