A national leader in restorative justice, specializing in peacemaking Circles. Since 1998, Kay has conducted Circle trainings in a diverse range of communities—from schools to prisons to workplaces to churches, from rural farm towns in Minnesota to Chicago’s South Side. She is one of the co-founders of Living Justice Press and has authored and coauthored a number of books on Circles including: Peacemaking Circles: From Conflict to Community (Living Justice Press, 2003), Circle Forward; The Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking(Good Books, 2005).

Lorena is an immigrant from Dominican Republic and raised in the US, attended public schooling from first grade through high school. She is an advocate for the practice of a culturally sustain pedagogical approach to education. She is the Chair of the National Council of English Teacher’s Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English and co-founder of #DisruptTexts. Director of Pedagogy at EduColor.

Svetlana is currently the Director of Diversity and Equity Planning for Monroe One BOCES. 

Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz is an award-winning Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on racial literacy in teacher education, Black girl literacies, and Black and Latinx male high school students. A sought-after speaker on issues of race, culturally responsive pedagogy, and diversity, Sealey-Ruiz works with K-12 and higher education school communities to increase their racial literacy knowledge and move toward more equitable school experiences for their Black and Latinx students.

Dr. Debbie Reese, tribally enrolled at Nambé Pueblo, has studied representations of Native peoples in children's and young adult books for over thirty years. Her book chapters, journal articles, and professional writings are taught in education, library science, and English courses across the United States and Canada. Her blog, "American Indians in Children's Literature" ("AICL"), is widely recognized as a go-to resource for writers, reviewers, editors, teachers, librarians, and parents. In July of 2019, Beacon Press published a young readers’ edition of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz adapted by Dr. Reese and her longtime friend and colleague, Dr. Jean Mendoza.

James is a dynamic educator providing support to individuals, schools, organizations, businesses, and more. Since 2003, they have been teaching about LGBTQIA+ issues, working with homeless shelters & clinics to K-12 schools, and college classrooms.

The Washington Post says, “She’s considered the mother of disability rights.” 
She is an internationally recognized disability advocate that has served on the Clinton and Obama Administrations. Her story was featured in the documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” a 2020 American award winning documentary film. In 2020, she published her memoir "Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist," written with Kristen Joiner. Judy is now the producer of The Heumann Perspective, a podcast and YouTube channel that aims to share the beauty of the disability community.

Liza Talusan is an educator, facilitator, and strategic change partner for organizations, corporations, leadership teams, schools and individuals who are looking to build their skills in areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and leadership. She leads with compassion and connection, even when conversations are difficult and challenging.

Paul Forbes is the Founder of Leading with Hearts and Minds, serves as the Chief of the Defining US Network, is the Former Executive Director within the Office of Equity and Access for the New York City Department of Education. A native New Yorker who was born, raised, and still lives in Brooklyn, he has dedicated his professional life to working with students and families from historically underrepresented neighborhoods and communities. 

Amanda is the Administrative Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity for the Eastern Suffolk BOCES.