Keynote Speakers
Sam Chaltain
Sam Chaltain (@samchaltain) is a writer, filmmaker and global design consultant dedicated to advancing people’s understanding of the future of learning — and what it requires.
Sam’s writings about his work have appeared in both magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. A former speechwriter for each of President Obama’s U.S. Secretaries of Education, Sam has also written for Oscar and Grammy Award winning artists. A periodic contributor to CNN, Sam is the author or co-author of seven books; a co-producer of the PBS documentary film, 180 Days: Hartsville; and co-creator of the 10-part online film series, A Year at Mission Hill.
Sam has a Master’s degree in American Studies from the College of William & Mary, and an M.B.A. from George Washington University, where he specialized in non-profit management and organizational theory. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he graduated with a double major in Afro-American Studies and History.
Keynote | In the Machine Age, What Makes Us Human?
As another school year begins, educators must once again navigate a new set of notions about the structure and purpose of their work. If the future is largely unknown, what does it actually mean for our students to be ‘prepared?’ If the fate of the planet (and our democracy) hangs in the balance, what’s the point of our most timeworn curricular offerings? And if the age of the machines is upon us, what exactly is the role of the humans in the years and decades ahead?
Join educator, designer and storyteller Sam Chaltain for an illustrative window into our rapidly changing common world — and an insightful conversation about what we can do to revitalize our schools in ways that can best prepare young people for their future — as opposed to our past.
Deanna Ramirez
Deanna Ramirez, Chief Chaos Coordinator, is an education and mental health professional committed to helping teams and individuals grow through conflict so they feel more connected, cared for and whole in their lives and at work. With over 13 years of experience in the higher education, non-profit, and corporate worlds she worked with organizations and teams to elevate the global professional standard and realized that conflict continues to cause anxiety, pain, and dysfunction because people avoid it, get defensive, and just “don’t like confrontation.”
Seeing a need to help people function better together, to lean into the discomfort of conflict, she launched Wholeworx Initiative, a professional training and coaching business delivering transformative learning programs that invite work teams to identify areas of growth and opportunity and motivate them to initiate the changes needed to grow to greatness through conflict. Conflict is the content of our lives and it continues to be a painful reminder of our common humanity that people struggle to work through. It does not have to be avoided and can, in fact, be the path to peace.
Keynote | Growing through conflict
Conflict is a powerful energy that can be used to propel us to new levels of greatness and is the key to experiencing peace. Embracing and cultivating constructive conflict at work is a critical component of developing high-functioning teams in life and at work. Work tensions are high and stress levels compound when people bottle up their feelings and thoughts making the situation more volatile. But how can you safely invite conflict to work? Learn the steps you can take to introduce healthy conflict to your work team, diffuse the inevitable discomfort that comes with disagreement, and remove the obstacles to conflict resolution. Find the pathway to peace through conflict.