Oren Jacob

Fil Producer, Founder & CEO at ToyTalk Company & Former CTO at Pixar

Dr. Afiya Fredericks

Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of the District of Columbia; Growth Mindset Expert

Julie Lythcott-Haims

Former Dean at Stanford University & Bestselling Author of "How to Raise an Adult"

Jess Ekstrom

Social Entrepreneur; Growth Mindset & Women's Empowerment Speaker; Chief Creative Officer at Mic Drop Workshop; Founder of Headbands of Hope; Bestselling Author of "Chasing the Bright Side" & "Create Your Bright Ideas"

Jess Ekstrom Signature Keynote: Innovation and Motivation That Lasts

Lisa Damour

Clinical Psychologist, Executive Director of Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls & New York Times Bestselling Author

Jessica Tudos

Olympian; Educator; Speaker; Author; Creative Life Design Specialist; Organizer

Nadia Lopez

Founding Principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy; Best-Selling Author; STEAM & Mental Health Advocate

Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda

Zimbabwean Human Rights Lawyer, World YWCA General Secretary, Advocate for Transformative Leadership and Social Justice

Sophia Lucia

Dancer Who's Appeared on "Dance Moms," "Dancing with the Stars," "America's Got Talent" & "Shake It Up"

Molly McGrath Tierney

Former Director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services; Known for Her TED Talk, "Rethinking Foster Care"

Molly Tierney - “Nurturing Well-Being with Kurt Kelly

Laurie Berkner

Children's Musical Artist

Steve Simpson

Young Adult Author & Youth Activist; Speaks on Topics Such as Suicide, Child Abuse, Runaways & Bullying

The World is Wrong

Terry Thoren

Former CEO of Klasky Csupo, Which Produced Nickelodeon's "The Rugrats," "Rocket Power," "The Wild Thornberrys" & "As Told by Ginger"

Mac Barnett

Award-Winning Children's Author & 2025-2026 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature

Mac Barnett - Library of Congress

Fernando Reimers

Ford Foundation Professor of the Practice in International Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education

Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Bestselling Novelist Known for "The Language of Flowers"; Co-Founder of The Camellia Network; Foster Parent

National Writers Series: Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Maya Adam, MD

Director of Health Media Innovation & Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine

Chris Van Dusen

Writer & Illustrator of Children's Picture Books; Illustrator of the "Mercy Watson" Series by Kate DiCamillo

Brett Helquist

Best Known as the Illustrator of Lemony Snicket's "Series of Unfortunate Events"

Loren Long

New York Times Best-Selling Author Known for the "Otis" Series and for Illustrating Barack Obama's Children's Books