Keynote Speakers
Charles Vogl
Charles Vogl is an adviser, speaker, and the author of three books, including the international bestseller The Art of Community, now in its 2nd edition. He is a trusted thought leader for the Google School for Leaders, which develops over 20,000 Google managers. He also is a founding member of the Google Vitality Lab which navigates big challenges in health and wellbeing. His work is used to advise and develop leadership and programs worldwide within organizations including Airbnb, Amazon, Dow Inc., and the US Army. His work draws on 3,000 years of spiritual traditions to understand how individuals build loyalty, strengthen identity, and live out shared values in a fragmented society. He holds an M.Div. from Yale, where he studied spiritual traditions, ethics, and business as a Jesse Ball duPont Foundation scholar.
Shawn Achor
Shawn Achor became one of the world’s leading researchers on the connection between a positive brain and success. He has traveled to more than 50 countries studying how beliefs predict performance, resilience, and well-being. Achor is a New York Times bestselling author of multiple books, including The Happiness Advantage, which has sold more than one million copies worldwide. His new book, The Power of Beliefs was released in May 2026. His research has been featured on the cover of Harvard Business Review, his TED Talk is among the most viewed of all time, and his PBS program has reached millions of viewers. Achor has worked with one-third of the Fortune 100, as well as the NFL, NASA, and the U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton. He has been interviewed twice by Oprah Winfrey and is one of only two external speakers ever invited to address the President’s staff at Camp David.
Featured Presenters
Tim Bono
Tim Bono, PhD is a faculty member in the department of psychological and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis where his teaching and research focus on positive psychology and college student development. His work has been featured in media outlets including NBC News, CNN, Fast Company, and the Associated Press. Thousands of students have taken his popular courses on the Psychology of Young Adulthood and the Science of Happiness. He summarizes the research along with how his students have put that information into practice in their own lives, in his book, Happiness 101: Simple Secrets to Smart Living & Well-Being.
Josh Chuck
Josh Chuck is a fourth-generation resident of San Francisco's Chinatown, where his family has deep roots, including doctors, merchants, teachers, and pastors. With over 25 years of experience as a youth worker, filmmaker, and fundraiser, he is deeply committed to his community. He co-directed his first feature documentary, Chinatown Rising, alongside his father, Rev. Harry Chuck, and has presented the film to over 400 audiences. He recently co-directed the film Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America, which premiered in 2025. He is currently in post-production stage of his latest documentary film, Dragon Boat, about a multi-ethnic teen dragon boat team in San Francisco.
The Detroit Creativity Project
The Detroit Creativity Project was founded in 2011 on the belief that every child should have the opportunity to succeed. We help youth in Detroit and the surrounding areas transform their lives by teaching them to improvise, a tool that fosters collaboration and respect for others, builds literacy and encourages experimentation in a safe, supportive setting.
Thomas R. Guskey
Thomas R. Guskey, PhD is professor emeritus at the University of Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Chicago, he began his career as a middle school teacher, served as an administrator in the Chicago Public Schools, and was the first director of the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, a national educational research center. Guskey was named a fellow in the American Educational Research Association and was awarded the Association’s prestigious Relating Research to Practice Award. He is the author/editor of 30 books and over 300 published articles and book chapters, and best known for his work on teacher change, professional learning, educational assessment, and grading and reporting student learning.
Evan Harris
Evan Harris is an expert on emerging AI risks in schools, with a focus on deepfake abuse and digital safety. He has advised the Office of the First Lady, the Texas State Senate, and the general counsel of the National Association of Independent Schools, where he co-authored the legal guide on deepfake sexual abuse. A former teacher and administrator with a decade of experience in independent schools, Harris holds a master’s in private school leadership from Teachers College and was a Technology Ethics Fellow at Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute.
Jason Craige Harris
Jason Craige Harris is a strategist, essayist, and storyteller who helps leaders and some of the sharpest minds in the country solve hard problems. When organizations and communities are stuck, polarized, or quietly unraveling, Harris is often called to steady the room, fix what’s broken, and help people talk to each other. Trained in ethics, psychology, and systems thinking, he blends science with real life—using humor, deep listening, and storytelling to help navigate conflict, repair relationships, and make decisions under pressure. He brings big ideas down to earth, helping people see that leadership isn’t about being the loudest or the smartest—it’s about being human, especially when it’s hardest.
Chris Lukach
Chris Lukach, APR is chief executive officer of AKCG–Public Relations Counselors, a national public relations consultancy with deep experience in reputation management, crisis communications, and issues management. Lukach has been instrumental in developing issues and crisis communications plans and consulting with the firm's independent school clients on sensitive and pivotal matters. He is a lecturer and author on a range of reputation-management topics and adjunct professor of crisis communications at Rowan University, where he co-designed the Crisis Communication Certificate of Undergraduate Study Program.
