Dr. Aidé Acosta is the Chief College Officer at Noble Schools in Chicago, leading the organization’s college access and success initiatives. Dr. Acosta joined Noble in 2013, where she has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s college vision as a foundation for creating positive multigenerational change. Born in Mexico and raised in Southern California, Dr. Acosta is a first-generation college graduate who overcame significant challenges, including dropping out of high school in 10th grade, to earn a Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. She draws on her personal experiences, deep empathy, and steadfast belief in students’ potential to drive meaningful improvements in educational outcomes for underserved students.

Nella García Urban is the CEO of DSST Public Schools in Denver and Aurora, Colorado. Nella came to DSST from YES Prep Public Schools where she spent over 20 years leading and operating charter schools. She graduated from Rice University as a Mellon Mays Fellow and received a master’s degree from Sam Houston State University in Education Leadership. Nella has completed the Pahara Fellowship, the Broad Academy for Superintendents program, and is a certified Executive Coach through the John Doerr Institute at Rice University. Nella is the Board Chair of LEAL - Latino Educators Advancing Leadership - an organization working to increase the number of Latino leaders in charter schools.