SPEAKERS

Dr. Eric Klopfer is Professor and Director of the Scheller Teacher Education Program and The Education Arcade at MIT.  He is also co-PI of MIT's RAISE initiative in AI education.  His research focuses on technology and pedagogy for building understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and systems.  He has special interests in games, simulations and computing as pathways to STEM learning.  He is the co-author of the books, "Adventures in Modeling", "The More We Know, and “Resonant Games”, as well as author of "Augmented Learning.” His lab has produced software (from casual mobile games to MMOs to AR/VR) and platforms (including StarLogo Nova and Taleblazer) used by millions of people, as well as online courses that have reached hundreds of thousands. Klopfer is also the co-founder and past President of the non-profit Learning Games Network.

Maria Barron Rodriguez is the co-lead of the World Bank EdTech team and a Research Analyst at the World Bank Group’s Global Education Practice, focusing on the transformative role of AI in education. Since joining during the COVID-19 pandemic, she has co-authored over 25 global EdTech knowledge products and managed key partnerships. Notable projects include an EdTech toolkit for policymakers and insights on remote learning for the global south. Maria's work in AI literacy is evident in Nigeria's Edo Best project. Her efforts have supported over 1,000 policymakers globally through the EdTech Policy Academy. She has significantly contributed to shaping digital skills and developing tech-based education solutions in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, and the Sahel. An Oxford-Weidenfeld Scholar, Maria holds an MPP and an MSc from the University of Oxford, underpinning her expertise in EdTech and policy innovations.

Seiji Isotani is a leading Brazilian scientist recognized for his work in artificial intelligence in education and the gamification of learning. Among his notable achievements, Isotani has integrated AI into resource-constrained environments and designed customized gamification tools that make education more accessible, effective, and enjoyable. In his role as a technical and scientific advisor to the Brazilian Ministry of Education, he helped shape Brazil’s K-12 Computer Science Curriculum, impacting over 40 million students nationwide. He is currently the President-Elect of the International Artificial Intelligence in Education Society (2025–2027), a Professor of Computer Science and Learning Technology at the University of São Paulo, a faculty associate with the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard, and a Visiting Scholar at HGSE.

View Dr. Isotani's academic papers on AI technology and Brazilian teachers here

​​Nissi Madu is a Managing Partner at Co-Creation Hub Limited, Africa’s Foremost Technology Innovation Centre, where she leads its Startup Support and EdTech Portfolios. She is an accomplished professional in the field of education with a commitment to leveraging technology to reshape education landscapes in Africa. Nissi’s expertise lies in various areas, including strategy, project management, digital learning product design and development, stakeholders management, business development, and programme design and management across over 20 programmes in 7 African countries. Her strategic acumen has led to the creation of impactful frameworks that have guided education initiatives on the continent.

Asyia is the Global Education Policy Lead at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on effective instructional practices, edtech and AI, and India. She has a proven track record of impact: as head of maths, she saw results increase by 30 percentage points in her school, and as a program officer, working closely with partners in India, results rose significantly in literacy and numeracy, including in her edtech portfolio, impacting over 11m children.

Asyia was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2022 New Year’s Honours list for education services, particularly girls’ education. She is a mother to two boys.

Vinnie is an Education Industry Director in the MS World Wide Public Sector Team and is an educationist. In her earlier role, she has been the Director of Learning and Skills for India region. She manages strategic engagements with the Ministry of Education, leading Universities, and National and State Boards of Education. Her work focuses on transformation through AI and Cloud and has led various skills and faculty and student innovation programs in Education. Her work empowers education systems, Edu leaders, teachers, and students.

Prior to becoming a Senior Research Fellow, for 22 years Chris Dede was the Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies. His fundamental interest is developing new types of educational systems to meet the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century. His research spans emerging technologies for learning, infusing technology into large-scale educational improvement initiatives, developing policies that support educational transformation, and providing leadership in educational innovation. Currently, Dede is a co-principal investigator of the NSF-funded National Artificial Intelligence Institute in Adult Learning and Online Education. He co-founded the Silver Lining for Learning initiative and developed a widely used Framework for scaling up educational innovations. From 2001 to 2004, he served as chair of the Learning & Teaching program at HGSE. Dede is an advisor to the digital puppeteering company Mursion, Inc., in which he has an equity stake.

​​Nissi Madu is a Managing Partner at Co-Creation Hub Limited, Africa’s Foremost Technology Innovation Centre, where she leads its Startup Support and EdTech Portfolios. She is an accomplished professional in the field of education with a commitment to leveraging technology to reshape education landscapes in Africa. Nissi’s expertise lies in various areas, including strategy, project management, digital learning product design and development, stakeholders management, business development, and programme design and management across over 20 programmes in 7 African countries. Her strategic acumen has led to the creation of impactful frameworks that have guided education initiatives on the continent.

