Amber O'Neal Johnston

"The Heritage Mom", Coach, Author & Speaker

Amber O’Neal Johnston is an author, speaker, and worldschooling mama who blends life-giving books and a culturally rich environment for her four children and others seeking to do the same. She recommends we offer children opportunities to see themselves and others reflected in their lessons, especially throughout their books, and she’s known for sharing literary “mirrors and windows” on HeritageMom.com and @heritagemomblog (IG). Amber is also the author of "Soul School: Taking Kids on a Joy-Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture," and "A Place to Belong," a guide for families of all backgrounds to raise kids to celebrate their heritage, community, and the world.

Jamie Grace Collins

Singer, Songwriter, 2x Grammy nominee, Dove Award winner

I write and produce pop music. I love Jesus, my family and tacos. I’m an independent artist from Atlanta. I have Anxiety, Tourette and ADHD almost everything I create is through the lens of finding joy, even when it seems impossible to find. I wrote a book about it all, called Finding Quiet. With a Bachelor’s degree in Child & Youth Development and personal experience fighting the daily battles of being neurodivergent, Jamie Grace has cultivated a safe place for conversations on mental health and emotional wellness, through her music, videos and podcast episodes.

Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville

Special Needs Educational Specialist, HSLDA

Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville is a seasoned educator and homeschool advocate with advanced degrees in Special Education and Psychological and Cultural Studies. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked as a university professor, autism specialist, K–12 resource teacher, and consultant. For the past decade, Rochelle has dedicated her expertise to the homeschool community, serving as a program director, instructor, and assessment liaison. In 2019, she joined the Home School Legal Defense Association as a special needs educational specialist and now leads the team. A mother of six, Rochelle has homeschooled for 11 years and resides with her family in Charles County, Maryland.

Elan Page

Speaker, Podcaster, and Homeschool Expert, Homeschool Our Way

Elan Page, a Dallas native, is dedicated to helping families of color embrace the freedom of homeschooling. Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her husband shifted to homeschooling to provide a personalized education for their daughters. This journey led Elan to create Homeschool Our Way, offering a podcast, online courses, and resources to empower families with confidence and clarity as they navigate homeschooling.

Jennifer Henn

Speaker and Writer, The Homeschooler's Helper & Unite Homeschool

Jennifer Henn has an incredible passion for homeschooling and helping other homeschool families achieve their goals to provide excellent education to their children. She is a prepared, thoughtful, and giving speaker that always makes time to help parents of all types of learners. She has a great wealth of experience and knowledge from educating her three children who have really thrived as adults. Her knowledge of organization, homeschooling preparedness, breadth of subjects, and discipline is of immense value to conferences, events, families, and more!

Dr. Tina Ramsey

CTR Media Network & Melanated Homeschooling Families Support Group

Dr. Tina J. Ramsay is the  CEO of CTR Media Network, CTR CARES INC, a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit, Founder of The Homeschooling Interactive Magazine, and Co-Founder of the Melanated Homeschooling Families Community. Proudly married for 22 years and a devoted mother to two exceptional children.  As a Podcast Media Leader and CEO, her podcast network reaches 350 Million Households worldwide in over 100 Countries with Impactful Content Streaming 24/7, 7 days a week, creating a new standard of Podcasting. We help podcasters, entrepreneurs, and companies grow by diversifying your visibility through Innovative Podcasting and Media Growth Strategies.

Michelle Shaw

Director, Eastside Academic Studies & Northeast Independent Preparatory Academy 

Michelle Shaw is the director of Eastside Academic Studies and the Northeast Independent Preparatory Academy (a homeschool accrediting organization). She taught at Eastside for nine years and has been the director since 2016. She received her B.A. in Economics from Harvard College in 1985 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989. She practiced law in Massachusetts for six years before she chose to focus on homeschooling her five children. Four of her children have graduated from college and the last one is currently attending college. Michelle also serves on the boards of the Georgia Black Home Educators Network and the DeKalb Christian Home Educators.

Thomas Bosley

Academic Counselor, Northeast Independent Preparatory Academy

Thomas Bosley is a married, father of four, and a career civil servant. Together he and his wife, Frances, have homeschooled their four children from K through the 12th grade. During this journey - the Bosley Family has successfully navigated the college admissions process, academic scholarships, study abroad programs, enrollment in graduate studies, as well as life after college.

LaNissir James

High School Educational Specialist & Black Outreach Coordinator, HSLDA

As an HSLDA high school specialist, LaNissir encourages and equips homeschool graduates to transition into colleges, careers, and vocational schools. She earned her BS in journalism from the University of Maryland College Park, is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator certified. LaNissir is wife to Lorenzo and mother of seven beautiful homeschooled children (five girls and two boys).

