Courtney believes deeply in the power of community. She works hand-in-hand with educators and families in Baltimore to create excellent opportunities for students.

DeRay Mckesson is the executive director of Campaign Zero, a social justice organization leading nationwide structural change to create equity and justice in our criminal legal system. Beginning as a youth organizer in Baltimore as a teenager, he has been an advocate and activist on a range of issues impacting people of color for much of his life.

Kaya Henderson serves as Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the Center for Rising Generations at the Aspen Institute. Kaya has devoted her career, as a teacher, a leader, and an entrepreneur, to expanding opportunities for young people.

Josh is a senior fellow at FutureEd, an independent, solution-oriented think tank at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Jill Baldemor leads Teach For America’s Hawai’i region.

Claire Blumenson is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of School Justice Project (SJP), a DC-based nonprofit organization providing special education legal services to older court-involved students with disabilities.

Once an 8th grade math teacher, track coach, and union rep, Johannah’s career has always focused on equity for all students. She’s led in roles at the NYC DOE, the Governor’s office, Bank Street College of Education, and now the Walton Foundation.

Josh leads the teams responsible for all the critical functions that comprise Teach For America’s infrastructure, including finance, administration, technology, and legal affairs.

Iris Chen began her career as a 4th and 5th-grade teacher at P.S. 307 in Brooklyn, as part of Teach For America's charter corps in 1990. Iris currently leads the startup and growth of Wildflower Schools in New York City.