Our Partners Get updates Nominate a Great Teacher

Summit 2025: Save the Date

 
 
 

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Atlanta, GA

Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University

Stay in touch for more details about the 2025 summit

And check out all of our featured content from our 2024 Summit below!

 

Watch the 2024 Summit Below!

 
 
 
 

Explore more! Check out all the information about the 2024 Summit in Houston below.

 
 

PAST SPEAKERS AND SPECIAL GUESTS (2024 Summit)

 
 

Alli Walker

Alli Walker is a country singer/songwriter celebrated for her unyielding work ethic. Balancing her music career with a successful stint as a commercial and print model, she has collaborated with renowned brands such as Nike and Google. The pandemic thrust her into TikTok stardom, influencing her second album, Growing Up, debuting at No. 6 on iTunes Country charts. Her fusion of her own bagpipes in the viral Country sea shanty "The Whiskey's Gone" garnered widespread attention with major playlist covers and features in acclaimed media such as CMT, Spotify and BBC Radio 2. The song has accumulated over 10 million views and 1.3 million streams since its release earlier this year. Walker’s latest single “Hung Up” has been featured on Spotify, Amazon, Tidal, SiriusXM and CMT. Currently immersed in Nashville, Walker is gearing up for her next album produced by David Fanning and set to embark on global tour dates from Berlin to Vancouver.

 

Brittany Bonnaffons

Brittany Bonnaffons teaches ninth-grade Algebra 1 at Hahnville High School in Luling, Louisiana. She graduated from Louisiana Scholars’ College at Northwestern StateUniversity, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration. She went on to earn a Master of Science in business administration from Louisiana State University, a Master of Science in exercise science from the University of Louisiana Monroe, as well as a Master of Arts in teaching from Northwestern University. Students entering her Intensive Algebra class had scored unsatisfactorily on their middle school LEAP tests. Under her direction, 63% of Bonnaffons’ students who were not on track to pass the LEAP and 93% of her remaining learners passed the Algebra 1 LEAP 2025, defying all odds. Bonnaffons’ mission is to connect students to someone who has the answers they need. She believes math teaches students perseverance, reasoning and problem-solving skills, while the community makes connections. With that, Bonnaffons works to connect students both inside and outside the classroom walls to others who are successful to help students become the best versions of themselves. In 2018, Bonnaffons became the head coach for the track team. Since that time, the team has captured four district team championships, was regional runner-up twice and produced more than 50 individual district medalists, more than 30 individual regional medalists and more than 10 state medalists. Bonnaffons collaborates with the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference track and field championships and gives athletes the chance to see collegiate opportunities.

 
 
 

Carl Lewis

As an Olympic athlete, Carl Lewis was part of five American Olympic Teams, winning 10 medals, nine of them gold. With unsurpassed talent in the long jump and his speed in the sprints, he has gone places where no other track and field athlete has ever visited. His five Olympic appearances are a record for a male athlete, and many of his Olympic performances were in world or Olympic record time. His impressive track and field performances earned him the title of “Athlete of the Century” His 65 consecutive victories in the long jump achieved over a span of 10 years is one of the sport's longest undefeated streaks. Over the course of his athletics career, Carl set world records in the 100 m, 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m relays, while his world record in the indoor long jump has stood since 1984. His accomplishments have led to numerous accolades, including being voted "World Athlete of the Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federations and "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee, "Olympian of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Athlete of the Year" by Track & Field News in 1982, 1983, and 1984. An activist for family, youth, education, wellness and fitness, Carl Lewis brings his international celebrity to attract awareness for the challenges and opportunities surrounding these issues around the world. Since his retirement from active competition in 1997, Carl Lewis has devoted a great deal of his time and energy to charity, founding “The Carl Lewis Foundation,” which serves as an umbrella for the many charities that Lewis supports including the “Best Buddies” organization, The Wendy Marx Foundation (for organ donor awareness), Ronald McDonald House Charities and many youth fitness groups. Carl is also a United Nations Ambassador for the Food and Agricultural Organization and a coach at the University of Houston.

 
 
 

Cary Wright

As Chief Executive Officer, Cary is responsible for the organization’s vision and long-term strategy. He leads the nonprofit in working with school and community partners to improve public school education in Houston with a focus on equitable student outcomes. Cary brings nearly 15 years of experience in public education and public affairs. He began his career as a public school elementary teacher, and has held various positions at Teach For America, including as Executive Director of the Dallas-Fort Worth region. He served as the Press Secretary for U.S. Congressman William “Mac” Thornberry in Washington, D.C. and most recently served as Chief External Affairs Officer for Good Reason Houston, where his responsibilities included communications, policy, and advancement. Cary earned a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College. He is a graduate of Texas public schools and is proud to call Houston home.

