Ron Packard is the CEO and Founder of K12 a technology-based education company headquartered in Herndon, Va. K12 is a provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. It offers curriculum and academic services to online schools, traditional classrooms and blended school programs, and directly to families. Packard was previously a vice president of Knowledge Universe and CEO of Knowledge Schools. He also worked for McKinsey & Co. and Goldman Sachs. In 2010, Packard won the U.S. Distance Learning Association Award for outstanding leadership in the field. He also serves as chairman of Middlebury Interactive Languages LLC and is a member of the Digital Learning Council. Packard received a bachelor's degree in economics and mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, which recently named him a distinguished alumnus of the Booth School of Business.

 

Richard Culatta is a leader in the field of educational innovation. He has experience in K-12, higher education, and workplace learning environments. As the Acting Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education his work focuses on leveraging open data to create personalized learning experiences for all students and promoting increased connectivity to improve access to education and make college more affordable. Prior to joining the Department of Education, he served as an education policy advisor to U.S. Senator Patty Murray.

 

Bob Wise is president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. He currently chairs the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Since joining the Alliance in February 2005, Governor Wise has become a sought-after speaker and advisor on education issues. He has delivered keynote addresses at high-level functions to core groups of the education community, state and federal government entities, as well as business, philanthropic, civil rights, and community organizations–all with a stake in education reform. Governor Wise has also advised the U.S. Department of Education, White House Transition Team, and frequently testifies before the U.S. Congress.

 

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer technology companies. CEA also owns and produces the International CES®, the world’s largest annual innovation event. A prolific writer, Gary contributes regular columns to Forbes.com, the Daily Caller and the Huffington Post. His writing has also appeared in CEO Magazine, FoxNews.com, The Hill, the New York Times, Politico, Real Clear Politics, Roll Call, the Washington Examiner, the Washington Times and more. Gary is regular guest on Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News and MSNBC.

 

Johnny Isakson is a businessman, a public servant and family man whose conservative, thoughtful and independent approach have made him a leader in Georgia for over 30 years. Johnny began his business career in 1967 when he opened the first Cobb County office of a small, family-owned real estate business, Northside Realty. Johnny later served as president of Northside for 20 years, presiding over the company’s growth into the largest independent residential real estatei brokerage company in the Southeast and one of the largest in America.

 

Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo exemplifies innovation. She's creative, boundary breaking and productive. She is a problem solver and a consensus builder. In Rep. Eshoo's two decades in Congress, she has defended consumers, promoted American competitiveness and innovation, fought for access to health care for families and children, protected the environment, and encouraged development of clean energy technology. Rep. Eshoo's work consistently earns the highest approval from a wide range of organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters, the Humane Society, the American Association of University Women, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Science Coalition. The San Jose Mercury News named her one of the ten most powerful women in Silicon Valley "because she sits on committees that oversee the Internet and biotech—areas vital to the valley's interests".