4 Takeaways From

SAAS Summit: Ascend 2026

By: Sarah-Mae McCullough, Editorial Content Manager

Preparing kids to shape the future is core to SAAS’s educational approach. And the adults in our community, including alumni and parents, are constantly showing us what that looks like in action—as they lead in uncertain times, found nonprofits and startups, and chart unique paths to success. 

Eight of these innovative leaders shared their wisdom at SAAS Summit: Ascend on January 22. During the panel discussion, they revealed the biggest triumphs, setbacks, and insights from their careers, spanning tech innovation, social entrepreneurship, and professional sports. Here are a few of the lessons gleaned from their remarkable journeys. 

Success Might Not Look Like What You Expected

SAAS alum Maria Miracle ’10 is challenging traditional ideas about entrepreneurship. As the founder and CEO of HI Foods, a first-of-its-kind company connecting food and nutrition to reproductive health, it took her time to embrace that she approaches problem-solving in a “non-boundaried, creative way,” she said during the panel. She sometimes finds that journaling or dancing, for example, leads to better ideas than staring at a spreadsheet. 

“Coming from [SAAS], where you do come at problems from the side, and you don’t have to be so linear about everything, is something I’m really, really proud of,” Maria said. 

For When You Feel Like Quitting

11-year MLB star Jason Bay faced “plenty of times [when] I felt like quitting” as he worked his way toward the big leagues, the SAAS parent said. When he found himself at a crossroads, what kept him going was advice from his father: What choice would he feel good about 5, 10, or 15 years down the line? Would he feel content that he took the easier way out, or would he keep wondering “what if”? 

Persistence in the face of challenges was a theme throughout the panel. Adam Schoenfeld '01, a four-time startup founder, spoke to the grit entrepreneurs need to pitch their ideas over and over again, often hearing “no.” A steady “desire to keep improving” propels him through those commonplace "microfailures," he said.  

Embrace The Future, While Keeping Your Roots

AI is top of mind in 2026, especially for tech leaders like Karen Huh (CEO and Co-Founder of the generative AI company Zucca) and Prashant Ratanchandani (Vice President of Engineering for AI Products for Meta). Both SAAS parents spoke to AI’s powerful potential and how it’s highlighting the importance of human collaboration, connection, and storytelling. 

“We are equipping people to be able to do so many incredible things,” Karen said. “We are also reminding people how important it is to be human—to be a storyteller, to be able to perform in an arts performance… To put the icing on that cake is that my two girls are learning all about that right now, here at SAAS.” 

Amid rapid technological changes, Prashant urged people to stay close to “your roots—what it is that made you successful in the first place...how your team trusts you, how you listen to them, how you make decisions together.” 

How It All Starts at SAAS

The night came full circle when panelists discussed their experiences with SAAS—and how a SAAS education prepares kids for the type of forward-looking, mission-driven careers they've built. 

They described a supportive environment where each kid is encouraged to follow their unique interests and gifts, a culture that celebrates everything from sports to robotics, and a shared commitment to courage and bold action. 

Alum Nanda Prabhakar '95, founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit The Opportunity Hub, defined the SAAS experience as being part of a true “learning community.” 

“The goal is for you to understand the concept, be able to apply it, and be able to integrate it,” she said. “Not just so you get a good grade, not just for the SATs, and not just so you get into college. It’s learning because learning is important.”

Prashant emphasized the school's focus on "Knowing the Kid," or supporting each individual.

“Our experience of SAAS so far is that our kids are celebrated for who they are, so they can be who they want to be and not who they think they’re supposed to be," he said. "I think that’s a really big distinction in how the school goes about taking care of our kids."

As the evening concluded, panelists connected a SAAS education to the confidence, creativity, and resilience that have fueled their own journeys. As some of today’s most innovative and effective leaders, they know what it takes to nurture the leaders of tomorrow—and are thrilled to see that learning happening at SAAS.