Advisory Board

The Advisory Board plays an important role in shaping SXSW EDU. The board is composed of leaders from all backgrounds in education, including professionals from early, K-12, and higher education as well as workforce development. Advisory board members are practitioners, administrators, business professionals, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and students from all over the world, each offering unique and diverse perspectives.


SXSW EDU 2025 - Photo by Ken Eke

SXSW EDU 2025 - Photo by Ken Eke

PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE

 

Members of the Programming advisory board committee share their time and expertise by evaluating proposed sessions submitted via PanelPicker. The board’s participation weighs heavily in the overall session programming of the event.

* SXSW EDU Founding Board Member

Adam Gismondi
Senior Director, Democratic Knowledge Project, Harvard University
Wakefield, MA

Alli Lee
Vice President, Program, Book Trust USA
Brooklyn, NY

Amber Oliver
Managing Director, Robin Hood Learning + Technology Fund
New York, NY

Anita Givens*
Texas Education Agency (retired)
Austin, TX

Beth Carls
CEO, OneSeventeen Media PBC
Liberty Hill, TX

Carie-Anne Simmons
Director of Education, Connect Community
Houston, TX

Caroline Vander Ark
CEO, Getting Smart Collective
Federal Way, WA

Christopher Hopper
Technology Director, Lone Star Learning
Austin, TX

Clyde Boyer*
CIO, HillCo Partners
Ellicott CIty, MD

Corinne Weisgerber
Professor of Communication, Concordia University Texas
Austin, TX

Cory Colby
Professor of Political Science / Faculty Senate President, Lone Star College-Tomball
Conroe, TX

Cynthia Burrow
President, Strategic Education Solutions
Holliston, MA

Dagmar Kauffman
Founder & Executive Director, On Balance Parenting
Raleigh, NC

David Conover
Digital Arts Animation Instructor, PFISD
Austin, TX

David D Anderson*
Partner/Lobbyist, Net Edge Training LLC
Austin, TX

David Roberts
Chief Development Officer, Austin Sunshine Camps
Austin, TX

DeShanna Reed
Founder & Managing Director, D. Reed Coaching, Consulting & Advocacy, LLC
Houston, TX

Drew Davidson
Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA

Elizabeth Gossens
Vice President, Strategic Communications, Interwoven
New Castle, DE

Erik Woning
Program Manager Innovation, Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam
Rotterdam, Netherlands

Felice Nudelman*
President, Trinity Education Group
Beavercreek, OH

George Rislov
Volunteer, None
San Antonio, TX

Guiherme Alves
CEO, Explore Aprendizagem
São Paulo, Brasil

Honoria Starbuck
Assistant Professor of Practice, University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX

Hugh Norwood*
CEO, Cincinnati Public Schools
Clarksville, MD

Jacqueline Gardy
Content Development Editor, U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC

Jameelah Stuckey
Sr. Manager - Transformation Division, TNTP
Tulsa, OK

JAMES MILES
Fresh Professor, Seattle University
Seattle, WA

James Rees
Artist • Researcher * Teacher, Brigham Young University
Spanish Fork, UT

Jamie Kasper
Director, Arts Education Partnership, Education Commission of the States
Denver, CO

Jeff Wayman
Vice President of Research and Innovation, Acadience Learning
Ausin, TX

Jessica Herring-Watson
Assistant Professor - College of Education, University of Central Arkansas
Little Rock, AR

Jessica Slusser
Partner, Growth & Impact, Getting Smart
Federal Way, WA

Jodi Lis
Director of Global Career Development, TruMerit
Philadelphia, PA

Joel Thierstein*
Teacher, Kindergarten, Educate Texas
Cincinnati, OH

John Fitzpatrick*
Executive Director, Kathy Hurley Consulting
Austin, TX

Julie Dierberger
Chief Engagement Officer, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE

Julie Willcott
Sr Director, Product, zSpace
Corea, ME

Katherine Prince
Vice President, Foresight and Strategy, KnowledgeWorks
Columbus, OH

Kathy Blankenship
Teacher, Kelly Lane Middle School
Pflugerville, TX

Kathy Hurley*
CEO, Texas PBS
Punta Gorda, FL

Kelvin Chan
Executive Director, Black Family Philanthropies
New York, NY

Kierstan Schwab*
Executive Director, TCEA
Austin, TX

Kirsten Hund
Program Director, The Holdsworth Center
Austin, TX

Kristen Procko
Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX

Lakita Edwards
Arts Education Program Specialist, National Endowment for the Arts
Washington, DC

