Andrea D. Ferrari

CEO Global Great Place to Study and WholeSchools Institute International

Andrea D. Ferrari CEO Global Great Place to Study™; Directora ejecutiva y fundadora de WholeSchools International; Partner @ School Day Finland

Andrea es Máster en Educación de Columbia University, New York con una especialización de la Universidad de Laponia en Finlandia y del Centro Internacional Loris Malaguzzi en Reggio Emilia, Italia. Es especialista en acreditaciones y programas globales que impulsan la innovación, la felicidad, el bienestar y la equidad en el corazón de cada institución educativa. “Do not let success determine your happiness when you can let your happiness determine your success!”

Andrew Sherman

Vice-President, Cognia International Strategy and Development, Latin America

Mr. Sherman taught elementary, middle and high school students in a variety of settings and has also served as a community college instructor and university professor. Mr. Sherman is actively involved in school improvement efforts and accreditation in Latin America as an Engagement Review Team member for Cognia. With Cognia, Andrew served two consecutive three-year terms as Vice-Chair of the Committee on International Schools, permitting his involvement in schools in more than a dozen countries. Mr. Sherman currently services Cognia schools in the role of Vice President for International Strategy and Developemnt in Latin America. Patiently supported by a wonderful educator and a terrific wife of over twenty-five years, Tisa Rodriguez, he also enjoys his time as a father to Sofia Salome and Ilan Cayetano, proud citizens of both the United States and Mexico. Mr. Sherman currently works from his home office overlooking the Canon del Chiche in Tumbaco, Quito, Ecuador.

Ari Mäki

Ambassador of Finland in México

Mr. Ari Mäki, Master of Political Sciences, is the Ambassador of Finland to Mexico, also accredited to Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Since joining the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1996, he has served in Tehran, Paris (UNESCO), and Rome, later becoming Ambassador to Afghanistan (2013–2015), Director for Latin America and the Caribbean (2015–2019), and Ambassador to Türkiye (2019–2023) before assuming his current role in Mexico in 2023. Before his diplomatic career, he worked in shipping lines, film festivals, and the Finnish Broadcasting Company. Coming from a working-class family in Nastola, Finland, he attended a small countryside school where he developed a lifelong love for libraries. His favorite subjects were history, geography, and drawing, though he struggled with physical education due to his small frame. Later, he excelled in languages—English, Swedish, German, and French. He attributes his journey to Finland’s education system, which ensured equal opportunities for all.

John Kelly

General Director of Olinca International School

I am the owner and general director of a future unicorn boutique school in Mexico City on the cutting-edge of educational innovation.

I am on a passionate daily quest to discover new ways of leading, teaching, and learning, so we can dramatically improve schools and empower future generations of learners to make a significant positive impact on the development of the human race.

I am an empathic and intuitive leader, who places a high value on the skills of collaboration, communication, creativity and thinking critically in schools, in order to effectively improve the system. I have a desire to make an impact in the world, through the kindness I use to connect with people on a daily basis.

I have a strong interest in all Metaverse, blockchain, and NFT projects that have the power to transform educational settings and impact school and student learning.

Proud father and proud husband and infinitely grateful to have a big impact in the life of my family and the students and teachers I aim to serve.

Lasse Leponiemi

Co-founder, Chairman of the HundrED Foundation

Lasse Leponiemi is the co-founder of HundrED – the mission driven organisation validating, amplifying and supporting the implementation of K12 education innovations globally. HundrED has a platform of over 6.000 education innovations from around the world, and their network reaches 100+ countries. Lasse is responsible for the overall operations, and leads the development work of their HundrED Foundation.

Peter Brunn

Author, Speaker, Current VP at Center for the Collaborative Classroom, Alameda California

Peter Brunn is the vice president of organizational learning at Center for the Collaborative Classroom. Previously at Collaborative Classroom, he was the director of professional development, director of staff development, the assistant director of the Reading Project, and a staff developer. Before coming to Collaborative Classroom, Peter was a staff developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and worked in New York City public schools helping teachers implement reading and writing workshops in their classrooms. Peter received his master’s degree in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University, and his undergraduate degree in history from Marquette University. Peter is also the author of The Lesson Planning Handbook: Essential Strategies That Inspire Student Thinking and Learning, published by Scholastic. Follow Peter on Twitter at @pdbrunn.

Tracey Bryan

Innovation Director at The American School Foundation, Mexico City

Tracey Bryan is a passionate educator with over 25 years experience. Currently she designs and operates spaces and experiences that facilitate interdisciplinary, cross-divisional, hands-on learning. She is passionate about combining modern technology with manual tools in order to foment creativity and spark innovative ideas through her work in the maker spaces at The American School Foundation. Partnering with community members and teachers spanning K-12 allows her to create authentic learning experiences for students of all levels. Recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Innovator she has presented on innovative educational practices throughout Latin America, the US and Sweden.