Dr. Mirthell Mitchell, D.H., M.Div., MS-MFT

Chief Operations Officer, Onyx Family Media & Home Educator

As the Chief Operations Officer of the Onyx Family media empire, writes, directs, and acts in  the Onyx show, vividly bringing the family’s stories to life by depicting their journey from “the struggle life” to “the Onyx life.” As the co-host of The Onyx Life and Onyx Family Podcast, he seeks to inspire families around the world. . With over twenty years of experience as an ordained minister and marriage and family therapist, he brings a wealth of expertise to the family’s value-based brand, Sevonyx, inspiring millions globally. 

Natalie Mack, M. Ed.

High School Educational Specialist & Military Community Outreach Coordinator

Natalie Mack is an author, TEDx speaker, retired therapist, and 23-year military homeschool educator known for her motto, “Let’s Get It Done,” inspiring families to homeschool successfully to college. A retired Navy chaplain’s spouse and mom of five—four college graduates and a 12th grader—Natalie owns Natalie Mack, LLC, offering homeschool consultations and speaking services. She also leads the nonprofit Military Homeschoolers Association and hosts the Base2Base Military Homeschooling podcast. Natalie is the Military Community Outreach Coordinator for HSLDA and author of 101 Tips for Homeschoolers.

Cindy Lumpkin

Master Special Education Teacher & Founder of Triumph in Life

Cindy Lumpkin, a master special education teacher, advocate, and author, founded Triumph in Life, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to quality education for individuals with learning differences. Her passion stems from her personal experience with dyslexia. Despite a challenging start, Cindy, with the support of her mother and a dedicated teacher, learned to overcome many of dyslexia's effects.

Yesuto Shaw

Tech Product Manager, Entrepreneur & Homeschool Alumni

Yesuto Shaw, a homeschool alumnus and Dartmouth graduate in Psychology, is a Product Manager at LinkedIn. With experience in strategy consulting, business analytics, and an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg, he now resides in San Francisco with his wife and two cats. An avid movie watcher, salsa dancer, and civic leader, he has served as president of alumni and student organizations and mentors young professionals pursuing careers in consulting, analytics, tech, or business.

Tamara Henderson

Owner, Enchanted Immersive Zoological Center, US Marine, Firefighter, & Homeschool Alumni

Tamara Tashay is a U.S. Marine, Firefighter, EMT, scuba diver, and adventurer who lives with over 25 exotic animals. Her love for wildlife inspired her to create the Enchanted Immersive Zoological Center, offering interactive animal education for all ages. Her programs explore the habitat, diet, care, and handling of exotic animals, including reptiles, marsupials, arthropods, mammals, and modern-day dinosaurs.

Najah Drake

Author, Speaker, Host of Spark Your Blaze

Najah Drakes is a Work-Life Balance Strategist, Personal Development Coach, and Self Care Expert at Spark Coaching and Consulting. As a burnout survivor, she helps ambitious professionals achieve success beyond their resumes by taking back control of their calendar, time, and peace. She empowers leaders to purposefully achieve success in their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health while balancing their professional success. Najah holds a bachelor's degree from Spelman College and a Master of Arts degree with Distinction from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. She is currently pursuing her M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University.

Ashley Causey-Golden

Creator of Afrocentric Montessori and co-founder of Gather Forest School

Ashley Causey-Golden, co-founder of Gather Forest School and creator of Afrocentric Montessori. Ashley has been teaching children since she was 18 years old. She has a bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education from Winthrop University and a master's from Columbia University in Sociology and Education Policy. She has been a lead teacher in traditional learning spaces (public and charter), progressive learning spaces (Reggio Emilia and Montessori), and African-centered learning environments during her 14 years of teaching early childhood.

Shanna Smith

STEAM Instructor, Homeschooling mom of three

Shanna Smith, founder of the Empowerment Zone Collective (EZC), is a dynamic technology professional and passionate advocate for equitable education. Shanna holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology from the University of Alabama.  Shanna has formed, coached, and mentored teams at all levels of FIRST Robotics, including helping to start Georgia’s first all-girls FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team, which advanced to the World Championship in their rookie year. Her work in robotics reflects her commitment to empowering young women and underrepresented groups to excel in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) fields.

Vickie Keyes

Certified Life Coach, Author/Speaker, STEAM Coach

Vicki Keyes, a former homeschooler and experienced STEM teacher in biological sciences, brings a wealth of knowledge to her workshops in resilience and emotional literacy. As a founding member of two Fayette County schools, she has been instrumental in shaping innovative educational programs. Currently, she operates her own LLC, specializing in life and educational coaching, training and empowering students to achieve their personal and academic goals. This training workshop leverages her expertise to provide practical strategies and insights for homeschoolers, educators, and students. Attendees will gain valuable tools and life skills for personal development and success in building resilience!.