LaToya Rush
Surgical Technology Program Director, Concorde Career College
North Hollywood, CA

Lindsey Own
Teacher and Senior Trainer: STEM Pedagogy and Practice, Skool21
Yokohama, Japan

Lizzy Perez
Principal/Founder and ICF-PCC and CDTLF, Lizzy Perez, LLC
San Antonio, TX

Lori Gracey*
Executive Direcor, TxDLA
Austin, TX

Martin Moran
Assistant Head of School, Bennett Day School
Chicago, IL

Meredith Crawford
Senior Program Coordinator, The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX

Michael Crawford
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, America Succeeds
Novi, MI

Michael Kleba
Teacher/Co-Founder, Leaders Don't Lead
Brooklyn, NY

Michael Mills
Dean, Graduate School, University of Central Arkansas
Little Rock, AR

Michela Laverty
Founder, Educational Consultant, Oly Able Special Education Solutions
Denver, CO

Michelle Elizer
Director of Federal Policy and Reporting, University of Phoenix
Wentzville, MO

Mi-Jan Celie Tho-Biaz
Cultural Worker and Public Scholar, Freelance
Santa Fe, NM

Mike Lawrence
Director, Information & Technology, ABC Unified School District
Cerritos, CA

Miriam Westheimer
Chief Program Officer, HIPPY International
Bronx, NY

Murray Woodard
CEO, BLAQUE Promise Project
Kansas City, MO

Naomi Schlesinger
Fifth Grade Teacher & Social Studies Coodinator, Village Community School
New York, NY

Natalie Minas
Manager of Exceptional Student Services Compliance, Vertex Education
Denver, CO

Nina Mauricia
Sr.Director, Implementation, CORE Learning
San Diego, CA

Nori Barajas
Principal Strategist, Higher Education, CDW
Claremont, CA

Rachel Vanausdoll
MTSS Facilitator, Special School District of St. Louis County
Hazelwood, MO

Raymond Rose*
Public Policy Chair/Digital Accessibility Liaison Digital Accessibility Evangelist,
Austin, TX

Robin Lerner
Senior Director for Academic Engagement, Microsoft
Austin, TX

Ruth Ann Moss
Executive Director, Small Magic
Birmingham, AL

SAMUEL SEIDEL
Director of Products + Publications, and K12 Strateg, d.school at Stanford
Oakland, CA

Sarojani Mohammed
Founder + Principal, Ed Research Works
Austin, TX

Scott Kley Contini
Instructional Technology Trainer, University of Memphis
Memphis, TN

Sheri Lawson
Coordinator ~ English Language, Immigrant, and Migrant Education Services, Hazelwood School District
Florissant, MO

Stephanie Campbell
owner, TTRPGkids, LLC
Commerce Township, MI

Stephanie Sandifer
AVP, Academic Product, Southern New Hampshire University
Houston, TX

Stephen Majors
Chief External Affairs Officer, Teach For America
Washington, DC

Steve Amos
CEO, HealthCode
Austin, TX

Sualeha Irshad
Student, University of North Texas
Mansfield, TX

Susan Foley
hybrid position: University and Academic Counsellor / High School Drama Teacher, English Teacher, Model UN Coach, EF Academy
Pasadena, CA

Susan Nozick
Senior Manager, Stride/K12
Longmont, CO

Teddy Hartman
Head of Privacy and Trust, GoGuardian
Silver Spring, MD

Therese Laux
Educator, Self-employed consultant and educator
Sierra Madre, CA

Thomas Rodgers
Senior Vice President, Whiteboard Advisors
Washington, DC

Tracy Coffin
Director, 504U College Admissions Counseling
Austin, TX

Tricia Edwards
Interim Director, SITES | Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC

Trisha Callella
Chief Experience Officer, CxD
Los Angeles, CA

Yiying Lu
Founder & Owner, Lifting A Dreamer
San Francisco, CA

LAUNCH COMMITTEE

 

Members of the Launch advisory board committee share their time and expertise by evaluating startup applications for the Launch Startup Competition, and providing instrumental insight as it relates to the education marketplace.

