2026 Small Schools Summit

Small schools face a choice: compete like larger institutions or compete as something entirely different. Too often, they choose the former, borrowing tactics from big schools and attempting to prove they offer just as much. The result? Marketing that positions distinctive schools as scaled-down versions of their competitors. This keynote offers a better strategy. Drawing from a decade as Chief Brand Officer at Mount Presbyterian School and four years leading brand strategy for independent schools, Trey Boden reveals why small schools' inherent advantages (intimacy, agility, personalization) are precisely what today's families value most. You'll explore why "doing more with less" weakens your position rather than strengthening it, how to identify the strategic advantages only your school can deliver, and what effective communication looks like when resources are limited but clarity is not. Walk away with practical approaches to make your size your greatest differentiator and a positioning strategy that competes on your terms, not theirs.