Steve Fitzgerald
New Market Thoughts
Nov 14, 2025
4
min read
News & Updates
Edtech and Workforce Development News Roundup - 11/14
In this week's News Roundup, we've found stories about leveraging innovative strategies, technology, and targeted interventions to address pressing educational and workforce challenges. From the resurgence of community colleges and non-degree credentials to the ethical integration of AI in classrooms and efforts to combat learning loss, a shared focus emerges on expanding access, improving quality, and preparing diverse student populations for the evolving economy.
Nov 7, 2025
4
min read
News & Updates
Edtech and Workforce Development News Roundup - 11/7
The articles featured in this week's News Roundup shine a light on a common thread: technology and smarter workforce linkages are reshaping education for today’s job market. From data-driven career coaching and expanded apprenticeships to virtual career fairs and AI-enabled learning, edtech and workforce development firms have opportunities to widen access, align curricula with in-demand skills, and support responsible, humane use of AI in student success and mental health.
Oct 31, 2025
4
min read
News & Updates
Edtech and Workforce Development News Roundup - 10/31
Education and workforce development continues to evolve, with recent research highlighting both exciting opportunities and pressing challenges. From the transformative potential of augmented reality in classrooms to the declining aspirations for higher education among high schoolers, and the persistent issues surrounding quality employment and mental health, these developments underscore the need for innovative solutions.
Steve Fitzgerald is the Chief Executive Officer of the FireStorm Group Ltd, an eclectic collection of enterprises spanning human capital consulting, art, and real estate. He coaches C-Suite executives (with a special program for Chief HR Officers new to their role) and consults on the topic of talent management, specifically focused on the development of critical talent, executive succession, creativity, culture & change, M&A integration, and human capital strategy. He thrives when faced with the hard-to-solve people problem.
Steve’s executive career spanned 30+ years, where he held the top HR Officer/Talent position at firms including Bridgewater Associates, Visteon, Vail Resorts, and Fairlane Credit. He also held executive roles at Silicon Valley outfits such as Sun Microsystems and Avaya, spending over a dozen years of his career in that sector. Steve credits his early years at Ford Motor Company (after coming out of graduate school at Michigan State) as being foundational in building early mental maps for the systematic development of talent in a 100+ year old
enterprise. Learn more at www.FirestormGroup.net.
Outside of consulting, Steve splits his time between various ventures. He is a Senior Advisor to the impact-investing, private equity firm New Market Venture Partners. He serves on the Board of Cruxpoint, a firm focused on the identification and reversal of heart disease, and on the Board of the Colorado Headwaters Land Trust, an organization dedicated to preserving the wild character and precious water of the land adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. He chairs the Fraser Public Arts Committee, is President of Fraser Valley Arts (501c3), and is the owner and principal artist of Firestorm Clayworks, an award-winning art pottery focused on hand-thrown, raku-fired pieces. You can see his artwork at www.FirestormClayworks.com.
For fun, Steve is quite active athletically, participating in cycling, Nordic, alpine, and backcountry skiing, fly fishing, hockey, and a variety of other outdoor pursuits as the seasons change. He and his wife Diana have been married for 30+ years and live in the Fraser Valley, Colorado, near Winter Park. Their adult sons Sean and Ryan live in Boulder, Colorado and Jackson, Wyoming, respectively.
