David Yeager, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and the cofounder of the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute. He is best known for his research conducted with Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth, and Greg Walton on short but powerful interventions that influence adolescent behaviors such as motivation, engagement, healthy eating, bullying, stress, mental health, and more. He has consulted for Google, Microsoft, Disney, and the World Bank, as well as for the White House and the governments in California, Texas, and Norway. His research has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, CNN, Fox News, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and more. His masterclass, The Power of Mindset: Mastering Mindsets for Performance and Success, is highly rated. Clarivate Web of Science ranks Yeager as one of the top 0.1% most-influential psychologists in the world over the past decade. Prior to his career as a scientist, he was a middle school teacher and a basketball coach. He earned his PhD and MA at Stanford University and his BA and MEd at the University of Notre Dame. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and their four children.

Dr. Ashley Finley is the Vice President of Research and Senior Advisor to the President for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). She oversees AAC&U’s Office of Research and Public Purpose which develops integrative approaches to linking students’ career preparation, civic engagement, and well-being. Through research, campus-based projects, and partnerships, this work advances higher education’s commitments to supporting economic, community, and individual thriving. Her publications include: The Career-Ready Graduate: What Employers Say About the Difference College Makes; A Comprehensive Approach to Assessment of High-Impact Practices; and The Effects of Community-Based and Civic Engagement in Higher Education. She also currently serves as a commissioner for the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Dr. Finley was previously the senior director of assessment and research at AAC&U and also national evaluator for Bringing Theory to Practice. She also served as the Associate Vice President for Academic affairs and Dean of the Dominican Experience at Dominican University of California, where she implemented a comprehensive framework for student learning and success centered around high-impact practices. Dr. Finley began her career as a faculty member at Dickinson College. She received a BA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an MA and PhD, both in sociology, from the University of Iowa.

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson serves as the 31st president of San José State University (SJSU), assuming the role in January ‘23. As an internationally recognized Latina leader with extensive executive experience across multiple state university systems, President Teniente-Matson is a champion for student success, institutional innovation, and industry partnerships that drive economic mobility. Her leadership at SJSU has been marked by strategic growth, national recognition, and facilities initiatives, repositioning the University as a premier public urban research institution.

John N. Friedman is the Inaugural Vascellaro Family Dean at the Watson School of International and Public Affairs at Brown University.  He is also the Briger Family Distinguished Professor of Economics and International and Public Affairs, as well as a founding co-Director of Opportunity Insights.  His work uses big data to study the causes and consequences of inequality for kids, as well as policies to improve opportunity for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. His work has appeared in top academic journals as well as in major media outlets, has been cited by President Obama in his 2012 State of the Union Address, and has shaped policies at the federal, state, and local level.  He worked as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy at the National Economic Council in the White House during the Obama Administration. He is also a Research Associate at NBER and Co-Editor at the flagship journal in the profession, the American Economic Review.

Mary Ann Bates is Executive Director of the California Cradle-to-Career Data System. This statewide data system provides tools to help students reach their goals and delivers information on education and workforce outcomes. Its vision is to foster evidence-based decision-making to help Californians build more equitable futures and empower individuals to reach their full potential.

Mary Ann previously served as a senior fellow at the White House Office of Management and Budget and as the Executive Director of J-PAL North America at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She began her life in Ohio’s Amish community and started her college experience via dual enrollment at Kent State University Tuscarawas. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.