Rem Koning is the Mary V. and Mark A. Stevens Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His research explores how we can help more entrepreneurs, scientists, and innovators succeed. His work on entrepreneurship and innovation spans industries and regions, from Indian tech ventures to small business owners in Kenya to women’s and mental health startups in the US. Building on this work, he is the co-director and co-founder of the Tech for All lab at The Digital, Data, and Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard, where he leads a group of interdisciplinary researchers studying how entrepreneurs can accelerate and shift the rate and direction of science, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit all of humanity. 

Judith Uchidiuno is an Assistant Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Interactive Computing and directs the Play and Learn Lab. She designs culturally informed CS education technologies and increases access to computer science education in sustainable ways for students from low-income and underserved communities. Her research has contributed to programmable video games codesigned with diverse groups of children that have reached over 1 million students, codesign of Georgia's Artificial Intelligence middle school curriculum currently used by 9 school districts and has reached over 1500 middle school students, the design of a tablet-based learning system used to supplement formal education for over 500 students in rural Tanzania, the development of AI education video games, and active collaboration with several schools and organizations.

Charles Fadel is a global education thought leader and author, futurist and inventor; founder and chairman of Center for Curriculum Redesign; chair education committee at BIAC/OECD; co-author of “Artificial Intelligence in Education” (2019); “Four-Dimensional Education” (framework in 23 languages) and best-selling  “21st Century Skills”. He has worked with education systems and institutions in more than 30 countries, and spent 25 years in technology management (M/A-COM; Analog Devices; and as founder of Neurodyne AI).  Formerly: founder and president Fondation Helvetica Educatio (Geneva, Switzerland); Global Education Lead at Cisco Systems, visiting scholar at MIT ESG and Wharton/Penn CLO, project director Harvard GSE; member President’s Council at Olin College of Engineering, angel investor with Beacon Angels.  BSEE, MBA, seven patents awarded & one pending.

Dan Be Kim is a Master’s student in the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a part of 2025 Cohort of Student Leaders in AI at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. She holds a degree in Management & Technology from the Technical University of Munich. A startup enthusiast with an extensive background in product management, she has conceptualized and launched several marketplaces, including a venture-backed PropTech startup based in the Bay Area. Her current work focuses on AI literacy interventions for educators and students in K-12 and higher education contexts. 

Paul Atherton is a visionary entrepreneur known for founding impactful ventures focused on leveraging technology for social good. He founded Fab Inc. and AI-for-Education.org, both of which are dedicated to improving educational systems through innovative technological solutions. These organizations work closely with governments to develop data and tech systems that enhance educational planning and projects. They specialize in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to solve practical issues, such as optimizing school locations and ensuring fair access to quality teaching.

Paul's initiatives also extend into climate resilience, where his enterprises work to protect school infrastructures from environmental challenges like heat and floods. Under his leadership, AI-for-Education.org has developed AI-based tools such as theTeacherAI in Sierra Leone, providing 24/7 support for teachers in lesson planning and professional development. Paul also champions international collaboration through the "Harnessing AI in Education" initiative, which empowers innovators in low- and middle-income countries to capitalize on AI's potential in education.

Fernanda Montes de Oca is a professional with extensive experience in the implementation of educational technology. Her academic background includes a Bachelor's Degree in Communication and Digital Media, an MBA from the Tecnológico de Monterrey, and a diploma in Communication in the Digital Age from MIT. Throughout her 9-year career at Google, she has focused on the development of impactful educational projects in Latin America and the Caribbean and has participated as a speaker at international events in more than 10 countries in Latin America. In parallel to her role at Google, she works as a mentor in programs supporting entrepreneurs and students. View her TEDx video & article on education and AI (in Spanish)

Michael Trucano is a Senior Advisor at the AI in Education Observatory, Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Universal Education (CUE) at the Brookings Institution and Co-Chair of the Global Reference Group on Technology in Education at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), exploring issues related to effective and ethical uses of new technologies in education. Current areas of inquiry include the use of generative artificial intelligence in education, and, more broadly, emerging edtech policies, initiatives, and institutions after the pandemic.

Mike is currently on leave from the World Bank, where he worked for 25 years, including serving as the institution's Global Lead for Technology & Innovation in Education for eight years, working on issues at the intersection of technology use and education in middle- and low-income countries and emerging markets around the world and co-led the World Bank EdTech team, which coordinated national efforts to support 'remote learning' during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fernando Reimers is the Ford Foundation Professor of the Practice of International Education and Director of the Global Education Innovation Initiative at Harvard University. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Education and of the International Academy of Education. 

An expert in the field of Global Education, his research and teaching focus on understanding how to educate children and youth so they can thrive in the 21st century. He was a member of UNESCOs Commission on the Futures of Education which wrote the report ‘Reimagining Our Futures Together. A New Social Contract for Education’. He has developed curriculum aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which is in use in many schools throughout the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic he led numerous comparative studies examining the educational consequences of the pandemic and identifying options to sustain educational opportunity and to build back better.