Clay is a self-taught developer and AI enthusiast with over 12 years of experience in the education sector. He is currently a Solutions Engineer for Google, where he supports K-12 school districts in the adoption of Google Workspace. As a thought leader in educational technology, he actively works with school districts, school boards, and governments on the adoption of generative AI, shaping the conversation around its appropriate and effective use in the classroom. 

Prior to joining Google, Clay worked for the New York City Department of Education as the Deputy Director of Enterprise Instructional Technology Development, where he led the development and implementation of Google tools. He also supported schools in becoming more digitally accessible and developed numerous educational tools to help educators. 

After a successful career as a Talent Agent, he transitioned into education, teaching Computer Science in Queens and coordinating the Drama and Technical Theater departments at LaGuardia High School, the school that inspired the movie "Fame." Clay's passion is to solve efficiency problems at scale in education through programmatic solutions.

Christine Sylvain is the Founder and Executive Director of the Path to College Fellowship, whose mission is to secure the acceptance of as many high-achieving, low-income students into top-tier universities as possible. Christine’s vision is to answer and address one of society’s most urgent educational inequities: access to higher education.

At her core, Christine loves the art of storytelling in any medium, especially at the intersection between history, politics, and literature. She has a Master of Arts in Journalism from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Political Science from the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University. Christine began her career as an associate producer of documentaries for broadcasters such as PBS and HBO. She worked on “Hecho a Mano,” a film that won an Emmy in the cultural and historical documentary category. 

Christine first realized her passion for educating and mentoring adolescents through her experience leading the Journalism Academy for a local charter high school, before working at an alternative prep school in a multitude of subjects, including college advising and SAT prep. She brings wide experience in high-level operational and program management, as well as expertise in supervising budgets, spearheading policy and procedure development and implementation, forging solid relationships, and overseeing top-performing teams. Most importantly, she has a deep understanding of some of the systemic challenges holding our best and brightest back from achieving the highest levels of their academic potential.

Eric has been in education for 33 years and currently serves as a Technology Integration Specialist for SPARCC in North Canton, Ohio. He also provides keynotes, professional development, and consulting for schools, organizations, and conferences around the world. Eric's areas of expertise include artificial intelligence, Google tools, assistive tech, and creative ways to use technology in teaching and learning. He is an authorized Google Education Trainer and Innovator, and co-leads the Ohio Google Educator Group. Eric runs the award-winning blog www.ControlAltAchieve.com, where all of his edtech resources can be found, and is the author of the book "Control Alt Achieve: Rebooting Your Classroom with Creative Google Projects."

Darryl has been an edutainer (educator/entertainer) for over a decade. He was an early adopter of Google’s educational tools, an incorporator of all things Project-Based Learning, and an all-around fun dude. After teaching, he ventured into educational technology as a digital learning specialist and then media specialist. He is passionate about engaging activities like digital escape rooms, design thinking, and the efficiency of using Google tools. No wonder he is the perfect Experience Designer for friEdOnline! When Darryl isn't leading the friEdCast with his colleague Lauren Heil or crafting online courses on emerging topics such as Generative AI, you'll likely find him showcasing his skills on the pickleball court!