Kisa Marx (She/her)is an educator, writer, and keynote speaker who believes joy and play are essential to children’s liberation and learning. She’s the founder of the Play Lab Foundation in Oak Park, Illinois, and the 2024 recipient of the Play Advocacy Award from the International Play Association.
At the Play Lab, Kisa works directly with children every day, co-creating rich, play-based experiences that honor their autonomy, spark curiosity, and nurture a sense of belonging. Her practice centers the voices and needs of the children themselves, weaving equity, access, and joy into each learning experience.
Her forthcoming book, We Are Who We’re Waiting For: Transformative Change in Early Childhood Education, challenges us to reimagine what it means to truly center children in learning.
Soudary (She/her) is passionate about helping organizations power their missions through community-centric strategies with equity at the core. Proud 1st generation Lao American, Soudary channels her passion for refugee and immigrant rights, children youth + families, and social justice into engaging supporters to address systemic issues that touch upon racial equity, education and public health. Soudary serves as vice president, development at Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a nonprofit dedicated to building healthier communities, and driven by an impact goal of every mind, every body, every young person–healthy and ready to succeed. She has previously led fundraising, marketing and impact initiatives for school leadership, early childhood, afterschool/ trauma-informed supports, as well as advised national nonprofit executives. Soudary is an alumna of DePaul University (MPS), and the University of California, Santa Barbara (BA). Soudary values connecting small, community-based organizations typically left out of funding and access–with partners who can amplify their work, and is a member of the Orchid Giving Circle of the Texas Women’s Foundation. She also serves on the board of Asian Texans for Justice, and is an ambassador for Women’s Global Education Project. Soudary lives in North Texas with her family. She is an avid Purebarre enthusiast, and raised by "Reading Rainbow" as a latchkey kid--aims to read more books.
Meet Keisha Dean-Merriweather (she/her), a Chicago native currently living in Atlanta. She earned a B.A. in Marketing Communication from Columbia College Chicago, an MBA in Marketing from Shorter University, and a Project Management Certificate from Kennesaw State University. Her skills landed her in various advertising and marketing roles with companies across various industries including entertainment, publishing, healthcare, childcare, and technology.
Keisha is the brilliant mind behind exceptional marketing strategies and innovative campaigns. With a relentless passion for all things marketing, she takes the helm as the driving force behind successful brand development and growth. Armed with an in-depth understanding of market trends, consumer behavior, and emerging technologies, she is a strategic marketing partner. She has spent the last 15 years revolutionizing brands and propelling them to unparalleled success.
When she isn’t working, Keisha enjoys spending time with family & friends, and actively serving the community through her sorority. She is firmly rooted in the belief that adequate resources coupled with counseling and mentoring initiatives are necessary to create a more equitable and supportive educational system.
Kelly Schultz (she/her) spends most of her time enjoying motherhood to a bright, quirky, adventurous soul. That doesn’t stop her from mothering her flock of chosen family every chance she gets! Kelly works at a pediatrician’s office in insurance verification by day and as a clerical associate for a real estate appraiser by night. She enjoys reading anything from pop fic to literary novels and writes poetry when she can. Her personal motto is “Dream” in all its configurations. Most nights she can be found snuggled up on the couch with her son and their three cats
Talley was born in Delaware, to a family that attended Quaker Schools for 3 generations. The Quaker philosophy of seeing each human for their gifts, kindness, pacifism, equality and simplicity rooted her since she was a child. Those same beliefs inform her educational practice that spans from primary grades through university, and now the arena of early childhood education. She founded OP Friends, better known as Oak Park Friends School, with her friend Chloe Cunningham in 2014, after running a successful in-home daycare since 2007. She attended Northwestern University. She lives with her partner of over 25 years, Robert Hann and together they have 3 amazing children. Between her professional educational experience and her practical parenting and relationship experience, Talley brings a wealth of knowledge, and a unique strategic way of approaching all growth, obstacles and just life in general. Favorite saying: Look for the light in all.