Conversations in Higher Education explores the critical challenges and innovations shaping the future of colleges and universities through candid discussions with leaders on the front lines of transformation. In this episode, Jeff Martinez from Rackspace Technology discusses building a culture of cost accountability, the importance of doing with institutions rather than doing for them, and how genuine partnership built on trust enables innovation while protecting student data.Welcome to Conversations in Higher Education! 🎓Recorded live at EDUCAUSE 2025 in Nashville, this episode features Jeff Martinez from Rackspace Technology discussing the critical role that trusted vendor partnerships play in helping higher education institutions innovate securely while managing costs and protecting student data.In this episode, Jeff discusses:✅ Why restoring trust is more important than ever for CIOs✅ Building data governance as the foundation, not chasing shiny objects✅ How partners must understand institutional mission and compliance✅ The challenge of wrapping arms around decades of institutional data✅ Higher ed institutions as customers: families invest and choose them✅ Why institutions must move slower to mitigate risk properly✅ Students are more aware of data security than ever before✅ Building a culture of cost accountability in higher education✅ FinOps strategy and proactive cost management in public cloud✅ Trust as the foundation of vendor-institution relationships✅ Understanding that every institution's mission is unique✅ "Doing with, not doing for"—genuine partnership for long-term successJeff brings a partner perspective on what it takes to truly support higher education institutions—emphasizing that successful partnerships are built on understanding institutional missions, respecting the weight of responsibility CIOs carry, and investing in long-term institutional success rather than short-term sales.Recorded at EDUCAUSE 2025 in Nashville, TennesseeGuest: Jeff Martinez, Rackspace TechnologyHost: Jon Myer, Rackspace Technology - Myer Media#HigherEducation #EdTech #EDUCAUSE #Partnership #TrustInEducation #DataGovernance #CloudCosts #FinOps #CostAccountability #VendorPartnerships #HigherEdITTimeline