AJ Crabill
Coach, Effective School Boards / Council of the Great City Schools
Austin, TX

Andy Bell
CEO, Thinkery
Austin, TX

Ashish Chettimada
Founder, ReAlign
Waterloo, Canada

Chris Fancher
Founder, Chris Fancher Consulting
Round Rock, TX

Clee Upchurch
COO, lead4ward
Austin, TX

Dan Futrell
Founder, Polymath University
Chicago, IL

Don Fraser
Senior VP, Design and Innovation, Education Design Lab
Washington, DC

Eileen Rudden
Innovation Fellow, Harvard iLab
CAMBRIDGE, MA

Eric Nentrup
Chief Stoker, Stoked for Learning
Indianapolis, IN

Erin Mote
CEO, InnovateEDU
Brooklyn, NY

Jennifer Chidsey
Deputy Executive Director, Education Service Center Region 13 (Austin)
Austin, TX

Jessica Falkenthal
Founder, Jessica Falkenthal Consulting
San Francisco, CA

Jessica Millstone
Managing Director, Copper Wire Ventures
New York City, NY

Joan Hughes
Professor, The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX

John Broome
Clinical Associate Professor of Education, Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN

Juanita Soranno
Head of Impact, Cengage Group
New York, NY

K Rocco Shields
CEO / Founder, Genius Academy
Los Angeles, CA

Kent Charugundla
CEO, EAGLENET LLC
New York, NY

Lauren Lutz-Coleman
Vice President of Education and Customer Success, Shoelace Learning
Ocean Grove, US

Leila Toplic
Chief Communications and Trust Officer, Carbonfuture
Seattle, WA

Lucy Kosturko
CO-Founder, Social Cascade
Raleigh, NC

Mackenzie Davis
CEO, Maro
Bozeman, MT

Matthew Cohen
Managing Director, Cohen Strategy Group, LLC
New York, NY

Michael Jackson Jackson
CEO, Texas Education Alliance
Austin, TX

Mike Wang
Head of Platform, Long Journey
Oakland, CA

Nandana Menon
CEO/Founder, Spark
McDonald, TX

Riyaz Gayasaddin
Chief of Staff, Camelback Ventures
Fort Collins, CO

Sanja Jing
Student / Founder & CEO, Global Visioneers
San Diego, CA

Sara Berkai
CEO, Ambessa
New York, NY

Scott Lipton
Founder & CEO, Ask Ida
Austin, TX

Sean Oakes
Founder & Creative Director, Backpack Interactive
Brooklyn, NY

Shanna Peeples
Dr. John G. O'Brien Distinguished Chair in Education, West Texas A&M University
Amarillo, TX

Sophie Smith
CEO / Co-Founder, College Contact
Austin, TX

Stefan Neuber
Founder/CEO, MatheX
Potsdam, Germany

Steve Tedjamulia
Director, Venture Programs, WGU Labs
Salt Lake City, UT

Sunil Gunderia
Chief Innovation Officer, Age of Learning
Calabasas, CA

Veronica Benavides
Founder & CEO, Bilingual Generation
San Juan, Puerto Rico

FILM COMMITTEE

 

Members of the Film advisory board committee review film submissions for the Film Program, and ensure that the full spectrum of education is represented both locally and globally.

Anna Belle Burleson
Associate Director Disability Services, The SAFE Alliance
Austin, TX

Ashish Chettimada
Founder, ReAlign
Waterloo, Canada

Charles Hopkins
Managing Directory, Teaching & Learning, CFR Education
New York, NY

Christopher Rzigalinski
Service-Learning and Community Engagement Specialist, Austin Community College
Austin, TX

Dan Ryder
Director of Design & Innovation, Community Regional Charter School
Skowhegan, ME

Devon Tutak
Senior Director, Ready To Learn, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Washington, DC

Eric Nentrup
Chief Stoker, Stoked for Learning
Indianapolis, IN

Faiza Kracheni
Executive Director & Nonprofit Leader, Motion Media Arts Center
Austin, TX

Jessica Millstone
Managing Director, Copper Wire Ventures
New York, NY

John McKenna
Associate Professor of Special Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Lowell, MA

Juanita Soranno
Head of Impact, Cengage Group
New York, NY

K Rocco Shields
CEO / Founder, Genius Academy
Los Angeles, CA

Langston Clark
Department Chair/ Professor, The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX

Mark Rogers
Teacher, Austin Achieve Public Schools
Austin, TX

Mayet Andreassen
Assoc. Program Dir. of the B.S. in Visualization and Instructional Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University
Austin, TX

Mike Yates
Senior Designer, The Reinvention Lab at Teach for America
Houston, TX

Peter Nilsson
Editor, Educator's Notebook
Fort Wayne, IN

Sara Tahir
Assistant Director of International Admission and Recruiting, St. Stephen's Episcopal School
Austin, TX

Stacy Ybarra Evans
Research Associate, Texas Association of Community Colleges
Austin, TX