Opening Mainstage

Joyce Abbott is a veteran educator and the inspiration behind the name for the hit TV show “Abbott Elementary,” created by Abbott’s former student, Quinta Brunson. She currently serves as the climate manager at Andrew Hamilton School, which has been recognized for “outstanding strides in school climate and culture” by the School District of Philadelphia.

Richard Culatta is an internationally recognized innovator and learning designer. As the CEO of ASCD and ISTE, Culatta is focused on supporting education change-makers to create equitable and engaging learning experiences for students around the world. Prior to joining ASCD/ISTE, Culatta served as the chief innovation officer for the state of Rhode Island. In this role, he led an initiative to make Rhode Island the first state to offer computer science in every K-12 school, and created a state vision for personalized learning. Culatta was appointed by President Obama as the executive director of the Office of Educational Technology for the U.S. Department of Education. In that capacity, he led efforts to expand connectivity to schools across the country, promote personalized learning and develop the National Education Technology Plan. He also pioneered new opportunities for engagement between the department, education leaders and tech developers, including bringing top game designers from around the world to the White House to help rethink the design of assessments. Culatta also served as an education policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, and a resident designer for the global design firm IDEO. Culatta’s book, Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World, uncovers the challenges with our current approaches to preparing young people to be effective humans in virtual spaces, and presents a path to a healthier and more civil future digital world. Culatta began his career in the classroom as a high school teacher and has coached educators and national leaders around the world on making learning more equitable. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish teaching and a master's in educational psychology and technology from Brigham Young University.

Sharif El-Mekki is the founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development (CBED). Prior to founding the center, El-Mekki served as a nationally recognized principal and U.S. Department of Education Principal Ambassador Fellow, and was a volunteer member of the Biden-Harris Education Policy Committee.

Tyler James Williams is the 2023 Golden Globe winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, Comedy or Drama for his role as Gregory Eddie in the award-winning TV series “Abbott Elementary.” He has also appeared in numerous films, in recurring TV roles, and is a talented musician, songwriter and producer.