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Dr. Zacharie Clements is a respected, much sought-after speaker who endured an orphaned, Depression Era childhood in an African-American and Italian ghetto. He has been through it all — poor performance at public schools, trouble with the law, and the constant lure of easy money from the rackets that flourished openly in his neighborhood. But Zacharie Clements' indomitable will to succeed was nourished by love and wisdom from his immigrant grandparents, and inspiration and help from his teachers, who started him on the road to respect for learning. As he proudly states, ”If it weren't for American public schools, I wouldn't be where I am today.“

Jamie Vollmer is a friend of public education. He is a former business-man and attorney who now works to help strengthen community support for public schools and build professional pride among America’s educators. His uplifting, intelligent, and funny presentations entertain and energize educators, business leaders, and community groups. He is a powerful ally in the struggle to create schools that give all students the opportunity to unfold their full potential.

Tony Wagner has served as Co-Director of the Change Leadership Group (CLG) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education since its inception in 2000. An initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CLG is a “R & D” center that helps teams to be effective change leaders in schools and districts. He also was on the faculty of the Executive Leadership Program for Educators, a joint initiative of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Business School, and Kennedy School of Government.

Ian Jukes has been a teacher, an administrator, writer, consultant, university instructor and keynote speaker. He is the Director of the InfoSavvy Group, an international consulting group that provides leadership and program development in the areas of assessment and evaluation, strategic alignment, curriculum design and publication, professional development, planning, change management, hardware and software acquisition, information services, customized research, media services, and on-line training as well as conference keynotes and workshop presentations.

Dr. Cile Chavez is president of Cile Chavez Consulting, Inc., and provides motivation and expertise to organizations in the private and public sectors on Leadership and Human Development. Her latest  book on leadership, Spirit Movers: Attributes for Transforming Leadership, will be released in February 2010 by Morgan James Publishing.

Greg Risberg is a keynote speaker who helps people learn useful ideas for handling stress better, communicating better, and finding more balance in their lives. He does this with wit and humor that leave meeting planners saying "your unique blend of humor, inspiration and message was perfect!"

Growing up as a farmworker in a family of 15, Ramon Resa never imagined he could become a doctor. Abandoned by his single mother, who had 5 kids before she was 20, he grew up in an environment of severe poverty, neglect, and a total disregard for education. At the age of 3, he was picking cotton in the fields of central California. It was Ramon’s elementary-school teachers who opened his eyes to the idea of education and awakened in him the dream of going to college and becoming a doctor. It wasn’t easy. He had to overcome low self-esteem, a speech impediment, recurring depressing, prejudice, discouragement, and even opposition from his grandparents, who wanted him to get a factory job and pay them back for taking him in when no one else wanted him. But Ramon persisted and eventually fulfilled his dream. For the past 20 years, he’s been in private practice in the same California farm region where he grew up. “I see myself in my of my young patients who come from farm-worker families as I did,” he says, “and my mission is to be a role model who cares for their minds and spirits as well as their bodies.” Ramon is in demand as a public speaker. His presentations inspire, encourage, and educate everyone who has ever hoped for a better life -- and will show them how to achieve it and inspire others as well. Ramon and his wife, Debbie, have two college-educated children. His son has just enrolled for medical school after graduating from Stanford.

Dubbed "the explainer" by Wired magazine, Michael Wesch is a cultural anthropologist exploring the impact of new media on society and culture- digital ethnography.

Patricia Russell-McCloud is a "visual speaking experience". Her over 20-years on the lecture circuit has catapulted her into being one of the nation's best.  Her speaking style is engaging, highly substantive, well researched, pertinent, entertaining, and applicable to her audiences whether public or private sector. She is distinguished and distinct. Her style is classified as "big, broad and animated” leaving her audiences anxious for more.

John Merrow is a Peabody Award-winning education correspondent for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, a former teacher and executive producer of Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk.

Manny Scott is one of the original "Freedom Writers" whose story is told in the Hollywood movie Freedom Writers, starring two-time Academy Award® winner Hillary Swank and Grey’s Anatomy’s Patrick Dempsey. Manuel Scott has devoted his life to equipping others with proven tools to succeed. With a tireless, selfless dedication, he enlightens, empowers, and revitalizes others with life-changing messages.

A top sales trainer for a Fortune 500 company and a public relations professional for both the state and federal government, Joe Martin is an education keynote speaker, author, the president of "Real World University" and an educational consultant.

Recognized as a leading presenter in the field of education, Todd Whitaker's message about the importance of teaching has resonated with hundreds of thousands of educators around the world. Todd Whitaker is a professor of educational leadership at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, and he has spent his life pursuing his love of education by researching and studying effective teachers and principals.

For the past 15 years, economist Ronald Ferguson has investigated the myriad factors that combine to create racial disparities in academic performance. In his book, Towards Excellence with Equity, he begins with his analysis of the impact of test scores in predicting racial wage gaps, and explores how rates of progress in narrowing gaps have varied over the recent decades, the roles played by various school policies and practices, and the importance of lifestyles and informal social processes that play out between children and their parents and peers.

