EDUP Xcelerated Excellence

Our Guest, Michelle Maslowski , MBA, CFRE, is Managing Director, Carter . With over 15 years of experience as a senior development leader in the nonprofit sector, Michelle, has a proven track record of developing and executing high-impactfundraising strategies that result in transformational gifts and long-term donor engagement.   As Managing Director at Carter, Michelle specializes in building an...

Our Guest, Kalebe Easley , is a youth sports performance coach, entrepreneur, and founder of Prime Evolution Fitness & Sports Performance , one of the fastest-rising athletic development programs in Southern California. Based in Orange County, Kalebe specializes in speed, agility, strength, and sport-specific performance for athletes across football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and more.   A f...

Our Guest, Eric R. Almonte , serves as Assistant Vice President for Capital Giving at Princeton University , Princeton, NJ. In this role, he supervises an extremely dedicated and professional staff, including three frontline fundraising teams and the support staff for Leadership Gifts, International Development, and the Office of Gift Planning. The Capital Giving team focuses on fundraising to inc...

Our Guest, Dr. Paul Campbell , is Assistant Professor of Educational Administration and Leadership at The University of Hong Kong , where he also serves as an elected member of the university Senate, a Management Committee member of the Education Policy Unit, and Advisory Board Member for the In-Service Teacher Education Programme (INSTEP). His research investigates the evolving nature of educatio...

Our Guest, Dr. Gracie Branch , serves as the Associate Executive Director for Professional Learning at the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and formerly served as the Executive Director for Elementary Principals at the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA) .    In her current position, Dr. Branch sustains and grows leadership opportunities by pr...

Our Guest, Dr. ⁠Sundeep R. Muppidi⁠ , is a transformative higher education leader and Professor of Digital Media and Journalism at the ⁠University of Hartford⁠ . He has substantive experience driving institutional excellence through strategic innovation, adaptable program review systems, multi-year assessment models and student-centeredinitiatives. A distinguished scholar with a doctorate from ⁠Bo...

Our Guest, Dr. Sundeep R. Muppidi , is a transformativehigher education leader and Professor of Digital Media and Journalism at the University of Hartford . He has substantive experience driving institutional excellence through strategic innovation, adaptable program review systems, multi-year assessment models and student-centered initiatives. A distinguished scholar with a doctorate from Bowling...

Our guest, Kwame Sarfo-Mensah , is the founder of Identity TalkConsulting, LLC , a global educational consulting firm that specializes in developing K-12 teachers into identity-affirming educators. Rooted in the core values of equity, empowerment, and authenticity, Identity Talk Consulting, LLC provides a range of professional learning experiences, including keynote speaking, virtual and in-person...

Our guest, Kwame Sarfo-Mensah , is the founder of Identity Talk Consulting, LLC , a global educational consulting firm that specializes in developing K-12 teachers into identity-affirming educators. Rooted in the core values of equity, empowerment, and authenticity, Identity Talk Consulting, LLC provides a range of professional learning experiences, including keynote speaking, virtual and in-perso...

Our guest, Dr. Jamal Watson , is anaward-winning journalist. He has held numerous roles at Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. He has been a senior staff writer, managing editor, executiveeditor and editor-at-large. He has written and edited for the publication since 2005. He is currently on the graduate school faculty at Trinity Washington University and has served as associate dean of the Schoo...

Our guest, Dr. Jamal Watson , is an award-winning journalist. He has held numerous roles at Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. He has been a senior staff writer, managing editor, executiveeditor and editor-at-large. He has written and edited for the publication since 2005. He is currently on the graduate school faculty at Trinity Washington University and has served as associate dean of the Scho...

Our guest, Jerrica Thurman , is the visionary founder behind Elation Communications , a trailblazing firm helping mission-driven organizations amplify their voice, elevate their brand, and accelerate impact. With more than two decades of leadership at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and social change, Jerrica is redefining what it means to lead with purpose in today’s fast-moving world...