 
 
 

Chris Massey

A native Houstonian and a graduate of Louisiana State University, Chris has been with the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority since 2011. As Vice President, he oversees HCHSA's business and economic development and the organization's marketing and PR departments. During his tenure, he has helped secure some of the largest and most prestigious sporting events for Houston and Harris County, including the College Football Playoffs, NCAA Men's Final Four, AAU Junior Olympics, and multiple world championships. In 2019, Chris co-founded the National Battle of the Bands, which brings eight historically black colleges and university marching bands to NRG Stadium each year to perform in front of tens of thousands of spectators. (www.nationalbattleofthebands.com) In its first four years alone, the event has given out over $1,000,000 in scholarship money and underwritten over 12,000 tickets for underserved and deserving area youth to attend. When the sports tourism industry nearly came to a halt during the pandemic, Chris and his team pivoted to continue marketing Houston as a great place to host sporting events. While quarantined, his division helped create a weekly streamed talk show with sports celebrities doing Zoom interviews from their homes, a virtual 5K AnyWay with the Texas Medical Center that went global to include registrants from 36 countries, and an appreciation video to thank the thousands of volunteers who annually help us host out-of-town visitors. As a result, HCHSA's digital engagement spiked by over 150%, but most importantly, the organization was able to retain and redeploy all of its employees throughout the lockdown in meaningful ways. As a result, HCHSA was named a "2020 Best Employer" by Front Office Sports. Chris enjoys giving back to the community and the sports industry by volunteering on several boards and committees. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Crime Stoppers of Houston Board of Directors; he co-founded and directed the Rotary Lombardi Award Executive Committee and is an active member of the national "Sports ETA" (Sports Events and Tourism Association). In 2015, he was voted on by national peer organizations and recognized with Sports ETA's Game Changer of the Year Award for his invaluable contributions to the industry. Under his leadership, HCHSA was also awarded the Sports Commission of the Year in 2014 and 2017 by the National Association of Sports Commissions. As President of the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship Local Organizing Committee, Chris serves a board of directors comprised of industry and civic leaders to plan and host college football's most prestigious event at NRG Stadium. Tasked with fundraising over $15 million and executing a city-wide mega event, he leads dozens of event professionals and hundreds of volunteers in putting on the 2024 Championship and all its fan, media, and sponsor activities. With a $2 million legacy program centered around teachers and education as well as a projected (direct) economic impact in excess of $150 million to the Greater Houston Area, the 2024 CFP will certainly leave its mark on the community.

 
 
 

Damon West

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker and 3 x Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His bestselling business book, The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change, was listed by Forbes’ in the “Top Twenty Books You Need to Read to Crush 2020.” His autobiography, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, vividly tells how he transformed the pot of boiling water that is a Texas maximum-security prison into a pot of coffee. At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury. He turned to hardcore drugs to cope with disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit. After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today. The Coffee Bean message has inspired thousands. Damon’s clients include hundreds of companies, such as Walmart, State Farm, Wendy’s, Stryker, and sports teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Timberwolves, Clemson, Alabama and Georgia. The U.S. Army has even incorporated the #BeACoffeeBean mindset into their resilience training. Damon’s story has been featured both nationally and globally. He is passionate about the Coffee Bean message and loves sharing how it changed his life and how it can change yours, too. His Wall Street Journal bestselling book, The Locker Room: How Great Teams Heal Hurt, Overcome Adversity and Build Unity, is being optioned for film adaptation. His children’s book, The Coffee Bean for Kids, is the genesis for Coffee Bean Clubs being started by students at schools all over America. Today, Damon lives a life of recovery and service, sharing his story all over the world. Of all the hats Damon wears, however, the two most important to him are being a husband to Kendell and a stepfather to Clara.

 
 

Holly Rowe

Holly Rowe celebrates more than 20 years as one of ESPN’s most versatile commentators. Covering a wide variety sports for ESPN, Rowe joined the network full time in August 1998 after appearing on select ESPN telecasts in 1997 and ABC Sports in 1995-96. Rowe is a reporter on a number of high profile events and programming – ABC Saturday Night Football, Big Monday men’s college basketball, NCAA Women’s Final Four, NCAA Women’s College World Series, NCAA indoor and beach volleyball national championships and the WNBA.

