Keynote Speakers

Sunday Keynote
Niki Spears

Niki Spears is an Author, Expert Eduprenuer, and Chief Culture Cre8or who is traveling the country helping educators embrace a healthy, vibrant, and inspirational mindset.

She understands how one person’s energy can impact an entire team and is leading the charge to help others become aware of how they are showing up at work and in life!

Niki left her job as a school principal in July 2016 and since then has empowered more than 100,000 students and educators across the country through her motivational books, talks, and seminars. Niki’s book, The Beauty Underneath the Struggle ~ Creating Your B.U.S. Story reinforces her message of seeing the opportunity in every challenge and encourages readers to take ownership of the pencil of life so that they can create their masterpiece.

Thousands of educators and school leaders have enjoyed the warmth, humor, and transformational power of Niki’s self-development events.

Monday Keynote
Ken Williams

Kenneth C. Williams shares his experience and expertise as a nationally recognized trainer, speaker, coach and consultant in leadership and school culture. A practitioner for nearly three decades, Ken led the improvement efforts at two schools by leveraging the Professional Learning Communities at Work process. Skilled in joining the why of the work to the how of the work, Ken is known for his powerful and engaging combinations of “heart, humor, and hammer.” He is an expert at helping schools build capacity in the collective commitments required of learning for all cultures. 

Ken is the former principal of The Learning Academy at E. J. Swint in Jonesboro, Georgia, and Damascus Elementary School in Damascus, Maryland. His firsthand experience with transforming challenged schools translates into action-oriented presentations that inspire hope, create a clear vision, and offer practical strategies to those overwhelmed by challenges.

Ken earned a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College, and a Master of Science from the University of Bridgeport. He is the co-author of the bestseller, Starting A Movement: Building Culture from the Inside-Out in Professional Learning Communities, Creating Physical and Emotional Safety In Schools, and a contributing author of Beyond Conversations About Race.

Tuesday Keynote
Joe Beckman

ONE SIMPLE MISSION; RECLAIM HUMAN CONNECTION

Over the last 15 years I’ve spoken in educational settings all over the world with one simple mission… to reclaim human connection.

Whether it’s a Middle School in Minneapolis, a Professional Development workshop in Montana, or an International Conference in Malaysia…people are craving connection.

It’s only when we stop and slow down, separate from our screens, and truly listen to each other’s stories, that we can course correct, and give our youth the best chance to leave their mark on this world. Greatness lives in every single person. Every student, and every adult.

My mission is to help them discover this greatness, believe they can obtain it, commit to it, and most importantly... share it with others.