Abeer Ramadan-Shinnawi, is a visionary Palestinian-American educator and equity advocate with over 20 years of experience as a social studies teacher. Her work extends into the heart of student advocacy, having created and overseen affinity groups for Muslim female students in four middle schools, fostering spaces of support and empowerment. Abeer is the founder and CEO of Altair Education Consulting, where she creates culturally responsive curricula and equity initiatives for large school districts, including Baltimore County Public Schools. Abeer is also a respected thought leader—delivering webinars, leading workshops, and serving as an adjunct professor at Loyola University, Maryland. where she teaches elementary social studies methods to pre-service teachers, continuing her commitment to preparing the next generation of educators.

David Spellmon Jr graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA in 2010. He has spent his professional career uplifting the youth through Social Emotional Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching in the Mental Health, K-12, and Higher Education sectors.

David specializes in Hip Hop Pedagogy and building Social Capital. He is the author of the book Just Like Music: Social Emotional Learning Inspired by Hip Hop and the corresponding student workbook.

Dr. Rodney Glasgow is a leading voice in diversity, equity, and social justice. He's the founder of the National Diversity Practitioners Institute and a longtime leader in independent schools. Rodney was a founding architect and longtime Chair of the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), a transformative experience for thousands of students over three decades.. Currently, he's President of The Glasgow Group and Associate Director of Friends Council on Education - the National Association of Quaker Schools. A graduate of Harvard, Columbia, and George Washington University, he brings more than twenty years of experience, a deep commitment to Quaker education, and a passion for values-based, transformative learning.  Rodney is deeply committed to fostering inclusive communities and advancing social justice.

Dr. RoseMary Clairmont, a member of the Sicangu Lakota tribe, is the Assistant Director of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Education Department and the visionary behind initiatives rooted in Lakota ways of being. A former founding board member of The Liber Institute, she brings deep experience from her work in Native communities as a teacher, coach, and curriculum leader. She’s also launching a new podcast, Braided Wisdom, to uplift the voices of Native women in education.

Ismail Khalidi was born in Beirut to Palestinian parents and raised in Chicago. He is an award winning playwright and director who has written, directed, performed, curated and taught internationally. His plays include Tennis in Nablus (Alliance Theatre, 2010), Truth Serum Blues (Pangea World Theater, 2005), Foot (Teatro Amal, 2016-17), Sabra Falling (Pangea World Theater, 2017), Returning to Haifa (Finborough Theatre, 2018) and Dead Are My People (Noor Theatre, 2019). Khalidi's plays have been published in numerous anthologies and his writings on politics and culture have appeared in numerous publications. Khalidi received his B.A. from Macalester College in 2005 and his M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University in 2009.

Jonathan Santos Silva is the Founder of The Liber Institute, which develops Indigenous student, family, and educator leadership to transform schools and communities. His journey in education began as a math teacher on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and he's since worked as a school founder, coach, and consultant supporting Native-serving schools. A proud Cape Verdean from Brockton, Massachusetts, Jonathan brings both lived experience and leadership expertise to this work.

Lana is a vocalist, conductor, composer, educator, and co-founder of the Musical Arts Institute, where she works alongside her husband, Michael. Lana also grew up in Harvey and is a graduate of Fisk University and Northwestern. While at Fisk she was a member of the legendary Fisk Jubilee Singers and has coached and composed for many of Chicago’s top gospel artists. She’s taught music for over 17 years and leads music ministries at two churches in Chicago.

Michael Manson is an acclaimed bassist, composer, producer, and educator. He’s the co-founder and Executive Director of the Musical Arts Institute in Chicago, a nonprofit providing high-quality music education to underserved youth. Michael has released multiple Billboard Top 10 jazz recordings and is also the CEO of Manson Music Productions. In full disclosure for our listeners, Michael is my first cousin — our mothers were sisters, and he and I grew up just a mile apart in Harvey, Illinois. I remember Michael’s musical talent stood out.