Trusted Advisors
Putting mattering in action daily, supporting young people and building communities where people are seen and valued.
Founder, Women & Girls Initiative; Senior Advisor, Partners in Health; University of Miami, Institute of Global HealthWingdie Didi Bertrand Farmer, MA, DEA, DESS is a medical anthropologist and community health specialist. She is an advisor on adolescent youth health, gender, and development; ambassador; and senior advisor on community health at Partners In Health (PIH). A medical anthropologist and community health specialist, Bertrand Farmer has worked in Haiti, Rwanda, Malawi, Lesotho, France, and the Bahamas.
Didi Bertrand Farmer
Dr. Jonathan Zimmerman
Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor in Education
Professor of History of Education, University of Pennsylvania
A former Peace Corps volunteer and public school social studies teacher, Dr. Zimmerman’s scholarship has focused broadly on the ways that different peoples have imagined and debated education across time and space. He is a public intellectual whose work appears regularly in publications across the country.
Dr. Roderick Carey
Associate Professor at University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development; Founder, Black Boy Mattering ProjectDr. Carey is an equity-centered teacher leader, writer, and educational researcher. He is a passionate advocate for marginalized groups and works tirelessly with educators to combat inequity operating in schools and other learning contexts.
E. Rachel Eskridge
Director, Center for Student Wellbeing, Vanderbilt UniversityRachel’s work sits at the intersection of higher education, student mental health, wellbeing, leadership, and human connection. She is particularly interested in the protective factors that support college students' mental health, including stress management, resilience, connection, and mattering, and how colleges and universities can create environments where students feel valued, supported, connected, and equipped to thrive.
Dr. Darleny Cepin
Senior Associate Dean of Campus Life & Chief Student Affairs Officer, Oxford College, Emory University
As the Chief Student Affairs Officer at Oxford College of Emory University since July 2024, Dr. Cepin leads a robust Campus Life strategy focused on student well-being, belonging, and holistic success.
James Toole
Senior Fellow, University of Minnesota School of Social Work & College of Education and Human Development
Service learning & social entrepreneurship expert working globally with youth leaders, social entrepreneurs, governments, schools, and NGOs to help leaders solve complex societal problems.
Liza Garonzik
R.E.A.L. Discussion Founder & CEO; Educator; Author of Conversation Comeback: A Teacher’s Guide to Class Discussion in a Distracted, Divided World
Technology, polarization, and constant distraction have weakened the skills students need to participate, disagree productively, and learn with others. A seasoned educator, researcher, and founder of R.E.A.L. Discussion, Liza has developed a practice-proven model that treats discussion as a teachable and measurable academic skill.
Chidi Asoluka
Founder and CEO, NewComm
Experienced educator empowering students to become active agents of change in their communities. Founder, NewComm, a community of students who do real work, build real networks, and move capital into the places that built them.