Caroline Miller
Caroline Miller, EdD is a neuroeducation specialist at St. Paul's School for Boys (MD), serving as their director of learning services for grades 5-12. She holds a Doctor of Education, with a specialization in mind, brain, and teaching, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in mind, brain, teaching, and a Master of Science degree in special education from Johns Hopkins University. Her work centers on applying neuroscience, self-regulated learning, and teacher efficacy research to practical, inclusive, and evidence-based professional learning models. She also is lead consultant and co-founder of Efficacy Lab Group Consulting, which offers individualized and data driven support in creating and managing professional learning systems in independent schools.
Jessica Minahan
Jessica Minahan, PhD, BCBA is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst, special educator, and best-selling author. With over 20 years of experience partnering with school systems globally, she is a recognized expert at the intersection of behavior, mental health, and learning. Minahan specializes in supporting students with trauma histories, anxiety-related challenges, and oppositional behaviors. An acclaimed international speaker and consultant, she is noted for translating complex mental health and behavioral concepts into actionable strategies for educational organizations. She is the author of The Behavior Code Companion and co-author of The Behavior Code.
Louisa Penfold
Louisa Penfold, PhD is a lecturer and the chair of Arts and Learning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has worked on the curation of children’s play spaces at internationally renowned art museums including Tate Modern, the Serpentine, and MoMA, as well as acting as an arts and culture advisor to the United Nations. Penfold is the director of Project Zero’s Art/Play, a collaborative study looking at the integration of modern and contemporary arts into public school curriculum in the U.S. Her recently published book for parents, Every Child is an Artist: Artist-Inspired Activities for Cultivating Children’s Creativity is out now with Workman Publishing.
Photo credit: Carl Tremblay
Kristin Smith
Kristin Smith is a partner in the Houston and Minneapolis offices and a co-chair of the education industry group at Fisher Phillips LLP where her practice focuses exclusively on independent and private schools. Smith assists schools in a variety of areas, including: student and employee discipline; faculty, staff, and student contract drafting; handbook and policy drafting, implementation, and enforcement; LGBTQ issues, including transgender students and employees; board governance and training; discrimination claims and EEOC charges; administration and faculty training and development; school entanglement in family court proceedings; and, investigations, litigation, arbitration and mediation.
Bob Sornson
Bob Sornson, PhD was a teacher and administrator for 30 years, and he is the founder of the Early Learning Foundation. He is a consultant and best-selling author of over 30 books for educators, parents, and children, including Over-Tested and Under-Prepared: Shifting from One-Size-Fits-All Instruction to Personalized Competency Based Learning. His work focuses on early learning success, competency-based learning, and parent engagement, founded on the belief that every child deserves a rock-solid early learning experience to help them become learners for life. Sornson earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree at the University of Michigan and his PhD from Andrews University.
E. Jason Tremblay
E. Jason Tremblay, labor and employment group vice chair, as well as Chicago Office managing partner at Saul Ewing LLP, advises clients across various industries, including K–12 independent and charter schools, on a wide variety of employment, regulatory and administrative matters. In the K-12 space, he regularly acts as outside general counsel to schools, handling issues such as advising on employment/human resources matters, conducting internal investigations, reviewing and drafting school policies and handbooks, responding to governmental audits and investigations, and handling litigation and other contested matters involving educational institutions.
Heidi Tringali
Heidi Tringali is a pediatric occupational therapist, speaker, and writer. She founded Tringali Occupational Therapy Services (T.O.T.S) in response to a need for occupational therapy services in independent schools. T.O.T.S. now provides support and consultative services to independent schools and pre-schools throughout the country. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association, where she serves as a media expert. Tringali holds a certification with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, BA degrees in special education and psychology from Hastings College, and an MS degree in occupational therapy from Tufts University. She is author of The Readied Child: Parenting Tools for Learning and Life Readiness.
Lisa Van Gemert
Lisa Van Gemert shares best practices in education with audiences around the world using a combination of neuropsychology, pedagogy, experience, humor, technology, and sheer fun. She is an expert consult to television shows including Lifetime’s Child Genius, and a writer of award-winning lesson plans, as well as numerous published articles on social psychology and pedagogy and four books, including the Legacy Award winning book, Perfectionism: A Practical Guide to Managing Never Good Enough. A former teacher, school administrator, and Youth & Education Ambassador for Mensa, she shares resources for educators and parents on her website GiftedGuru.com.
Trevor Waddington
Trevor Waddington spent 17 years working in independent schools, beginning his career in the classroom before quickly stepping into leadership roles in admissions, marketing, communications, enrollment management, and financial aid. In 2018, Waddington “retired” from working in schools to help schools around the world attract and enroll best-fit students from mission-aligned families. An expert in digital psychology and behavioral economics, he brings a unique perspective on how families consider, evaluate, and ultimately choose an independent school education.