Dr. Amelia Kelly is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of SoapBox Labs, a company specializing in voice AI technology. In 2023, SoapBox Labs was acquired by Curriculum Associates, an educational technology company. Following the acquisition, Dr. Kelly transitioned to a role as Vice President of Data Science at Curriculum Associates. In this capacity, she oversees AI research and development. Her work is based in a Dublin innovation hub that integrates SoapBox Labs with other teams within Curriculum Associates, fostering collaboration and innovation across the organization. Amelia holds a masters and PhD in Linguistics and Speech Technology, and is also the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship (2021) and an Eisenhower Fellowship (2024). In 2022 she was recognised as Ireland's AI Person of the Year and in 2024 won the prestigious CIO/IT Leader of the Year award at the Business Post awards. She is globally recognised for her work on ethical voice AI for children, and has advised on government strategy boards, university industry groups and as a member of the EdSafe Alliance.

John Gamba is a serial entrepreneur who has founded, funded and led several education technology ventures and non-profit programs over his 30 year career. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Gamba started his career as a strategy consultant for KPMG where he performed research and published articles for NASA related to the commercial development of space. He was later recruited to serve as a senior executive at two digital marketing agencies, one of which went public in 1998. Pursuing his passion for public education, John later started his own edtech incubator, where he co-founded PACE - The Partnership for Academic and Community Excellence. PACE was a school to home communications network that connected thousands of K12 schools to millions of parents in all 50 states. PACE was eventually sold to NTI Group and then to Blackboard for $182 million, in an all cash transaction. John currently serves as Entrepreneur in Residence and Director of Innovative Programs at Catalyst @ Penn GSE where he mentors aspiring education entrepreneurs and oversees the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition, now in its 15th year. The Milken competition has awarded $2 million dollars to over 50 education entrepreneurs and those ventures have gone on to raise $200 million in follow-on capital. John is an industry speaker on topics related to K12 Education and social entrepreneurship and is a founding director of the Gamba Family Foundation which is committed to closing the achievement gap for under-represented students in the United States. His family foundation has contributed over $1,000,000 in philanthropic support to education causes nation-wide.

Katie Fang is the Founder and CEO of SchooLinks, an enterprise SaaS company in the education space, focusing on college & career planning and workforce development. She founded the company after college based on her own experience using legacy tools and sought to make the process more engaging and effective. Though Katie is a first-time founder and CEO, she's able to build and scale the company to serve millions of students nationwide. SchooLinks was ranked three years in a row on the Inc 5000, the fastest growing companies in America in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and named one of the top 10 "Most Innovative Company in Education" by Fast Company in 2023. She was named to the Forbes “30 under 30” list, Top Texans under 30, the Young Woman to Watch, and has been featured on the cover of Austin Woman Magazine.

Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, is a kindergarten through eighth grade English as the Second Language (ESL) teacher and program director at Rogersville City School where she also directs their summer camps program. Testerman is a staunch advocate for her students, their families and her fellow teachers. She is currently on leave for the 2024-25 school year as she fulfills her year of service as National Teacher of the Year to empower teachers to advocate for students and fellow educators by using their voices and sharing their experiences with those outside of the classroom. Testerman believes strongly in teachers embracing their role as education experts to inform decision-makers of today’s classroom experiences to meet all students’ needs. A Tennessee native and first-generation college graduate, Testerman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Reading Education from East Tennessee State University. In her rural Appalachian community, Testerman builds bridges between cultures – families who have been in the area for centuries and newer immigrants – through a curriculum focused on a study of Americans from diverse backgrounds, allowing students to better understand that people are inherently the same and that they all belong. As Tennessee’s State Teacher of the Year, she forged partnerships with East Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee to encourage pre-service teachers and give authentic feedback to university leaders about their educator preparation programs. Missy believes that we must hold high expectations for students, and she prioritizes instruction that ensures her students have the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve. She considers her greatest contribution to her profession to be the love and desire for learning that she has instilled in countless students over the past three decades. Testerman takes great pride in seeing her former students succeed in life and is motivated to ensure the next generation receives a broadened education while living in a rural setting.

Alix Guerrier is the CEO of DonorsChoose, the leading nonprofit for supporting US public schools. Prior to DonorsChoose, he was the CEO of international charitable giving platform GlobalGiving, and co-founder of LearnZillion, an education technology company that was acquired in 2019. His previous work experience includes consulting in McKinsey & Company’s Education Practice, teaching middle and high school mathematics, and working in the public finance department at Citigroup. Alix has a Masters in Education from the Stanford University School of Education and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. He graduated from Harvard University with an AB in physics and is a proud product of New Haven Public Schools. He lives in Washington, DC.