Jill Ackers-Clayton

Education Director, VS America

Jill has worked in over 30 states in the US and 20 countries around the world.

She is the author of Developing Natural curiosity through Project based learning. An expert in learner centered environments, school cultures and community engagement.

Jill is a disruptive optimist!

Armando Andrade

Director Academico Foresta International School , IB Global Educator, Director of Accreditations International Baccalaureate

Armando Andrade es docente desde hace 30 años. Ha trabajado con niños, adolescentes y adultos. Se convirtió en formador de docentes hace 20 años y actualmente forma a docentes y visita colegios de todo el mundo como educador autorizado del IB.

Ha publicado dos series de libros para Macmillan Publishing House. Una de sus series es una edición para maestros. Realizó una Maestría en Educación en la Universidad de Las Américas. Fue premiado dos veces como mejor maestro del año por la SEP.

Armando ha participado en la creación y diseño de diferentes escuelas desde su concepción inicial, puesta en marcha y operación exitosa. Uno de ellos se convirtió en el primer colegio PEP-IB de América Latina. Actualmente trabaja en Foresta International School como Director del IB y recientemente diseñó las conexiones curriculares y el contenido para la apertura de la primera atracción del parque de entretenimiento educativo de National Geographic en México.

Claudia Sicilia

Fundadora y Directora General Centro de Desarrollo Humano Oquixpi.
Directora General Colegio Hebreo Maguen David, Mexico City

Directora General y fundadora del Centro de Desarrollo Humano Oquixpi. Luchadora del valor humano y del derecho al bienestar, a favor de la verdad. Psicóloga Humanista con Maestría Gestalt y especialidad en Psicología Positiva. Maestra certificada en meditación. Actualmente Claudia es la Directora General del Colegio Hebreo Maguen David.

Gabriela Glez

Dir. Programs at WholeSchools International / VP for Latin America Great Place to Study

Gabriela González- Pacheco, Directora de Programas en WholeSchools International, VP LATAM Great Place to Study™. Gabriela cuenta con 32 años en la docencia y como conferencista a nivel nacional e internacional, 22 de ellos en puestos de liderazgo educativo, más 25 años de experiencia en consultoría con una maestría en psicoterapia y una especialidad en Liderazgo Educativo por parte de la escuela de Educación en Harvard. Considera que el cambio social sólo se logrará realmente a través de la educación.

Vicky Ricaurte

CEO & Cofounder Arukay

Graduated from Harvard University with a Master in management, as an Industrial Engineer from Uniandes and a marketing specialist from CESA, Vicky is co-founder of Arukay.Arukay has received multiple awards: Holon IQ for three consecutive years, Tech de Monterrey highlighted it as one of the 10 EdTechs that are revolutionizing global education, The Pacific Alliance and the IDB.

Vicky has her TEDx Talk on “Programming, the Language of the Future”. She has been awarded as a Woman of Impact by Endeavor, chosen as one of the Geniuses in education by Dinero Magazine. In 2019, the innovation laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDBLAB) awarded Vicky as the most innovative and dynamic STEAM Woman in Latin America and the Caribbean for the revolution that Arukay has brought to the school and high school segment.

Panelist at the IFE Conference (Institute for the Future of Education) in Mexico in 2023, and also at the HABLA MEXICO event, sharing participation with other renown panelist like Yuval Harari and Andrés Oppenheimer. She has also been invited to the IDB General Assembly and at the UN Women's summit for her outstanding career in education.

Edgardo H. Manzitti

General Secretary, International Schools Association (ISA)

Edgardo H. Manzitti is a passionate education professional with a lifelong dedication to the field, beginning his journey at just 18 years old. Coming from a family deeply rooted in educational institutions, he has honed his expertise as the Head of St. Catherine's Moorlands School, Belgrano campus, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is also CEO of Exo Schools LATAM. ExO School is a consulting firm specializing in aligning the educational and business models of schools to optimize academic performance and financial results (EBITDA). We apply exponential technologies and accessible innovative solutions without requiring significant investments.
As General Secretary of the International Schools Association (ISA), Edgardo plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of global education. He also serves as a consultant, guiding schools through transformative processes in pedagogy, management, and value propositions.
Driven by a commitment to innovation, Edgardo consistently seeks to equip schools with cutting-edge tools and strategies, empowering them to prepare students for success in an ever-changing world.

