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Darin Francis

Managing Partner & CEO Harbinger Lane Consulting

With 20 years of experience at the intersection of higher education and edtech, Darin Francis brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for driving meaningful change in the sector. Having led teams, crafted go-to-market (GTM) strategies, and worked closely with institutions, Darin is uniquely positioned to help edtech companies navigate the complexities of U.S. and Canadian higher education. Darin Francis, based in Detroit, MI, US, is currently a Managing Partner and CEO at Harbinger Lane Consulting.

Counseling Psychology 1990 - 1993
account-executives Account Executives
consultative Consultative Selling
image-1 Strategic Planning
product-manage Product Management
sales-promotion Sales Operations
image-15 Team Leadership

Recent Posts

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DisruptED

The AI-Powered Edge in Education: How LearningClues Is Enabling Student Success with Co-founder and CEO Dr. Perry Samson

Darin Francis - June 30, 2025

As AI continues to reshape education, institutions face a growing challenge in ensuring students succeed without compromising engagement or integrity. Todays college students are often juggling jobs, family, and coursework, leading to limited study time and increased dropout risk.

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DisruptED

How Human-Centered Design Led to a Startup Accelerator for Education: A Conversation with Transcend Network's Co-founder Michael Narea

Darin Francis - June 20, 2025

The convergence of human-centered design and education innovation is reshaping how edtech ventures emerge and scale. As AI enables hyper-efficiency and bootstrapped entrepreneurship becomes more viable, the real differentiator is empathyfounders who listen deeply to users before building solutions.

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Articles Education Technology

How Calbright College Is Using AI, Micro-Internships, and Flexible Learning to Serve Adult Learners in California

Darin Francis - June 10, 2025

At a time when traditional higher education is being reevaluated for its return on investment, institutions like Calbright College are emerging as transformative forces. With roughly 6.

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Articles Education Technology

From Freshmen to Founders: Michigan Students Take on Higher Ed's Summer Melt Crisis with MeetYourClass

Darin Francis - May 29, 2025

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Articles Education Technology

Getting Elite Level Support for College Admissions with ESAI Founder Julia Dixon

Darin Francis - May 12, 2025

College admissions have long favored those with accesswhether thats legacy ties, zip code advantages, or the ability to afford pricey private consultants. But now, the game is changing.

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DisruptED

The Future of Residential College: Hybrid, Scalable, and Built for Student Demand

Darin Francis - May 8, 2025

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