Jon Acuff
Author and Speaker

Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 books. His titles, including Procrastination Proof, Soundtracks, Finish and All It Takes Is a Goal, have sold more than one million copies. Named one of Inc.’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers, he’s delivered keynotes to companies such as Microsoft, Walmart, and Comedy Central. Host of the popular podcast All It Takes Is a Goal, Jon has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to overcome overthinking and finish what matters most. Jon lives outside of Nashville with his wife and two daughters.

Starlee Coleman
President & CEO
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

Starlee Coleman is the President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Starlee has 25 years of experience turning public policy ideas into laws. Through strategic public affairs and PR campaigns, grassroots engagement, and coalition development, Starlee has contributed to the passage of dozens of bills in state legislatures, Congress, and at the ballot box. Most recently, Starlee served as the Texas Public Charter Schools Association’s (TPCSA) CEO, where she oversaw the daily operations of the organization and helped ensure that TPCSA’s policy recommendations cross the finish line, whether the finish line ended at a Governor’s desk, city hall, on an election ballot, or in the courtroom. Prior to TPCSA, Coleman founded SchoolForward LLC, a public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. that advances education reform policies. The firm advises a number of high-profile clients, including the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Starlee’s work has earned a Templeton Freedom Award for Best Initiative in Public Relations in 2008 and the Spark Freedom Award for Best PR Campaign. Starlee has done hundreds of media interviews, including formerly having a weekly appearance on the NBC affiliate in Phoenix, Ariz., where she debated current affairs with a leading elected official. She has appeared on nationally-syndicated radio and TV programs, including CNN, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, FoxNews and Fox Business, Wall Street Journal Live, NPR’s 1A, and the Lars Larson Show. Starlee has delivered dozens of speeches on current affairs to civic groups and presented at several conferences on effective communications and marketing strategies and on crisis communications. Starlee earned her Bachelor of Arts in English at Arizona State University. She lives in Austin with her husband, daughter, and rescue pup.

Dana Peterson
CEO
New Schools for New Orleans

Dana Peterson is the CEO of New Schools for New Orleans, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that every child in the city has access to an excellent public school. In this role, he leads efforts to strengthen the conditions that allow great schools, educators, and communities to thrive - working across the ecosystem to support school leaders, advance policies that expand opportunity, and invest in initiatives that help make New Orleans one of the best places in the country to teach and learn. With nearly two decades of experience in education leadership and policy, Peterson has played a key role in efforts to improve schools and expand opportunity for students across Louisiana. He writes and speaks about education reform, civic leadership, and the lessons New Orleans offers communities across the country seeking to expand opportunity for students. Previously, Peterson served as Assistant State Superintendent at the Louisiana Department of Education and as CEO of the Baton Rouge Achievement Zone. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Superintendent of External Affairs of the Recovery School District. Peterson is the founding board chair of the New Orleans Career Center and founder and chair of alignED New Orleans. He currently serves on the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Houston and an MBA from Tulane University. He is a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Dana lives in New Orleans with his wife, Karen, and is a member of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church.

Dr. Andrea Zayas
Chief of Engagement & Partnerships
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

Dr. Andrea Zayas has served as the Chief of Engagement & Partnerships at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools since January 2025, focused on effective programming and galvanizing stakeholders in pursuit of advancing our policy and advocacy goals. Previously, Dr. Zayas held significant roles including Chief Academic Officer at the Boston Public Schools, National Director of K-12 Strategy at Ballmer Group Philanthropy, and Founder of La Cima Charter School. Andrea founded Upstream Education Consulting, providing strategic initiatives for non-profit business, education, and municipal leaders and has extensive experience as a charter school authorizer at the NYC Department of Education, National Director of Regional Leadership Development at the KIPP Foundation, and as an instructor of education policy and practice at Boston University. Her early career included teaching in and starting charter schools in the Twin Cities, Philadelphia, and the South Bronx with an early EMO. In 2023, she was appointed by President Biden as Commissioner of the White House Initiative for Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics, and currently serves on the board of Propeller, a nonprofit that invests in high potential social entrepreneurs tackling disparities in New Orleans. Dr. Zayas earned a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University, an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a doctorate in Education Leadership from Xavier University of Louisiana. She is a recipient of the Pahara Institute Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.