Molly Barker is an American educator, social entrepreneur, and visionary. She holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is best known as the founder of Girls on the Run International. She founded the running-lifeskills-development program in 1996 with 13 girls in Charlotte, NC. A four-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete and elite cyclist (Olympic Trials qualifier in 1996) Molly used her background in social work, counseling, and teaching to develop the curriculum. Since then, the program has inspired over 2.25 million girls to know and activate their limitless potential.

In 2013, Molly retired from the day-to-day operations of Girls on the Run, to spend some time on Capitol Hill, serving on the commission for Political Reform, a group tasked by the Bipartisan Policy Committee, to address the highly polarized state of our nation. While there, Molly developed the Red Boot Way, a strategic form of communication, that addresses this political divide at the root level and encourages curiosity coupled with listening when challenged with conflict. The Red Boot Way continues to be used in multiple venues across the country.

Molly is currently a sought-after public speaker, known for her vulnerability, wit, storytelling, and authenticity and is the author of three books. She speaks to a variety of audiences, including kids to corporations and everything in between! She is currently writing a memoir.

Molly has won multiple awards for her activism, including “the Distinguished Alumni Award” given by her alma mater, UNC-Chapel Hill, “The Daily Point of Light Award” given by Presidents’ Barack Obama and George H.W. Bush at a ceremony at the White House, and was selected by Runner’s World Magazine as one of the top 50 Most Influential People in the Sport of Running.

Molly currently lives in Charlotte, NC and is the single mom to James, 27, and Helen 23. Thirty years in recovery from alcohol addiction, Molly is very active in the recovery community. She is also deeply engaged with a variety of programs that assist and advocate for people living with housing insecurity. She continues to compete in cycling events and duathlons, loving most the ranch roads in far west Texas, where she returned to the sport in 2018.

Jackie Gulley is an experienced executive in global communications, marketing, and digital strategy advising clients on executive coaching, brand development, corporate strategy, and media relations. Through her work in corporate branding, she built a strategy of outreach and advocacy for business executives with regulators, third party groups, think tanks, trade associations, influencers, and media.

Jackie’s experience in corporate life served as the launching pad for her career as an executive coach – with her years leading global employee communications, crisis and issues management, strategic messaging, and executive communications, she developed the tools and methodologies to help her clients succeed.

With over two decades of experience working in Fortune 100 Corporations, Jackie understands the dynamic, evolving role of leaders today. She works with businesses and high achieving executives looking to expand their presence and create strategies to thrive, employers who want to increase productivity and visibility for their business, and entrepreneurs who want to grow and expand.

Kate Koch is the principal of River Valley School and has held positions as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher. She regularly presents to aspiring principals in the field. Kate is the co-host of the top 10% education podcast, Unsupervised Leadership.

Dr. Lisa Leali has been Superintendent of Schools for Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65 since July 2020. Dr. Leali has over 20 years of experience in public education as an elementary school teacher (4th and 2nd grade), assistant principal, coordinator for curriculum and technology, director of teaching and learning and as an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

Before coming to Lake Bluff, Dr. Leali served as Chief Education Officer and Superintendent at Kenilworth School District 38. Dr. Leali also served in many administrative roles at Hawthorn District 73. Dr. Leali was instrumental in developing and implementing a research-based guaranteed and viable curriculum, standards-based instruction and reporting, and personalized learning and full day kindergarten for all students.

Dr. Leali earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership in 2007 from Northeastern Illinois University and her doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2010 from National-Louis University. Her dissertation was titled “Joyful Classrooms, Successful Kids: A study in the connection between joy and learning.” Dr. Leali has served as a consultant on standards-based reporting and writing instruction for school districts in Lake and Cook Counties, has presented regionally for the Illinois Association for Curriculum Development on data and assessment and has presented nationally on the topics of instructional coaching, leadership and superintendent evaluation. Dr. Leali earned the Annual Peter Bensinger Lifetime Achievement Award from LEAD in 2022. She is the author of the book, Leading Through Chaos: Ten Strategies for School Leaders during Crises (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2022). She has served on the Partnership Board for the Northeastern Illinois University Principal Endorsement Program since 2008 and serves as an adjunct professor in the Educational Leadership Department of Northeastern Illinois University, as well.

