Dr. Michael Gaskell is a veteran middle school principal in East Brunswick, NJ. He writes extensively on school culture, trauma, and educational leadership, and mentors new principals through the Leaders to Leaders program. 

Mike Lahiff is CEO and co-founder of ZeroEyes, an intelligent video analytics company that uses artificial intelligence with existing security cameras to detect weapons and send alerts to local staff and first responders. 

Mr. Lahiff previously served as Director of Digital Programs at Comcast NBC Universal, and spent ten years in the United States Navy as a Navy SEAL.

He holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Rebecca Rolland is a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is on the faculty at the Harvard Medical School. She also serves as an oral and written language specialist in the Neurology Department of Boston Children's Hospital and as an advisor in curriculum development for the World Bank. As a nationally certified speech-language pathologist, she has worked clinically with populations ranging from early childhood through high school and has provided teacher professional development. She lives in Boston with her husband and two conversation-loving kids.

Dr. Jane Kise is founder of Differentiated Coaching Associates, has worked as a consultant for 30 years, specializing in executive and instructional coaching and professional development. She is also the author or coauthor of over 25 books, including Doable Differentiation; Holistic Leadership, Thriving Schools; Differentiated Coaching; and Creating a Coaching Culture for Professional Learning Communities. She holds an MBA in finance from the Carlson School of Management and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas, where she is an adjunct professor for the doctoral program.

Ann Holm is a professional certified coach specializing in executive, leadership, and personal development. She is an MBTI Master Practitioner and is known as a thought leader in integrating psychological type theory with other coaching models, including Emotional Intelligence, Positive Intelligence, and Polarity Thinking, where she holds certifications. In addition, Holm has 25 years of experience in applied brain science as a speech-language pathologist specializing in stroke and brain injury rehabilitation. She is a frequent podcast guest and is the author of numerous articles and blogs.

Joy Kelly has served as a head of school, principal, and teacher for nearly 30 years. She is the co-author with Jimmy Casas of Handle with Care: Managing Difficult Situations in Schools with Dignity and Respect

Ken O'Connor is an independent consultant known internationally for his work in helping educators communicate about student achievement with grades that are CALM - consistent, accurate, learning-focused and meaningful. He's the author numerous books on grading, including the Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades, now in its 3rd edition.

Ronald A. Beghetto, PhD is an internationally recognized expert on creative thought and action in educational settings. He holds the Pinnacle West Presidential Chair and serves as a Professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University.

Laura McBain is a designer, educator and the co-director of the K12 lab at the Stanford d.school. As a human-centered designer, her work focuses on understanding the ecosystem of education and finding meaningful opportunities to advance racial and social justice.

Chester E. Finn, Jr. is a distinguished senior fellow and president emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He has previously served as Professor of Education and Public Policy at Vanderbilt, and was the United States Assistant Secretary of Education for Research and Improvement. He is the author of numerous books on testing, accountability, and education policy.

Dr. Jim Henderson is the creator and head coach of the 3Q Check-In System. You may have heard him on This American Life or seen his live stage events with William Paul Young, author of The Shack.

Nicholas Hillman is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he is also a faculty affiliate with the Institute for Research on Poverty and the La Follette School of Public Affairs.

Gary Orfield is Distinguished Research Professor of Education, Law, Political Science & Urban Planning at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he is also codirector of the Civil Rights Project he co-founded at Harvard University in 1996.

Michelle D. Young is Dean of the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University. She is a former Executive Director of UCEA.

Ann O’Doherty is aTeaching Professor and Director of the Danforth Educational Leadership Program at the University of Washington, and served as a member of Justin's dissertation committee.

Kathleen M.W. Cunningham is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policies at the University of South Carolina.

Dawn Harris is the founder of Education Undone. She is a secondary English Language Arts Educator, Gifted and Talented Teacher, and education speaker, has served as an Associate Professor of Teacher Education. Dawn continually strives to bring authentic and engaging learning experiences to students of all ages.

Quintin Shepherd, PhD has served as a superintendent in 3 states over the past 18 years. A former elementary and high school principal, he is superintendent of Victoria Independent School District in Victoria, Texas.

