Nikkya Hargrove is an alum of Bard College and a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. She has written for the The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Taproot Magazine, Elle, and more. Her memoir, Mama: A Black, Queer Woman’s Journey to Motherhood, is forthcoming from Algonquin Books. She lives in Connecticut with her one son and two daughters and is a staff writer for Scary Mommy. Learn more at https://www.nikkyamhargrove.com.

Dr. Lorea Martínez is the award-winning founder of HEART in Mind Consulting, a company dedicated to helping schools and organizations integrate Social Emotional Learning in their practices, products, and learning communities. An educator who has worked with children and adults internationally, Dr. Martínez is a faculty member at Columbia University Teachers College, educating aspiring principals in Emotional Intelligence. Her second book for educators, Teaching with the HEART in Mind, is currently available. Previously, she was a special education teacher and administrator. Originally from Costta Brava, Spain and now in San Francisco, CA, Lorea is a mother to two daughters. Learn more at loreamartinez.com

Jason Miller has over twenty-five years of experience as an Organizational Development and Operations leader, coach, and consultant. Jason currently has his own coaching and consulting practice called Inner Sound, and serves on the leadership and faculty team of the Hudson Institute of Coaching. He cultivates a more purpose-led approach by helping clients to shift focus from outward achievement and external validation to inner wisdom, joy, creativity, and contribution. Jason has coached and developed leaders and teams across multiple industries and Fortune 500 clients–including Google, Amazon, Panera, OhioHealth, Accenture, Caterpillar, The Gap, and Fidelity Investments. In Columbus, Ohio, Jason is husband to Confident Parents Founder Jennifer Miller and father to a teenage son. Learn more at Inner Sound Coaching & Consulting, LLC.

Jennifer Miller has worked with educators and families for twenty-five years to help them become more effective with children through social and emotional learning (SEL). She is founder of the organization Confident Parents, Confident Kids and she authored and illustrated the book “Confident Parents, Confident Kids: Raising Emotional Intelligence In Ourselves and Our Kids”. She serves as a regular expert contributor to NBC’s TODAY Parenting, National Parent Teacher Association, Highlights for Children and PBS WNET. She co-founded SEL for Ohio, a statewide network to champion social and emotional learning. She frequently speaks at conferences, offers coaching to parents, and conducts workshops in Ohio and nationally. Jennifer also co-investigated research with Shannon Wanless and Roger Weissberg on Parenting with Social and Emotional Learning. Based in Columbus, Ohio, she collaborates with her husband Jason Miller and is the mother of a teenage son.

Dr. Shannon Wanless is an Associate Professor as well as the Director of the Office of Child Development at the University of Pittsburgh, a large university-community partnership center in the School of Education, that is focused on ensuring that all children thrive. Shannon focuses on young child’s development and the adults that help them thrive. Her current work is on social justice and equity. She explores ways that children, preservice teachers, and organizational leaders develop social justice and equity skills and how to create classroom, school, and organizational climates that reflect social justice and equity tenets. Shannon also co-investigated research with Jennifer Miller and Roger Weissberg on Parenting with Social and Emotional Learning. Shannon is the mother of a teenage son and daughter. Visit https://www.ocd.pitt.edu/ to learn more.

Michael Wilson is currently the Outreach Coordinator for Harris County Department of Education, CASE Program and host the Making After School Cool podcast. Prior than that he was the Executive Director of Communities In Schools of Baytown.  For over 25 years, he has worked extensively to design and implement programs intended to make the educational experience for students and their families a positive one. Mike is the father of two teenage daughters. Check out the Making After School Cool Podcast at https://case4kids.podbean.com.

Dr. Jenny Woo is a Harvard-trained educator, TEDx speaker, and founder/CEO of Mind Brain Parenting. She dedicates her career to helping people realize their potentials from classrooms to boardrooms. She has worked with children and families as a school administrator, with college students as a career coach and lecturer, and with employees as a human capital consultant and executive coach. Jenny conducts research in social and emotional learning, emotion regulation, and resilience. Jenny is the creator of a series of award-winning emotional intelligence games: 52 Essential Conversations, 52 Essential Relationships, 52 Essential Critical Thinking Skills, and 52 Essential Coping Skills. Her games have won the 2018 Parents’ Choice Awards, 2021 National Parenting Product Awards, and were featured by Harvard and CASEL. The games are used by parents, educators, and therapists in 50+ countries. Based in Irvine, CA, Jenny is a mother to three elementary-age children. Visit mindbrainparenting.org for games & resources, and connect with Jenny on LinkedIn.