Kimberly Matthews is a veteran educator with 30 years experience working in public school systems in southern Illinois. After 23 years teaching ELA at the secondary level, Ms. Matthews entered administration in 2017 as an assistant principal for grades 4 - 8 in Carterville Unit School District #5 in Carterville, Illinois. She presently serves as the superintendent/principal of Summersville School District #79 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, a Pre-K to 8 elementary district that feeds into Mt. Vernon Township High School. Driven by professional interests of culture/climate building, trauma-informed practices, and SEL for staff and students, Ms. Matthews is working to make Summersville a regional leader in these areas. In her last administrative role, she was awarded the “Reaching Out and Building Bridges” honor from the Shawnee IPA Region for her cooperative work on SEL/mental health awareness with Centerstone. Ms. Matthews is currently completing her Ed.D. at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a dissertation focus of emotional intelligence in school leadership. Her future goals include co-authoring a book on EI as an essential skill for school administrators and teaching graduate students at SIUC, her alma mater for undergraduate and doctoral studies. Ms. Matthews credits her college-aged son and daughter as well as her husband for their unwavering support and encouragement as she continues her leadership journey.

Dr. Courtney Orzel is the Associate Director for Professional Development for the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) and has held positions as a superintendent, middle school principal, assistant principal, and teacher. Dr. Orzel has been honored with national recognition from AASA as a finalist for the Women in Leadership Award and leads the IASA SuperWomen initiative in Illinois. She was named IASA’s South Cook Superintendent of Distinction in 2020 and currently leads workshops, keynotes, and administrators' academies reaching thousands of educators across the country and is the co-host of the popular education podcast, Unsupervised Leadership.

Bhavna Sharma-Lewis, Ph.D currently serves as Superintendent of Schools in Diamond Lake District 76 which is located in Mundelein, Illinois. She has served as Superintendent of this highly diverse suburban district for the past 9 years, and been a Superintendent for 14 years.

Dr. Sharma-Lewis is an experienced educator with 32 years of service in public education, having worked as an elementary and middle school teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and superintendent. She received her Doctorate in Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and serves as an adjunct professor at Concordia and Aurora Universities. Teaching future leaders classes on policy, law and building a community and culture focused on equity diversity and inclusion. She earned her National Superintendent Certification from the American Association of School Administrators, and was elected by her peers to represent and advocate for the Northern Illinois region as a Governing Board Member for AASA. She currently serves on various local and state level boards to foster collegiality, collaboration and professional development among her colleagues and peers. She also serves as a mentor for aspiring Superintendents on a state and national level. She prioritizes enhancing healthy professional cultures and building teacher leadership to optimize student success.

Dr. Cheryl D. Watkins is an educator who fell in love with teaching as a child. Her professional career began within the third largest urban school district in the country as a special education teacher. During her 33-year tenure, she rose through the ranks serving in many positions including special education teacher, assistant principal, principal, deputy chief of schools, and prior to retiring, chief of schools. She is the founder and lead consultant of Monarch Education Consultants, LLC, where she supports three specific areas to positively impact instructional outcomes for schools and districts: race and equity, emotional intelligence and leadership.

She is an award-winning educator who believes that education should be easily accessed by all and seeks opportunities to advance her mantra. She vows to stand up, speak up and show up for the oppressed. Cheryl has served as a board member for several organizations that impact teaching and learning within the state of Illinois, including Advance Illinois, RS Africa Special and the Golden Apple Foundation. Her educational interests include teacher and paraeducator preparation, cultural language and its effect on literacy, supporting the teaching and learning of individuals with disabilities, understanding middle school, and advancing the teaching profession. Dr. Watkins stands on this mantra shared by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “the time to do right is always the right time.”

Dr. Cheryl D. Watkins is a much sought after and respected speaker at schools and education organizations, is an adjunct professor and a published author. For additional information about her contributions to the field of education, and beyond, please visit her website.