Mario López Roldán

Director del Centro de la OCDE para América Latina

A partir del 10 de enero de 2022, Mario López Roldan, tomó posesión como Director del Centro de la OCDE para América Latina. Previamente, trabajó cerca de 15 años como Jefe de la Unidad de Discursos e Inteligencia de Alcance en la Oficina del Secretario General de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE). También apoyó al Secretario General en la coordinación y el fortalecimiento de la colaboración de la OCDE con América Latina. Antes de trabajar en la OCDE, dirigió el grupo de consultoría Euro Alliance, promoviendo la cooperación económica entre gobiernos locales de España y América Latina; fue Representante Permanente Alterno de México ante la OCDE; Consejero Económico de la Embajada de México en Francia; y Coordinador de Estudios Económicos y Portavoz del Instituto de Relaciones Euro-latinoamericanas (IRELA), con sede en Madrid. Anteriormente, trabajó en las Embajadas de México en España y el Reino Unido, y ocupó varios cargos en la Secretaría de Hacienda, la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores y en la Presidencia de la República de México. Cuenta con una Licenciatura en Relaciones Internacionales de la Universidad de las Américas de México, una Maestría en Integración Europea de la Universidad de Cambridge del Reino Unido, y estudios de doctorado en Economía Internacional y Desarrollo en la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Habla español, inglés, francés e italiano; y tiene como hobbies principales la poesía, la pintura, la música y el futbol.

Dr. Christina Hinton

Research Associate at the Human Flourishing Program
Founder and CEO of Research Schools International

Dr. Christina Hinton leads the Human Flourishing Program’s work in education. At Harvard, she leads research on character skills, loving relationships, and flourishing among children, adolescents, educators and parents internationally. In addition, she leads the Evidence-Based Parenting for Flourishing Families initiative. Dr. Hinton is also the Founder and CEO of Research Schools International (RSI), which has carried out over 80 research and professional development projects to promote character skills and flourishing in schools across 70 countries. She lectures internationally and has delivered keynotes in over 35 countries. Prior to her current roles, Dr. Hinton was a faculty member at Harvard Graduate School of Education, lecturing on neuroscience and education and social-emotional learning. In addition, she worked in multilateral diplomacy and international policymaking at the OECD’s Center for Educational Research and Innovation and UNICEF’s Early Childhood Development unit. She was also a Research Fellow at Sesame Workshop. Dr. Hinton completed her doctorate and master’s at Harvard in education, neuroscience, and child development, and her bachelors at Swarthmore in neuroscience and education.

Anoushka Jolly

Founder of Anti-Bullying Squad, Kavach

Anoushka Jolly is a distinguished teenager who has made significant contributions to the field of child welfare and mental health in India. Anoushka is the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar winner, which is bestowed by the Prime Minister of India and is the highest civilian honour for any child in the country.
In addition to her remarkable achievements, Anoushka is the creative mind behind the Anti-Bullying Squad and the innovative Kavach app, designed to support adolescent mental health. Her passion for empowering young people and addressing critical issues such as bullying and mental well-being has garnered widespread acclaim and positively impacted many lives. A visionary student Anoushka's incredible journey started as an entrepreneur at a young age of 9 and today at 15 years she is making an impact in the lives of countless young people. Anoushka successfully secured funding for her social enterprise, Kavach, during the first season of Shark Tank India. Recently, she was appointed by Harper Collins Publishers as the brand ambassador for a new wellbeing series aimed at school children and educators. Anoushka was also invited to speak at the International Baccalaureate Global Conference 2024 in Daegu, South Korea.

Dr. Magdalena Balica

Senior Research Manager at The International Baccalaureate Organization.

With a background in psychology and educational sciences, Magdalena Balica has over 25 years’ experience in educational research at international level. Her current focus area is wellbeing in education. She has authored a series of policy papers on wellbeing and she managed a set of foundational studies on student and teachers’ wellbeing in partnership with the Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford.
She is currently leading the “Wellbeing in school” project for the IB, in partnership with Jacobs Foundation, Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford, Research School International (RSI), Human Flourishing Program, Harvard University and HundrED, piloting evidence-based interventions in the area of student wellbeing and providing action research support for more than 150 schools and over 15000 educators across the globe.
Magdalena Balica has been with the IB for over 6 years in The Hague Office, The Netherlands and she is managing the Development and Implementation Research Team within the Research and Design Department.

Leoni Boyle

Research Associate Wellbeing Research Centre Oxford University, Oxford, England, United Kingdom
Production Assistant World Happiness Report

Leoni is the office manager and research associate at the Oxford University Wellbeing Research Centre and production assistant of the World Happiness Report.

Coauthor of the recent report on “The wellbeing of teachers in schools” and the “Teacher wellbeing framework and key considerations to enhance teacher wellbeing” in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate.

Leoni graduated with an MSc in Child Development and Education from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Education from the University of Cambridge. She is currently studying part-time for a PhD in Education at the University of Birmingham. Her research interests focus around the advocation for children, particularly marginalised children, within cultural contexts where social stigmas might act as a barrier to these individuals being fully recognised and supported within society.