Steve is a lifelong educator, leadership coach, and former superintendent with more than 30 years of experience serving and supporting PK–12 public education systems across the country. He led three metropolitan school districts as Superintendent of Schools—Green Bay (WI), Iowa City (IA), and Wausau (WI)—each comprising urban, suburban, and rural communities, and each committed to advancing equity, access, and academic excellence for increasingly diverse student populations. Over the course of his superintendency, Steve guided communities through large-scale strategic initiatives including comprehensive facilities master plans, successful bond referenda totaling over $400 million, innovative STEM partnerships with higher education, 1:1 digital learning rollouts, and the expansion of multilingual, special education, and alternative learning environments. In Green Bay, he led the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, including a full remote launch, a return to in-person learning, and the development of a fully online elementary school. In higher education, Steve served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies at the University of Iowa, where he led principal and superintendent preparation programs, supervised clinical fieldwork, and taught across the M.A., Ed.S., and Ed.D. levels. He currently holds the title of Adjunct Lecturer (Emeritus) and continues to teach courses focused on educational politics. Since 2001, he has also taught at the University of Wisconsin–Superior, the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, and Marian University. Today, Steve serves as Managing Partner of sfm consulting group, where he works with school districts and education organizations nationwide. His consulting and coaching portfolio includes leadership development, organizational coaching, resilience-based systems design, strategic planning, and executive search. He serves as a Managing Partner for Cognia’s Leadership Circle, Master Coach and Facilitator for PeopleBench, Strategic Planning Consultant for InnovateK12 and Meteor Education, Strategic Engagement Partner with Hanover Research, TalkPath+Live, and Wayfinder, and Search Consultant for McPherson & Jacobson. Through AASA and MASA, he facilitates national superintendent development programs and provides executive coaching to early- and mid-career leaders. A frequent advisor and board member, Steve contributes to organizations including the Education Research and Development Institute, EdWeb, New Era Superintendents, Rocket PD, and SAM Labs. He holds multiple professional certifications, including ICF Associate Certified Coach, TCI Certified Team Performance Coach, and credentials in DISC, Driving Forces, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Acumen Capacity Index (ACI), DNA, Levels 1 of AQai, and Resilience at Work (R@W). His academic background includes degrees from the University of Michigan (B.A.), University of Wisconsin–Madison (M.S. and Ed.S.), and doctoral coursework in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. Steve is based in Iowa City and is married to Darci. Together, they have three adult children. When not working with educational leaders, Steve can often be found off the grid, hiking with a map in hand and a goal in mind.

Rob is an innovation consultant, leadership coach, investor, aspiring author and wannabe surfer, but mostly, a proud husband and father. Previously, he Co-founded Velocity11 in 1999, building robotics for drug discovery and cancer research, after acquisition in 2007 he was General Manager at Agilent Technologies, in 2010 became an Associate Founder and CEO of Singularity University (SU). He stepped down from his role as CEO in 2020 to focus on family and shifting to coaching and innovation work. Today he develops and facilitates programs at SRI’s Nomura-SRI-Innovation Center (NSIC), is a Venture Partner on AI Safety at Lionheart Ventures, and advises a variety of startups and technology businesses. His personal mission is to spread hope for an amazing future through inspiring stories, credible roadmaps, and collaborative networks.

Dr. Tina Persson is a visionary coach with a multifaceted background from both the university and the corporate world. She holds an ICF PCC certification as an Executive, Career & Team Coach, specializing in female leadership, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. These skills have played a crucial role in shaping her educational and coaching business. Additionally, Dr. Persson is a highly sought-after speaker, frequently facilitating workshops and seminars for senior leaders, c-level executives, and high-potential individuals to help them achieve their goals. She is also an expert in leadership and team coaching facilitation. Having spent nearly two decades in academia, Tina transitioned to the staffing industry, where she gained eight years of expertise as a Recruiter and Talent Sourcer. Leveraging her diverse experience, she empowers researchers to transition smoothly from academia to rewarding business-driven careers. As a successful businesswoman with an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit, she proudly serves as the Founder of Passage2Pro AB and Aptahem AB, a biotech start-up featured in over 20 scientific publications. Furthermore, Dr. Persson is the inventor of 2 scientific patents and hosts the popular PhD Career Stories podcast. You can find this passionate professional working out at the CrossFit Gym when she isn't coaching.

I am a people focused Transformation Leader and Agile Coach supporting businesses to change, and evolve to keep up with the ever changing high pace of industry. I work across starts up and global enterprise using Agile Methodologies and SAFe ways of working. My effectiveness is rooted in understanding the importance of the people involved and the culture we want to create. I am accomplished at leading and inspiring in technical and commercial environments, to create successful and self-reliant teams that achieve business outcomes on time and within budget.

Passionate about technology for good and empowering individuals, I am a certified AQ Practitioner and ExO Coach with international experience as a senior business executive successfully working in the U.S., EMEA and APAC by building winning teams and deli

I'm a strategic advisor and authentic leadership coach for data leaders and tech companies, specialized in closing the gap between business strategy and data execution. With over 20 years in data leadership, including my role as Director of Data at Scout24, I bring a proven track record of aligning data initiatives with real business outcomes and fostering adaptability in organizations. Professional Profile Analytics (PPA) is my latest tech-innovation for professionals seeking authentic growth on LinkedIn, providing data & AI tools to develop a unique voice and strategy. Additionally, I work directly with executives through Turtle Transformation, a leadership academy, to implement actionable data strategies, establish strong governance, and foster modern data leadership rooted in adaptability.

I am a forward thinking leader with broad international experience in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG products), food ingredients, fresh produce, agricultural commodities., aviation and emergency shelter deployment.

Ramesh is a seasoned professional with around 30 years of work experience in HR and L&D functions in spectrum of industries. He is a certified Leadership Coach from Coaching Foundation India, AQ Coach (Level 1) by AQai, Certified Endorsed Facilitator by International Association of Facilitators, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, DiSC certified, Harrison Assessments certified. Currently, Founder & Principal Architect of LeadFac Solutions and offer solutions in the areas of Leadership Development, Coaching Competency Management, OD interventions and use Group Process Facilitation as methodology.

Working as a trainer, coach and organisation development consultant since 2006 after graduating at the University of Economics Budapest (Since then renamed as Corvinus University Budapest) as an economist. My main focus has been leadership development both on individual and team level and change management - reorganisations, mergers, culture developments. "If I have a quick answer on an important question, I probably don't understand the question itself" - believing in collaboration, joint learning and focus on what works while not losing who we are - our values, roots, core.