Rowe has also provided play-by-play commentary for women’s college basketball, softball, volleyball and gymnastics., as well as covering soccer, swimming, track & field and the Little League World Series of baseball and softball for ESPN.

Rowe won the 2022 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Reporter and was the 2022 recipient of the Mel Greenberg National Media Award from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). A soon-to-be-minted hall of famer, Rowe was recently named the 2023 Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award Winner for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2021, Rowe made Utah Jazz history as the team’s first female color commentator in a game against the Sacramento Kings.

Rowe has also provided play-by-play for women’s college basketball and women’s college volleyball for Fox Sports from 1993-2003. She was one of four play-by-play announcers on ESPN’s coverage of the 1998 Women’s World Cup, and has hosted ESPN’s coverage of the Running of the Bulls.  She was also the analyst for the WNBA’s Utah Starzz until the franchise moved to San Antonio. Rowe served as the play-by-play voice for BYU women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics from 1993-2009 and as a BYU and Air Force football sideline reporter for the Blue and White Sports Network from 1993-97.

 
 
 

JJ Moses

JJ Moses is an Author, Speaker, and former NFL Athlete. As an NFL athlete he played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, and the Houston Texans― JJ’s story was so inspirational that it was featured on Oprah’s Lifeclass and it also solidified him as one of the most sought-after speakers in the business and sports arenas.

In addition to presenting to Fortune 500 companies and schools all over the country, JJ contributed as an on-air personality for one of America’s largest inspirational radio stations. For over 20 years, JJ has been involved with the NFL, where he went from a player to the front office of the Houston Texans, serving as their Director of Player Development before working with the league to help equip former athletes for post-NFL life. In 2020, JJ was recognized by the NFL for having the #1 professional and personal development program in the entire league. In October 2021, JJ was awarded the first-ever key to his hometown city in Iowa. JJ’s new book entitled, Focused: The Prepare to Win Mindset has been ranked #1 in new releases in the Business & Professional growth category on Amazon several times.

 
 
 

Joaquin Zihuatanejo

Joaquin Zihuatanejo is a poet, spoken word artist, and award-winning teacher. Born and raised in the barrio of East Dallas, in his work Joaquín strives to capture the duality of the Chicano culture. Sometimes brutal, but always honest his work depicts the essence of barrio life, writing about a youth that existed somewhere between the streets of the barrio and the dream wanderings of a boy who found refuge in a world of stories and poems. Joaquin is a poet who is a uniquely inspiring and articulate teacher that energizes students and adults to discover their voices and share their stories. He’s been called, “one of the most dynamic and passionate performance poets in the country, melding equal parts comedy, poetry, and dramatic monologue into a crowd-pleasing display of verbal fireworks… always thrilling, Joaquín’s hilariously manic presentation is full of compassion and nuance, never sacrificing substance for style.” Joaquin was a National Poetry Slam Finalist, a Grand Slam Spoken Word Champion, and HBO Def Poet, performing at universities, conferences, and poetry slams all over North America and Europe. Even with all of this, he’s still essentially a man with two passions in his life: his wife, Aída, and poetry, always in that order. Joaquin has taken a break from his teaching position to tour North America and Europe teaching workshops and performing his one-man spoken word show at hundreds of colleges, universities, conferences, and poetry slams.

 
 
 

Kameron Keller

My name is Kameron Keller, "Kam" for short and I am a Junior at Alief Taylor High School. I'm 17 years old and originally from Louisiana, but I've lived in Houston for most of my life. I'm very involved with my school and currently, I'm the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) State President and Area 4 President. I have participated in TAFE since my freshman year.

I've been involved in fundraisers, community service events, and staff appreciation with the TAFE club at my school. I'm currently in the Education and training pathway, where I intern at Hick's elementary. Teaching in a classroom of my own has always been my dream. More importantly, I want to teach in a classroom where I can make an impact on urban education. I want to impact the future African American teachers. I'm excited to take teaching to the next level and leave my mark on urban education.

