Speakers

Meet the 2022 Keynote Speakers

Hamish Brewer

amish Brewer is a powerful and positive disruptor who transcends the status quo and typical norms in leadership and education. Mr. Brewer is a globally recognized advocate who built his reputation on results and performance, becoming affectionately known as the Relentless, Tattooed Skateboarding Principal with his galvanizing message to "Be Relentless" and his high-octane delivery style.
Mr. Brewer served as an award-winning principal at both the secondary and elementary school levels. Recognized as the NAESP Nationally Distinguished Principal and Virginia Principal of the Year, he was also honored with the VAESP School Bell Award and ASCD Virginia Impact Award. Hamish was named a Northern Virginian of the year by Northern Virginia Magazine and Principal of the Year for the online national publication - Education Dive. Prince William County Public Schools named Hamish the school division's Principal of the Year and Hamish was recently recognized by Omega U as the Principal of the Year.
Under his leadership, his elementary school was recognized as a Nationally Distinguished Title 1 School, and Hamish has since gone on to turn around one of the toughest middle schools in the state of Virginia. Mr. Brewer is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker - motivating and inspiring audiences around the world, including being recognized as a TEDx speaker.
Originally from New Zealand, Hamish earned his first degree from the University of Auckland. Mr. Brewer is currently a doctoral student at Virginia Tech University. Hamish is the best-selling author of "Relentless - Disrupting The Educational Norm, published in 2019.
Mr. Brewer currently consults with businesses and organizations around the world on leadership, culture, organizational performance change and improvement. As a Beachheads advisor to the New Zealand Trade Enterprise, he assists New Zealand businesses with their growth and advises them on strategic development in the North American marketplace.
Mr. Brewer previously served at the state level as the Federal Relations Coordinator on the Board of Directors with the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals and was a lead fellow of NAESP's Center for Innovative Leadership. He is a school turnaround and school improvement specialist, working with some of the most at-risk students in the United States. Mr. Brewer was highlighted as a Hometown Hero by Fox 5 in Washington, DC. With more than 32 million views, his story is a viral sensation through the Freethink docuseries "Relentless", and features in national news broadcasts across the United States and Australasia, including NBC and Lester Holt. Mr. Brewer is also featured in the skateboarding humanitarian documentary Humanity Stoked.

Tyler Tarver

Tyler Tarver, Ed.S is the Dean of NLC College. He has a wife named Amanda, and three kids with various names. Tyler speaks at conferences across the country on various topics related to teaching, administration, efficiency, technology, social media, and culture. He has amassed over 14 million views on YouTube and 60k subscribers. He also created and maintains TarverAcademy.com, where he helps students/teachers with math, tech, and an assortment of educational needs. He's written 3 books, produces podcasts, made award winning short films, is an Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Innovator, Google Certified Trainer, Google Level 1 & 2 Educator, Apple Foundations Certified Trainer, Google Forms Expert Team Member, has been featured on PBS, and also been featured on Tosh.0 four times. He's been a teacher, facilitator, principal, and Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Communications, Personnel, and Technology. Tyler loves teaching students, helping teachers, and building community and conversation around improving and innovating education to help students.
Tyler is a Dean of an HBCU College located in Arkansas. He's been an Education Week Feature, 2-Time Arkansas Best-of-the-Best Videographer of the Year, 16 to Watch in 2016, Sync Magazine Cover Story, Democrat Gazette Feature, News Story on "Making Math Fun", host of the Education Academy Podcast and the Explain Everything Podcast. Through publishing 1000s of free math, education, Google, and culture videos to help student and teachers, Tyler has gotten the opportunity to learn and share with millions of learners around the world. He's keynoted or spoken at ISTE Conference, Google for Education Breakout Speaker (ISTE), Google Innovator Energizer, Odysseyware Learning Summit, TiCal: Tech for Admin Leadership, Schools Without Walls, MidSouth Google Summit, Henderson University, Blast Conference, i2 Innovation Institute, edWeb Learning Bird, AAAE Conference, Collide Conference, and many more. He's also a TESS certified administrator and has a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Arkansas.
Tyler believes education is the great unifier and can change society for the better. The right culture is the most important thing a school can control to help motivate, empower, and equip young people to be successful in today's world. Take control of your classroom and help guide students to become the hero in their life, family, and community. With the right actions, resources, and motivation, teachers can create an engaging and learning-filling classroom environment. Utilizing technology and social media to help our students build the skills they need to excel in whatever job market the future brings. Being kind, hard-working, and positive can go further than any other motivator young people can hear, they just need the right person in their story to help them them listen.

Dwayne Reed

Teaching phenom and educational activist, Dwayne Reed, has been crisscrossing the globe, promoting his message of love and equity in education. After seeing viral success with the release of his educational music video, "Welcome to the 4th Grade," and appearing on Good Morning America, CNN, and MTV's TRL, Reed has been on a mission to convince the world that relationships mean everything in education, and that every child, no matter their race or social status, deserves a fair chance at a quality education. Mr. Reed spends his free time writing educational songs, playing basketball, and 'chillin' in his neighborhood,' on the Westside of Chicago.
Mr. Reed is the teacher you always wished you had! He is America's Favorite Rapping Teacher and Chief Enthusiasm Officer (CEO) of TeachMrReed, the global education company inspiring the world to make learning fun again.
The passionate educator, prolific author, and speaker is also the widely-acclaimed host of the celebrity YouTube series Mr. Reed Reads, and animated facilitator of the popular U.S. book club tour Reed-A-Long.
Catapulted into notoriety by his blockbuster video, "Welcome to the Fourth Grade", Mr. Reed and his work have been featured on Good Morning America, World News Tonight, BBC News, The Jimmy Kimmel Live Show, and in The Washington Post and Time Magazine.
As a viral phenom, Reed spreads his message of inspiration and empowerment that reaches a weekly audience of more than 50,000 followers, subscribers, readers, listeners, and fans. Each month, hundreds of new and aspiring teachers attend his engaging live seminars and rousing, interactive workshops, to experience the thrill of teaching via Mr. Reed’s riveting accounts of and cautionary tales of teaching in inner-city Chicago.
As an avid philanthropist, Mr. Reed has partnered with iconic brands that include 3M, Old Navy, Arby's and Abbott Laboratories to celebrate educators and raise awareness of youth issues. Mr. Reed also supports countless youth charities, after-school

Debbie Silver

Dr. Debbie Silver is a knowledgeable, funny, boldly authentic speaker, author, and educator. She has dedicated her life to understanding learning and growth behavior and has become a world-renowned and empowering speaker. Through her research, her outreach, and her humor, Debbie seeks to help teachers find the joy in the daily job of teaching, so that children can embrace the satisfaction and pride of knowledge, growth, and self-worth.
With 30 years spent as a teacher, staff development instructor, and university professor, Dr. Silver doesn't just know her way around the classroom - she is deeply familiar with the challenges educators face at every level, from kindergarten through college.
One of the nation's most popular keynote speakers and professional development presenters, this former Louisiana State Teacher of the Year has given presentations around the world (including 49 states, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Africa, and Asia), helping audiences to interact with students on a more meaningful level.
While inspiring educators to enjoy the job they once loved, she reminds them of how important they are in the lives of children, their families, and the world. Through her writing and her speaking, she highlights relevant and tested learning theory and tools for communication.
She makes essential points while sharing poignant stories and lots of laughs. Dr. Silver believes that teachers need to be having fun and staying in touch with their passion to make their biggest impact in the classroom.