Erin Gruwell started teaching at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA and had 150 of the district’s worst performing students in her freshman English class. After intercepting a racist note in class and telling her students that drawings like that one had led to the Holocaust, she learned that her students had never heard of the Holocaust. Erin was determined to teach her students ways to combat intolerance, and encouraged them to write in journals of their own. Her students dubbed themselves “Freedom Writers” after the Freedom Riders of the 1960s, and thanks to Erin's unique approach to teaching, all 150 Freedom Writers graduated high school. Her students’ stories became the New York Times Bestselling book, The Freedom Writers Diary which later adapted into the 2007 feature film, Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank, and the documentary, Freedom Writers: Stories from the Heart, which is currently available to stream on PBS.org. Erin and the Freedom Writers now travel the world, sharing their story and teaching others about their innovative approach to learning.

Dr. Felicia J. Lee is the Founder and President of Campana Leadership Group which provides an integral approach for leaders who are committed to creating and developing healthy and high performance cultures. Her firm serves Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and universities. Dr. Lee specializes in executive coaching and team leadership development, integrating diversity in her work as a necessary competency to be effective in an increasingly global workforce. She frequently draws on her management experience as a former Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff at UC Berkeley, Vice President for Student Affairs at Trinity University and Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at the University of San Francisco.

Dr. Lee received her Ph.D. in Higher Education Policy and Organization from the University of Southern California, Master of Arts in Social Sciences in Education from Stanford University, a Master of Science in Student Affairs and Administration from Colorado State University and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from the UC Irvine. Yes, she is an Anteater!!

She is an International Coach Federation (ICF) certified executive coach and an ITC (Immunity to Change) facilitator. She studied with the renowned Los Angeles Asian Pacific Dispute Resolution Center Mediation Program. Informed by her training in Conversational Leadership with David Whyte, an internationally renowned organizational development consultant, her unique invitation for leaders to step into courageous conversations, for themselves and with others, results in profound and meaningful change. For more information go to: https://www.campanaleadership.com/about

Dr. Luo is a professor of psychiatry at UC Irvine School of Medicine. He is an internationally recognized educator and expert on behavioral health informatics. He has presented at numerous conferences, written books and articles on technology use in mental health, and he has been recognized locally and nationally for excellence in teaching.