As a daydreaming kid who never quite fit the definition of “good student”, Tony Capozziello’s spark for entrepreneurial endeavors began in grade school when he organized a “carnival” in his driveway to raise money for a neighborhood friend who was suffering from Muscular Dystrophy and was the 8th grade winner of the market simulation in social studies. These led to an adult version of that mediocre student becoming an independent restaurateur for 13 years and creating 2 non-profit organizations in his personal life.

Richard Trotta has worked in public education as a teacher and an administrator. Before becoming an administrator, he taught secondary Social Studies. As the Director of Media, Technology, and Fine Arts for the Medford Public Schools., he supervised several district-wide programs: instructional technology, library services, media services, art, and music. In addition, he played an active role in curriculum development, professional development, school-to-career, and gifted and talented programs.

DeVon McIntyre learned early that if you made people laugh, your threadbare appearance became less visible. Coming from poverty and bouts of homelessness fostered his inability to take mandated education seriously. And while his family’s trials of homelessness contributed to a lack of direction in school, it eventually brought something else to mind: to do better. With the right nudges in the latter years of highschool, DeVon was able to hone his better traits like competitiveness, and curiosity of the world to pursue projects that connect and inspire others.

Kyle Wagner is the founder and  [Co] Learning Experience Designer for Transform Educational Consulting Limited, an organization that empowers forward thinking schools and educators to create globally, socially and emotionally aware citizens through project-based experiences and 12 shifts for student-centered environments. Kyle fell in love with project-based learning as a teacher at High Tech High, where he witnessed students publish best-selling books, create their own social enterprises, and even influence policy change through real- world projects. He has taken this passion global, founding micro-schools, authoring 2 books, and helping over 1,000 educators develop 1000 + transformative learning experiences and the student-centered environments to support them. 

Selected by President Obama as the fifth Presidential Inaugural Poet in U.S. history, Richard Blanco was the youngest, the first Latinx, immigrant, and gay person to serve in that a role. In 2023, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal from the NEH by President Biden. Blanco was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and has received numerous honorary doctorates. He currently severs as the first-ever Education Ambassador for the Academy of American and was appointed the first-ever poet laureate of Miami Dade County. Blanco has taught at Georgetown University, American University, and Wesleyan University. He is currently an Associate Professor of English at Florida International University, his alma mater, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

Simone Elias is an educator and scholar-practitioner with expertise in instructional technology and organizational leadership. She holds a Doctorate in Education from Northeastern University and advanced degrees from the University of Maine- Orono. Her research is published in peer-reviewed journals and focuses on leadership development, culturally responsive education, and technology integration. Simone has received awards for her contributions to education and is recognized for her innovative approaches and commitment to inclusivity in both K-12 and higher education settings. Outside of academia, Simone has gained valuable experience with leading technology companies.

Sanjiv Chopra, MD, is Professor of Medicine and served as Faculty Dean for Continuing Medical Education at Harvard Medical School for 12 years. He serves as a Marshall Wolf Distinguished Clinician Educator Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Chopra has more than 170 publications and ten books to his credit. Dr. Chopra is Editor-in-Chief of the Hepatology Section of UpToDate, the most widely used electronic textbook in the world subscribed to by more than 1.5 million physicians in 195 countries. 

Garin Veris was a member of the NE Patriots’ 1985 AFC Championship team and played in Super Bowl XX. He finished his football career with the San Francisco 49ers in 1992. In 1998, he earned a Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School. In 2004, he was appointed the City of Boston Director of Recreation.  He established recreational programming for approximately 50,000 Boston youths and adults in 32 community centers and city parks/playgrounds. He also directed the Boston Neighborhood Basketball League. He collaborated with all five major Boston sports teams for youth instructional clinics and speaking engagements.