Shanna Peeples - Peeples now teaches at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas, where she spends half of her day as a high school English teacher and the other half mentoring, coaching and challenging her colleagues to grow in the teachin...

Cornel West - Cornel West, a professor at Princeton University, is a prominent and provocative democratic intellectual. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard in three years and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy at Princeton. He ...

Consuelo Kickbush - Speaker, consultant and founder of Educational Achievement Services, Inc. Born and raised along the border in a small barrio in Laredo, Texas, Consuelo Kickbusch overcame poverty, discrimination, and illiteracy to become...

Luis Cruz - Educational Consultant at New Frontier 21. Dr. Luis F. Cruz is a dedicated and committed lifetime student of leadership and has been a public school educator for over twenty years. Dr. Cruz is a former elementary, middle and hig...

Jose Hernandez - Supervisor of Transportation at Pasco School District, Pasco, WA. Jose Hernandez is originally from McAllen, Texas and migrated to Washington as a Migrant farm worker. He was the youngest of sixteen children and graduated f...

Juan Sanchez Munoz -Dr. Muñoz is the Senior Vice President for Institutional Diversity Equity, and Community Engagement and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education & Student Affairs at Texas Tech University. Dr. Muñoz serves on the Associa...

Darrell Andrews - For 15 years, Darrell Andrews Enterprises has been a national leader in helping schools and school districts increase graduation rates and successful life outcomes of students both at-promise and general population. Darrel...

Karen Kilpatrick - Karen Kilpatrick is the author and co-illustrator of the award winning children’s books series, Pumpkinheads® (Carmin Cares, Ella’s Toys, Love Monster Lulu, Sage’s Song and Danza’s Message). She currently is working on ne...

Craig J. Boykin - Craig is one of the most sought after speakers in America speaking at programs, events, graduations and conferences across America. Craig endured numerous hardships which he credits for his passion for helping those who ar...

Kwame Alexander - Kwame Alexander is a poet and author of eighteen books, most recently THE CROSSOVER, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children. His other works i...

Howard Gardner - John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He also holds positions as Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and Senior Director of Harvar...

Jim Ziolkowski - Founder, President and CEO of buildOn and best-selling author of ‘Walk in Their Shoes.' Jim Ziolkowski graduated cum laude from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. He has been featured on NBC’s TO...

Mark Updegrove – Mark Updegrove is the Director of the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas. He became director of the LBJ Presidential Library in October of 2009. He is an author, publisher, lecturer, presidential historian...

M. Duane Nellis – President of Texas Tech University.  M. Duane Nellis came from a migrant family. He was previously president of the University of Idaho, and provost and senior vice president at Kansas State University, and professor of ge...

James H. Johnson – A professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill was a keynote from last year’s conference, speaking on the topic of “Disruptive Demographics.” James H. Johnson, Jr. is the William Rand Kenan, Jr. Distinguished...

Marian Wright Edelman - Marian Wright Edelman is an American activist for the rights of children. She has been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional life. She is president and founder of the Children's Defense ...

Gabe Sonnier - Janitor-turned-Principal of Port Barr Elementary School, LA. Before becoming principal of Port Barr Elementary School in Louisiana, Joseph “Gabe” Sonnier was a longtime janitor at the school. He spent twenty seven years as a ...

Julian Castro (US Representative) Julián Castro was sworn in as the 16th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on July 28, 2014. Before HUD, Castro served as Mayor of the City of San Antonio. During his tenure, h...

Joaquin Castro (Housing Secretary) After finishing high school a year early, Joaquin left San Antonio to graduate with honors from Stanford University in 1996. He then went on to attend Harvard Law School where he received his Juris Doctora...

Milton Chen – with Edutopia (George Lucas Foundation) and also did work with Sesame Street. Advocate for redesigning education systems for the new age, Milton Chen has been a leading figure in educational media for more than 20 years. He jo...

Kati Haycock – president of EdTrust and fierce advocate for disadvantaged and minority students. Kati Haycock is one of the nation’s leading advocates in the field of education. She currently serves as president of The Education Trust. Esta...

Leland Melvin – black astronaut and public speaker. As a former NASA astronaut, Leland shares that working with students and seeing them excited about learning science, technology and math is as awe-inspiring as galactic space travel. Lelan...

Levar Burton – actor, producer, writer (founder and producer of Reading Rainbow, actor on Star Trek, actor in mini-series Roots). In 1983 he became host and executive producer of PBS' Reading Rainbow, a show aimed at teaching young children...