The Champions Coffee Podcast

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , host Ben Hallett , Co-Founder & CEO of Vygo, sits down with Dr. Nerita Hughes , President of Bay College. Discover Dr. Hughes’ perspective on leading student success in a rural community college environment and what it truly takes to create meaningful outcomes beyond graduation. Drawing on her background in business, workforce development, and...

In this special live episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , recorded at the 2025 NASPA Student Success Conference in Denver, host Ben Hallett sits down with Tréon D. McClendon , Assistant Vice Provost of Retention Initiatives at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. A national award-winning educator and first-generation college graduate, Trayon leads one of the most comprehensive student succ...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Joel Di Trapani sits down with Colette Slaviero , a student engagement leader at UNSW, to unpack what it really takes to scale peer mentoring in a modern university. Joel and Colette explore what makes UNSW’s model distinctive. Rather than operating as a single centralised program, peer mentoring at UNSW has grown organ...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast by Vygo , host Joel Di Trapani, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Vygo , sits down with Natalie Oostergo , Associate Director of Student Success Advising at UniSQ, to explore what it truly means to deliver student-centred support at scale. Joel and Natalie unpack how student success is measured beyond simple pass rates. From short-term engagement indicators...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Alison Buckley , President of SUNY Ulster , to explore community college leadership, student-centred design, and what it truly takes to help students not just access college—but finish. Ben and Alison discuss what makes SUNY Ulster distinctive from its unique role serving both rural commun...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Stanley Bazile , Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life at Ithaca College , to explore what it truly means to put students first and how institutions can show up for students when it matters most. Dr Bazile leads more than 200 professional staff and over 1,000 student employees...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Brent Bates , President of State Fair Community College , to explore community-rooted leadership, workforce-aligned education, and what it takes to drive meaningful student success in rural America. Since becoming the sixth president of State Fair Community College in 2022, Dr. Bates has l...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr Jo Blondin , the fifth president of Clark State College in Springfield, Ohio, to explore leadership, workforce innovation, and what it truly means to build a culture of care in community colleges. Ben and Dr. Blondin discuss what makes Clark State unique, from nationally distinctive program...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Minita Ramirez , President of Laredo College , to explore how history, community, and purpose converge to shape one of the most impactful community colleges in South Texas. As the first woman president in Laredo College’s 78-year history and a proud alumna, Dr. Ramirez’s journey has come f...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Karnell McConnell-Black, ice President for Student Life at Reed College  known affectionately by students as Dr. K to explore what truly human-centred leadership looks like in higher education. With nearly two decades of experience across student affairs, organizational leadership, and commun...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr William Serrata , President of El Paso Community College (EPCC) , to unpack what it takes to drive enrollment growth and dramatically improve student retention, completion, and post-graduation outcomes at scale. Dr. Serrata has led EPCC through a period of national recognition, earning dist...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Rebecca Rowley , President of Santa Fe Community College , to explore student-centred leadership, systems-level collaboration, and what it truly means to remove barriers to success in higher education. Ben and Dr Rebecca discuss how Santa Fe Community College stands out globally through innov...

n this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Larry Galizio , President and CEO of the Community College League of California , to explore the scale, mission, and future of the largest community college system in the United States. Ben and Dr. Galizio discuss how the League works behind the scenes to shape policy, funding, and governan...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Stephen C. Rogers , Director of Student Retention and Success at the  University of Texas at Dallas . Since stepping into this role in April 2025, Stephen has focused on strengthening student persistence, academic momentum, and holistic success within one of the nation’s leading engineering an...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Lisa Skari , President of Mt. Hood Community College. Ben and Dr Skari explore MHCC’s breakthrough priorities from Breaking Ground on bond-funded projects and Breaking Free through modernised systems and technology, to Breaking Barriers that support clear student pathways and Breaking Brea...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Larry Galizio , President and CEO of the Community College League of California , to explore leadership, governance, and policy at the heart of the nation’s largest community college system. Since 2015, Dr. Galizio has led the League in advancing the mission of California’s community colle...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Michael Baston , President of Cuyahoga Community College , to explore bold leadership, inclusive excellence, and the evolving role of community colleges in redefining student success. They also explore the role of executive leadership in driving systemic change, building strong campus cult...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. George R. Boggs, one of the most influential and respected leaders in the history of community colleges. As President and CEO Emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Superintendent/President Emeritus of Palomar College, Dr. Boggs has spent decades shaping natio...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast (and as part of our Heroes of Higher Ed series), Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. John Selmon , President of Muskegon Community College (MCC) , to explore how purpose-driven leadership can build real pathways to opportunity for students and communities. With more than three decades of experience across public and private hi...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr David R. Loope , the sixth President of Beaufort County Community College in Washington, North Carolina. Serving a four-county rural region spanning more than 2,000 square miles (and famously home to more black bears than people), Dr Loope leads with a clear mandate: student success, commun...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Christina (Chris) Kuberski , President of Highland Community College , whose tenure has been defined by resilience, innovation, and transformational leadership in Illinois higher education. Since taking office as Highland’s ninth president in 2020, Dr. Kuberski has steered the college thro...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Sheree Utash , President of Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech)  a visionary leader transforming the landscape of technical education and workforce development. Since assuming the presidency in 2015, Dr. Utash has led WSU Tech through a remarkable...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast , Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Rick MacLennan , Chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District , where he leads Moorpark, Oxnard, and Ventura Colleges in advancing equitable, student-centered education across Southern California. With more than 30 years of leadership experience in community colleges across...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. John Enamait, President of Stanly Community College and Chair-Elect of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). A steadfast advocate for rural innovation, opportunity, and student success, John has dedicated his career to ensuring that education transforms lives and strengthen...

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. Howard Spearman, President of Rock Valley College, to discuss his mission to inspire others, build collaborative learning environments, and lead with purpose in higher education. A visionary community college leader, Dr. Spearman is deeply committed to empowering students and educators alik...