Nic Stone was born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, GA, and the only thing she loves more than an adventure is a good story about one. After graduating from Spelman College, she worked extensively in teen mentoring and lived in Israel for a few years before returning to the US to write full-time. Growing up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, Stone strives to bring these diverse voices and stories to her work. You can find her goofing off and/or fangirling over her adorable little family on most social media platforms.

Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc is President of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and a member of the Board of Directors at Chegg, Inc. Since 2003, under Paul’s leadership, SNHU has grown from 2,800 students to over 135,000 learners and is the largest nonprofit provider of online higher education in the country.

Paul immigrated to the United States as a child, was the first person in his extended family to attend college and is a graduate of Framingham State University (BA), Boston College (MA), and the University of Massachusetts (Ph.D.). From 1993 to 1996 he directed a technology start-up for Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company, was President of Marlboro College (VT) from 1996 to 2003. By becoming President of SNHU, he began his lifelong goal of revamping the education system to address student needs.

His work at SNHU led the university to be #12 on Fast Company magazine’s “World’s Fifty Most Innovative Companies” list and was the only university included. Forbes Magazine has listed him as one of its 15 “Classroom Revolutionaries” and one of the “most influential people in higher education.” Washington Monthly named him one of America’s ten most innovative university presidents. In 2018, Paul won the prestigious TIAA Institute Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education, joining some of the most respected university and college presidents in American higher education.

Previously, Paul served as Senior Policy Advisor under Secretary Ted Mitchell at the U.S. Department of Education, working on competency-based education, new accreditation pathways, and innovation. Currently, he serves on the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) and on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Board on Higher Education and Workforce. Additionally, Paul serves on the ACE Board and chairs the AGB Council of Presidents.

His wife Patricia is an attorney and they have two daughters, Emma and Hannah. Annie, their black Labrador Retriever, studies sleeping on the couch and ways to steal food from the countertops.

Nia Farrell is a creator, performer, and Mundane Afrofuturist who focuses on developing new work that celebrates the dreams and stories of Black communities. Her favorite artistic spaces are community-conscious and community-driven as they are opportunities to explore identity and belonging. She studied experimental and collaborative theatre-making at NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she received a BFA in Drama. During her studies, she participated in the MLK Scholars program and graduated with honors. Her work has since been presented at Ars Nova ANT Fest and will be in Theatertreffen Stückemarkt 2021. Nia is a finalist for SPACE on Ryder Farm’s Creative Residency 2020 and is a member of Theater Mitu’s Hybrid Arts Lab as well as the 2019-21 Writer / Director Lab at Soho Rep. When Nia’s not dreaming and scheming new Afro-futures, she is the Development Coordinator and Nine Muses Lab Research Associate for Nine Muses Entertainment, founded by Bryce Dallas Howard.

Bryce Dallas Howard is a versatile and dynamic talent, both on-screen and behind the camera. As a filmmaker, she directed on both seasons of the live-action Star Wars series, THE MANDALORIAN and the feature-length documentary, DADS. As an actor, she starred in Paramount’s ROCKETMAN and is currently filming the third installment of the Jurassic World franchise: JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION. Bryce made her directorial debut with Canon’s Project Imagination and has gone on to screen her short films at Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard selection). She has received numerous accolades for her work including being shortlisted for an Oscar for her short film WHEN YOU FIND ME and a SAG Award nomination for her work in the “Nosedive” episode of BLACK MIRROR. Bryce’s love of storytelling has led her to create Nine Muses Entertainment and become part of the guest faculty at NYU Tisch Drama. Photo by Martina Tolot.

Rachel Friedman is the head of the NYU Tisch Drama Office of Career Development & Alumni Engagement where she manages new initiatives and programs to support and prepare students and alumni for sustainable careers in the entertainment field. In addition to her administrative role, she is also an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch Drama and consults on various projects relating to entertainment and education. Before coming to NYU she was the Education Manager at University Resident Theatre Association where she worked with MFA theatre programs at over 40 different universities and presented at many national education and entertainment conferences on helping artists plan for next steps in their career. She has led sessions at USITT, SETC, KCACTF, and more. In her spare time Friedman volunteers for New York City Arts in Education Roundtable and is the Co-lead for the NYU Administrator Management Council’s university-wide mentorship program.

Ted Dintersmith is consumed with issues at the intersection of education, career and citizenship skills, and democracy. His films, books, keynotes, and philanthropy focus on the urgency of reimagining school to keep pace with the tsunami of innovation that is reshaping society. His WhatSchoolCouldBe.org initiative is catalyzing progress at the school, district, and state level across America, and in countries around the globe. His professional career centered on innovation, including being ranked as the top-performing U.S. venture capitalist for the years 1995-1999. In 2012, he was appointed by President Obama to represent the U.S. at the United Nations General Assembly. In 2018, he received the prestigious NEA Friend of Education Award. He holds a PhD in Engineering from Stanford, and a B.A. degree from the College of William & Mary with High Honors in Physics and English.