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Amanda Ruiz was born in Long Beach and raised in Huntington Beach, California. She left Southern California for the Bay Area to attend University of California, Berkeley, where she created her own major focused on social movements.

Marga Marshall is an Educational Consultant with experience in bilingual education in Spain and California. She opened the first TK-8 Two Way Dual Immersion English/Spanish School in Concord, CA as part of the district’s Magnet schools. Prior to becoming a principal, Marga Marshall was a bilingual teacher, an instructional coach, an English Learners coach, and a Dual Language coach.

Mindi Teich, MEd, is a Multilingual Learning Coach with SupportEd. Ms. Teich has been an advocate for Multilingual Learners and their teachers for over 20 years. She began her career as an ELD teacher in DC Public Schools (DCPS), where she worked with students in pull out, push in, and co-teaching environments. While still teaching, she worked with District staff to develop and implement training on collaborative practices for classroom and ELD teachers.

James Marshall is a professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University where he also leads the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program. A credentialed teacher, he began his career as an informal science educator at the San Diego Zoo. Jim’s passion centers on the design of learning programs that yield predictable results.

Trynia Kaufman is an author, speaker, and instructional designer who specializes in brain-based learning strategies, trauma-informed teaching, and disability inclusion. In her current role, she works with Cornell University to create and facilitate professional development for the New York State Education Department, Office of Special Education.

Michelle Benegas, Ph.D., is an associate professor of TESOL at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. A former secondary English Language (EL) teacher, her career began in a newcomer high school.

Natalia Benjamin, EdS is the Director of Multilingual Learning for Rochester Public Schools and prior to that, she taught high school Ethnic Studies and Multilingual Learners in Rochester, MN. She is dually licensed in K-12 ESL and reading and holds a master's degree in Language Acquisition and Teaching. She advocates for multilingual and multicultural education and is part of the Facing Inequities and Racism in Education - Racial Equity Advocates (FIRE-REA) program.

Cynthia Sistek, EdD, (Dr. C) is a professor in the Sanford College of Education at National University in La Jolla, California. Currently, she serves as the academic program director for the Master of Arts in Social and Emotional Learning degree program. In 2020, Cynthia co-developed MA SEL.

Dee L. Fabry, PhD, is professor emeritus in the Sanford College of Education at National University in La Jolla, California. She serves as adjunct faculty for the Master of Arts in Social and Emotional Learning degree program, teaching graduate level research courses and assessing for learning to impact both teaching and learning.

Lindsay Prendergast brings nearly two decades of experience in global education, where her roles have ranged from leadership coach to principal, consultant, and classroom teacher. As the Assistant Director of Strategy & Development with the Danielson Group, she collaborates with districts, schools, and educators to promote equitable teaching and learning through the Framework for Teaching.

Piper Lee has more than twenty-five years of experience in education, including teaching, administration, instructional coaching, professional learning facilitation, and leadership coaching. Her passion for student and adult learning and improving effective teacher instruction and student success in learning ignited her pursuit of working as an instructional leadership coach nationally.

Maegan Giroux is an accomplished mathematics teacher, instructional coach, and educational consultant, currently working in Regina Catholic Schools. Having taught for over a decade at every grade level from kindergarten to grade 8, Maegan's teaching philosophy is rooted in innovative and student-centered approaches, with a strong emphasis on thinking classroom pedagogy, fostering student autonomy, and implementing robust assessment practices.