A private space for higher ed leaders to finally say what they think.
Join the collective
Higher ed leaders are among the most publicly accountable, internally isolated leaders at their institution. There are plenty of conferences. But very few spaces to be honest. CoLab is that space.
CoLab is where you can say the quiet part out loud. Your President is being unreasonable. Your institution's model is broken. Your budget is a joke. Here, the response you’ll get is "I know, right?" — not a concerned look from the rest of cabinet.
Find your peopleEverything here is designed for your good and your bad days.
Share the half-formed idea. Bring the decision keeping you up at night. Celebrate the wins. And commiserate in the WTFs. Your peers will weigh in with advice, perspective, or just a well-timed "same."
Original research, industry benchmarks, and synthesis from the SimpsonScarborough team about what’s shifting across higher ed. This is the kind of insight you pull from when you need that naysayer off your back.
Beyond titles and conference badges, this is where people become real to each other. The people you text after a hard meeting. The people who understand the joke immediately. The people who help you remember… you’re not crazy.
CMOLab meetups, workshops, webinars, and conference session replays all in one place. Stay connected and learning between events, not just during them.
CoLab is for senior leaders all across campus. But there's a private channel for the one in the center of it all — the CMO, the person the entire marketing function rolls up to. A smaller table, shared only with others who hold the same seat.
CoLab is intentionally peer-level.
The conversations only work if everyone in the room understands the weight of the role firsthand. Managing crises. Defending budgets. Advising presidents. Carrying institutional reputation. Holding teams together through uncertainty.
That’s why membership is for senior higher ed leaders only.
SimpsonScarborough contributes original research, industry insight, and subject matter expertise. But the community belongs to its members. What's shared in CoLab stays in CoLab — we will never surface individual conversations in public-facing work. One thing we'll be transparent about: this space will make us smarter. What we learn collectively will shape how we support higher education.
Membership to CoLab is free through June 2027. Sign up to secure your place in the founding cohort.
