Taking Risks = Big Rewards: Co-create Learning, with Student Voice & Choice, to Generate Engagement, Empowerment, and Success.

Josie created the nonprofit Learning Emporium for youth from public schools and homeschools to immerse themselves in experiential learning around their own interests. She works to empower youth by building experiential, self-directed programs, such as the Futures Personalized Learning Academy and the Pathways CBE Program, which put student voice and choice at the center.  Josie currently coaches families, advises innovative programs and projects, and co-creates learning adventures with her three middle school children while aspiring to homestead on top of a mountain in Vermont.

Liam is the founder of the company “oK” where they have been designing and facilitating experiences for the past 8 years focused on helping people take care of themselves, each other, and the earth. Liam’s work has been informed by their experiences working in start-ups and all stages of education; from pre-school through higher ed, in independent learning environments, and in intensive special education settings. Besides working to harness the transformative power of education, Liam creates art under a series of monikers and enjoys retreating into the natural haven of his home state Vermont when he can get away from his current home in Brooklyn, NY.

Ari is 13 yrs old, enjoys exploring the woods near his house and going on adventures. He caught his first snake at age 3, loves giraffes, and thinks that platypi are the coolest animals on the planet. As a die-hard Red Sox fan and a veteran of 6 professional (Little League) baseball seasons, Ari knows entirely too much about baseball. He loves reading and is a David Sedaris and Dave Barry aficionado. Biking, fishing, and kayaking are up there with frequent visits to sporting goods stores. Ari has been doing “custom school” and self-directing his learning around what he cares about for 2 ½ years.

Yusuf leads a design studio focused on the future of learning and creative work. We’ve partnered with Teach for America to launch new programs, the Qatar Foundation to reimagine Qatar’s K-16 education system, and the South African government to launch a digital platform for teachers.

He has contributed to Scratch, developed creative tools at MIT, and worked on large-scale education reform efforts. Before MIT, he led development of degrees for a pan-African university that remixed ideas from places like Olin, Minerva, 42, Ashesi, and High Tech High to create a university where students learn through projects, research, and industry placements instead of lectures and decontextualized assignments. Rumor is he makes the best cup of Chai this side of the Atlantic.