Shira Leibowitz, PhD has more than 20 years of experience leading schools from nursery through eighth grade. She is the founder and CEO of Discovery Village, a project- and play-based preschool in Tarrytown, NY. She also supports preschool leaders and education business owners through Revabilities. Dr. Leibowitz is also a faculty member teaching in the doctoral program of education at Northeastern University. She's the author of two books, including The Coach Approach to School Leadership: Leading Teachers to Higher Levels of Effectiveness, with Jessica Johnson and Kathy Perett, and she's the author of the new book Havens of Hope: Ideas for Redesigning Education from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Peter Docker is a keynote speaker and facilitator who presents around the world to inspire people to lead from the jumpseat. He worked alongside Simon Sinek for more than 7 years, co-authoring the book Find Your Why, and now draws on his 25 years of experience in the Royal Air Force to help organizations around the world build capacity for leadership.

Decoteau Irby, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Illinois - Chicago, where he teaches and advises in the College's Urban Education Leadership program area. He researches equity-focused school leadership as a lever to improve Black children's academic and socio-emotional experiences and outcomes.

Dr. Larry Dake is is a district administrator in upstate New York. He teaches educational leadership preparation courses at Binghamton University, and he is the author of Crisis Management: Effective School Leadership to Avoid Early Burnout.

With nearly three decades of successful educational leadership, Ken Williams has led successful equity and school improvement efforts in multiple schools as a leader, and in hundreds of schools as an author, speaker, coach, and consultant. Ken is the author of Ruthless Equity: Disrupt the Status Quo and Ensure Learning for ALL Students. 

A successful coach and educator for over 20 years, Sean Glaze is the founder of Great Results Teambuilding, where he helps inspire employees to become winning teammates. Sean is and a nationally renowned speaker, author, and the author of four books.

Allen N. Mendler, PhD, is an educator and school psychologist who specializes in approaches for helping youth with learning and behavior problems succeed.

Dr. Mendler is speaker, trainer, and author who addresses topics pertaining to challenging students. He is the author or coauthor of many publications, including Motivating Students Who Don't Care.

Diana Parafiniuk is a seasoned and nationally recognized business leader in the teletherapy market. She is the Founder and CMO of E-Therapy

Ashley Sanders and Jon Ebert are Educational Mental Health Program Managers with E-Therapy

Laura Stack is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on personal productivity. A past president of the National Speakers Association and Hall of Fame speaker, Laura's keynote speeches and seminars have helped organizations increase productivity for more than 30 years. After losing her 19-year-old son to suicide in Nov. 2019, she founded the nonprofit, Johnny's Ambassadors, with a mission to educate parents and teens about the effects of today's high-THC marijuana on adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide.

Frank Buck is a veteran school leader with a career in education spanning almost 30 years. Today, he is a writer, speaker, and coach in the areas of organization, time management, and productivity. “Global Gurus Top 30” ranked Dr. Buck #1 in the “Time Management” category for 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Tom Hierck is one of our profession's leading authors and consultants, with 39 years of experience in education. He's author of more than 20 books, including Trauma-Sensitive Instruction: Creating a Safe and Predictable Classroom Environment. 

Joseph Jones and TJ Vari are authors, speakers and district administrators who have written four books together, including Retention for a Change: Motivate, Inspire, and Energize Your School Culture

Daphne Wallbridge is a superintendent in Northern Ontario, and she is the author of two books, including The First-Year Principal: 52 Practical Lessons to Help New Principals Thrive as Conscious Leaders

Jason Baehr is Professor of Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He works at the intersection of virtue theory and epistemology, and has written widely on topics like intellectual virtue, wisdom, humility, and knowledge. He is the author of Deep in Thought: A Practical Guide to Teaching for Intellectual Virtues.

Jacquie Bryant is the Founding Principal of Intellectual Virtues Academy, a charter middle school located in Long Beach. Ms. Bryant has earned a Master's in Rhetoric and Composition, and Bachelor’s in English. She has presented several times at CSDC annual conferences on various aspects of intellectual character growth practices, and co-run summer seminars for six years with Jason Baehr training new teachers and staff on an intellectual virtues educational model.

Monica Brady-Myerov is an award winning NPR journalist, and is the founder of ListenWise, which features the only curated collection of NPR stories and podcasts tailored to the K-12 classroom. She is a visionary and thought leader in the listening space, and she is the author of the book, Listen Wise: Teach Students to Be Better Listeners

Eric Garcia is a journalist based in Washington, DC who has served as an editor and correspondent at numerous outlets, including Washington Post, The Hill, National Journal, The New Republic, and more. He is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and he's the author of We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation

Allison Rodman is the Founder of The Learning Loop, an educational consulting organization that provides professional learning services to districts, schools, and nonprofit organizations internationally. The Learning Loop designs, facilitates, and coaches professional learning that is personalized, purposeful, and paradigm-shifting. Allison is the author of Personalized Professional Learning: A Job-Embedded Pathway for Elevating Teacher Voice