Difference Making at the Heart of Learning: Students, Schools, and Communities Alive with Possibility

Tom Vander Ark is CEO of Getting Smart, a learning design firm that amplifies thought leadership campaigns, education initiatives, powerful learning experiences and forward-leaning strategies with schools, districts and impact-oriented partners. He is also a partner in Learn Capital, an education venture capital firm investing in edtech startups. Tom is a director for 4.0 Schools, Bloomboard, Charter Board Partners, Digital Learning Institute, eduInnovation and Imagination Foundation. Previously, Tom served as the first Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as a public school superintendent in Washington State.

Emily Liebtag is Vice President of Advocacy at Getting Smart. She believes every young person deserves a world-class education and partners with educators and education-focused organizations to try and help make that a reality. Emily usually is researching and reading about project-based learning, global education, teacher preparation and place-based education. Connect with Emily at @EmilyLiebtag.