Dr. Mark David Milliron is an award-winning leader, author, speaker, and consultant best known for exploring leadership development, future trends, learning strategies, and the human side of technology change.

As a child, Mawi fled civil war in Ethiopia and survived a Sudanese refugee camp for three years. After being resettled in The United States, Mawi overcame welfare, language barriers and personal tragedy to graduate from Harvard University, where he delivered the commencement address to an audience of 30,000.

Ray Kurzweil, one of the leading inventors and entrepreneurs of our time, has been described as “the restless genius” by the Wall Street Journal, and “the ultimate thinking machine” by Forbes.  Inc. magazine ranked him #8 among entrepreneurs in the United States, calling him the “rightful heir to Thomas Edison,” and PBS included Ray as one of 16 “revolutionaries who made America,” along with other inventors of the past two centuries.

Inspiring and warmly human, Salome Thomas-EL is a true hero. His lecture, “I Choose to Stay: A Teacher’s Fight for America’s Inner City Schools” is moving and full of hope, and proves beyond a doubt that a commitment to teaching in the public schools can result in excellence and success for children most of society has abandoned.

Few individuals choose to walk away at the height of their corporate career to dedicate their life to a social cause. At age 35, John Wood did just that, quitting his position as Microsoft's Director of Business Development for the Greater China Region in order to found Room to Read. He has never looked back.

Adolph Brown is one of the most sought after speaker on the circuit today. He has been described as the most motivating, inspiring, exciting and dynamic speaker most have ever heard. He is an original thinker, an engaging presenter, a unique practitioner, and most importantly an affirming individual.

Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, has served as President of UMBC (The University of Maryland, Baltimore County) since May, 1992.  His research and publications focus on science and math education, with special emphasis on minority and gender participation and performance.

Keynote speaker Sonia Manzano is a first-generation American of Latino descent who has affected the lives of millions of parents and children since the 1970s, when she was offered an opportunity play "Maria" on Sesame Street.

The Cinderella story of Jim "the Rookie" Morris is testimony to the power of dreams and their ability to inspire and transform human life. His story is the subject of the blockbuster film from Walt Disney, "The Rookie," starring Dennis Quaid which won the ESPY for "Sports Film of the Year."

Author of "How To Soar Like An Eagle in a World Full Of Turkeys," Robert Stevenson is a man who knows how to deal with the risks, competition, and the ever-changing technology in the business arena. In short, he understands what it takes to be successful. He brings over 25 years of extensive corporate and entrepreneurial experience to his programs.

Mark Salisbury has over 20 years of experience in designing and developing human performance solutions. Mark has published many articles related to knowledge management in engineering, business, and education journals such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Journal of Knowledge Management, and Performance Improvement Quarterly (PIQ).

Murray Banks is one of the nation's foremost speakers in the areas of stress, wellness and lifestyle. He has a unique ability to make the topics of stress and wellness both humorous and inspiring.

Billy Riggs has been called "The Dr. Phil of Magic," and is America’s source for all things attitude!  Through television, radio, books, videos, and live keynote speeches Billy Riggs has used an unusual blend of comedy, music, magic, and motivation to spread his positive attitude to more than a million people on five continents.

Dr. Crystal Arlene Kuykendall is considered one of the most dynamic individuals of our time. A critical thinker, analyst, motivator, and mentor. Dr. Kuykendall has astounded audiences and individuals through the power of her observations and the warmth of her words. A highly sought after and savvy speaking sensation, she is an engaging educator, human relations expert, legal analyst/litigator, endearing author and loving mother.

Outstanding Education and Leadership Consultant

Dr. Lorraine Monroe is a consultant who founded and served as principal of the Frederick Douglass Academy, a highly effective middle school and high school located in Central Harlem.

Bertice Berry is an inspirational diversity and education keynote speaker. No one defies stereotypes, generalizations or cliches more than Dr. Bertice Berry. Growing up poor in Wilmington, Delaware, the sixth of seven children, Bertice was told by a high school teacher that she was "not college material". Fortunately, there was another teacher who believed that she was destined for more. Berry applied to several schools without any idea how she would pay the tuition if she were accepted. The day her application arrived at Jacksonville University in Florida, a wealthy benefactor called the Admissions Department looking for a potential student "who could swim if they had the right backing," and might sink without it.

Dr. Lowell Catlett is a Regent’s Professor/Dean and Chief Administrative Officer at New Mexico State University's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. An exciting futurist, his knowledge of technologies and their implications on the way we will live and work is addressed in his varied and upbeat presentations. Dr. Catlett works on behalf of corporate and association audiences internationally, presenting his take on trends in healthcare, agriculture, the environment, education and more. His latest talk addresses the current state of the economy- and what's in store for businesses down the road.

Bob Ash created Life Lessons to ensure that companies, professional associations, businesses, organizations and schools would have a chance to offer their employees the type of presentation that would be helpful and memorable. Each Life Lessons event is tailored to meet the needs of the client.