Kerry McDonald works at the intersection of education and enterprise, spotlighting the entrepreneurs who are building joyful learning models across the U.S. She is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education, where she leads the Education Entrepreneurship Lab and hosts the LiberatED podcast. She is also the Velinda Jonson Family Education Fellow at State Policy Network, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and a regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74. The bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), Kerry’s latest book is Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (PublicAffairs, 2025). She has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and a Master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In April 2021, Frederick Heid was unanimously selected by the Polk County School Board to become the new superintendent of Polk County Public Schools.

He oversees one of the 30 largest school districts in the United States and the seventh-largest in Florida — serving more than 117,000 students.

The district most recently improved to a “B” grade from the Florida Department of Education.

PCPS students continue to make strong academic gains in many key subject areas, including reading, math, science, and social studies. As a result, school grades have been increasing significantly over the past three years!

Prior to arriving in Polk County, Mr. Heid was the Superintendent of District 300 in Algonquin, IL.

His extensive background in education also includes years spent as a classroom teacher and middle school principal. In addition, he has worked as the Bureau Chief for School Improvement with the Florida Department of Education, as well as Chief Academic Officer for Duval County Public Schools.

As superintendent of Polk County Public Schools, Mr. Heid has been spearheading major changes to the local school system.

He has increased measures to keep campuses safer and implemented the district’s one-to-one initiative, which provides a laptop or tablet to every PCPS student.

The district has nearly 30 certified or model career academies and has begun to expand high-interest academies and programs to increase accessibility, including an expansion of the Central Florida Aerospace Academy and a new air traffic control program.

Johnny Outing is an ordained minister and Community School Director for Orange County Public Schools Community School initiatives. He has intentionally served both the local Church and public education spaces for 13 years. He brings extensive experience in children’s advocacy, curriculum writing, Holistic education instruction, and preaching. He currently serves on the board of Otem Collective, a nonprofit organization that conducts family reunification work in Uganda, and is a volunteer chaplain at the 33rd Street Orlando Correctional Facility. In his free time, he enjoys making art with his children, playing basketball, and watching new shows with his lovely wife, Alicia Outing. 

Born and raised in Lakeland, Mitchell is a husband, dad to the wildest two-year-old boy, and the Executive Director of FOR Lakeland. He also serves as the Community Liaison Pastor at Somos Church. Mitchell is passionate about helping students unlock their potential to grow—creating space for miracles to happen when they feel seen, heard, and supported.

From 2002 through 2004 Pastors Jose and Ampy Suarez and their three children (Jessica, Katherine, and Deanna) fed and ministered weekly through the streets of Pasco County to over 200 homeless persons after work hours and on the weekends.  Through this time they became personally aware of the long-term effects of growing up without Christ or hope.  This resulted in God’s prompting in 2004 to establish HOPE Youth Ranch, as a Christian, residential counseling center for abused teens in Pasco County.  Its goal is to turn the cycle of homelessness and abuse through a practical knowledge of Jesus Christ.  To practically transform lives and restore families through Jesus Christ.

Now in its 15 year of operation, the residential counseling program has evolved into multiple Christian school campuses across Pasco County, continuing the legacy of helping and healing; providing K through 12 education and transitional living training to children with autism and other learning disabilities.

Born in Cuba, Ampy Suarez emigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1967, settling in the Miami area. Early on, Ampy knew she wanted to work with abused children but it wasn’t until her then 8-year-old daughter brought home a friend from school who was in an abusive situation that her call to work with abused children came to fruition.

Ampy is a licensed minister and as the director of educational services at HOPE Youth Ranch, she works with children who have known much heartache. Yet she feels fortunate to do so. “I couldn’t think of doing anything else with my life.”

Rev Jose Suarez is a graduate from the University of Texas, has over 20 years of management experience in the national and international field, is an international speaker and teacher, has a background in applied statistics and business management, is ordained by Nations Network of Ministers International, Inc. where he serves as President of this international ministerial organization, is trained in Active Shooter prevention and mitigation tactics, is a certified instructor of Active Shooter Solo Engagement tactics, and is certified by Pasco County Sheriff and serves as Director of School Security for HOPE Ranch Learning Academy.

Tiffany Thenor is the CEO and co-founder of WonderHere and co-creator of The WonderHere Method—a proven, child-centered approach to project-based learning. A former educator turned education innovator, Tiffany stepped out of the traditional classroom to explore bold, creative models for how children learn best.

Today, she leads the WonderHere ecosystem—including its nonprofit arm, WonderHere Education Foundation; its publishing branch, WonderHere Press; and its growing network of WonderHere Groups, small-scale school models rooted in joy, connection, and curiosity. Tiffany spearheads development, partnerships, and strategic vision—advancing a movement to bring meaningful, wonder-filled learning to all children.