Our guest, Nicholas D. Hartlep , Ph. D., holds the Robert Charles Billings Endowed Chair in Education at Berea College wherehe has Chaired the Education Studies Department since 2019. He is currently enjoying a research sabbatical year (2025–2026).   A scholar of educational foundations and critical pedagogy, Dr. Hartlep’s research critically interrogates the modelminority stereotype, urban teache...

Our guest, Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez , serves as the Chief Executive Officer at the National Center for Learning Disabilities , where she leads a team at the forefrontof the learning disabilities rights movement. Her unwavering passion for promoting learning accessibility and equitable assessments drives the center’s efforts in developing impactful strategies, forging partnerships, making policy re...

Our guest, Xiomara J. Giordano , is Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at SUNY Empire . Xiamara holds a Master of Science in Educational Policy and Leadership with a focus on Higher Education from the State University of New York at Albany and received her BA in Spanish and Portuguese Literature from Smith College .   Previously, Xiomara worked...

Our guest, Antrina Leeth , is an educator with over 18 years of experience. She currently serves as Senior Outreach and Development Manager for the International BaccalaureateOrganization (IBO) . Her initial introduction to IB began as a Primary Years Programme (PYP) teacher, before moving into the role of IB Coordinator for 5 years. Prior to joining the International Baccalaureate Organization, A...

Dr. Felecia S. Russell , author of Amplifying Black Undocumented Student Voices in Higher Education . Listen to her EDUP Xcelerated Excellence podcast episode: Drs. Miriam Feldblum and Felecia Russell—Advocating for Immigrant Equity in Higher Education ! Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences . Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excel...

Our guest, Kaplan Mobray , is globally acclaimed as one of the world’s most dynamic and inspirational  business speakers and award-winning author of  “The 10Ks of Personal Branding”.  Educated at the University of Pennsylvania’s   Wharton School , he has been featured across global media outlets including CNN, Biz Asia, FOX Business, Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal, and shares his message to...

Our guest, Mario Jovan , is a world-renowned Leadership Coach and Founder of Messy Roots, LLC . He has developed a specialized coaching curriculum focused on Diversity, Equity,Inclusion & Belonging (DEI) to empower leaders of color. Drawing from his extensive leadership experience, which includes spearheading a multi-million-dollar non-profit, Mario used coaching techniques to foster team memb...

Our guest, Robert Kelty , is Head of Outreach, Government Relations, and Development for the International Baccalaureate (IB) North America.  Robert embarked onhis career journey in Crownpoint, New Mexico, nestled within the Navajo Nation , when he joined Teach For America in 2001. The IB, renowned globally as an esteemed education foundation, operates across more than 6,000 schools worldwide and...

Our guest, Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy , Ph. D., currently serves as the president and CEO of AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education). She joined AACTE in January 2025, after serving as a distinguished professor and dean of the Schoolof Education at American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., for over eight years.   During her tenure at AU, Holcomb-McCoy implemented various progr...

Our guest, Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz , Ph. D. (she/her), is a Professor of English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University . In May, 2024 Yolanda was recognized with the prestigious Dorothy Height Distinguished Alumni Award from New York University. She is co-editor of five books and is co-author of the multiple award-winning book Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education: Activism for...

Xcelerate educational excellence and equity with Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen , author of Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Urban Schools. Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences . Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF .    Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0 , Education 2.0 ,   Health...

Our guest, Rick Benbow , is the Regional Vice President (West) at Western Governors University , the nation’s largest competency-based university. He leads efforts to expand access to affordable, high-quality education for adult learners by advancing strategic partnerships and driving student success across the region.   Rick earned his MBA degree at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross Scho...

Our guest, Curtis Valentine, MPP ,  has dedicated over 20 years to the field of public education. Curtis is Founder of Real Men Teach , a community of educators striving to recruit and retain male educators of color. Curtis also serves as Co-Director of the Progressive Policy Institute's Reinventing America's Schools Project and as Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland. For over...