 
 
 

Michael Ida

Michael Ida has taught mathematics and computer science at Kalani High School in Honolulu, Hawai‘i for the past 26 years, where he has served as mathematics department chairperson, Academic Review Team member and club advisor. Ida is a lifelong learner who strives to serve the needs and interests of students first and foremost. Having spearheaded the creation of the computer science program at Kalani High, he continues to expand his teaching practice to prepare students to be 21st century leaders and innovators. Serving on the leadership teams of the Hawai‘i Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Hawai‘i chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association and the Hawai‘i National Board-Certified Teachers Collective, as well as an Advanced Placement calculus exam reader and Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation visiting team member, Ida embraces servant leadership as a core professional and personal value. As a Hawai‘i State Teacher Fellow alumnus and Hawai‘i Teacher Leader Academy cohort member, Ida seeks to uplift all teachers in the work that they do and support them as leaders and agents of change. Ida has a Bachelor of Science in physics and applied mathematics from the California Institute of Technology, a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in applied mathematics from Northwestern University, and a Master of Education in secondary education from Boston College. He is certified in secondary mathematics, computer science and physics and has been a National Board-Certified Teacher in adolescent/young adulthood mathematics since 2004.

 
 
 

Rachel Lindsey

Rachel Lindsey is an attorney, media personality, guest host, speaker, and podcaster. Currently, Rachel Lindsey is the host of The Ringer's Higher Learning With Van Lathan podcast, and the host of the Morally Corrupt Podcast. She was the first African-American lead in the franchise’s history on the thirteenth season of ABC's The Bachelorette and was a contestant on the twenty-first season of ABC’s The Bachelor. She recently wrote a collection of essays titled, Miss Me With That: Hot Takes, Helpful Tidbits, and a Few Hard Truths and also made her fiction debut with the novel Real Love. Additionally, she worked as a host of ESPN Radio's Game Night, guest host for ESPN’s flagship show, First Take, SportsCenter, and ESPN’s social media channels such as Twitter and Instagram. She worked as a guest host for NFL Network on digital media platforms and on the red carpet. She co-hosted ESPN Radio’s Football Frenzy and GTL and the NFL’s Amazon Prime show, The Drive. She also worked as a guest host for The View, Access Live and was a frequent contributor to The Steve Harvey Show as well as Strahan & Sara. She worked as a collegiate basketball sideline reporter for Conference USA and Stadium. Prior to sideline reporting, she worked for the Milwaukee Bucks, Inc., the National Basketball Association, the National Sports Law Institute, Rice University Compliance Department, The University of Texas at Austin’s Media Relations Department, and Capital Sports and Entertainment. She made appearances on numerous television networks and contributed to sports television and radio shows, including: CNN, HLN, ABC, ESPN, NBC, LHN, E! News, Bravo, Strahan & Sara, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, The View, The Real, SC6, Wendy Williams Show, Tom Joyner Morning Show, Sister Circle (TV One), DirectTV Fantasy Zone, ExtraTV, Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Ryan, Ryan Seacrest Morning Show, The Steve Harvey Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Ellen Show, Dateline, Good Morning Texas, and many more. She obtained her undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin in sports management, then went on to receive her law degree from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee with a concentration in sports law. She began work at the prestigious law firm, Cooper & Scully, P.C. in Dallas and represented clients in a broad variety of litigation matters in state and federal court including: local government law, personal injury, employment, sports/entertainment, and insurance defense. Outside of legal practice and broadcasting, Rachel Lindsey is an ambassador for the College Football Playoff Foundation and Project Angel Food. Rachel Lindsey is an avid sports fan; enjoys music, dancing, exercising, reading, and spending time with her family, dogs Copper and Brownie and husband Bryan. She currently resides in Los Angeles and spends time in both Los Angeles and Dallas.

 
 
 

Rebecka Peterson

Rebecka Peterson, the 2023 National Teacher of the Year, is a math teacher who loves stories. Rebecka has taught high school math classes ranging from intermediate algebra to Advanced Placement calculus, for 11 years at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Amid a difficult first year of high school teaching, she found the “One Good Thing” blog. She credits daily posting there to helping her recognize the beautiful and positive experiences occurring in her classroom, which inspired her to stay in the profession. She has since contributed 1,400 posts to the blog. As Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, she has visited teachers across the state to highlight their important work through the Teachers of Oklahoma campaign. As National Teacher of the Year, Rebecka plans to use her platform to highlight teachers’ stories of the good that’s happening in education. Teaching is a profession that affords creativity, autonomy and purpose, and Rebecka believes that highlighting the stories of joy happening in classrooms across the country will help encourage current teachers and attract new educators to the profession. Rebecka is a proud immigrant of Swedish-Iranian descent and lived in several countries around the world as her parents traveled as medical missionaries. Her own experience with supportive teachers who celebrated her diversity and math abilities informs Rebecka’s efforts to create a supportive and accessible classroom for students. She values listening to students’ stories as a way to better understand them and elevate their voice. Before joining the faculty at Union High School, Rebecka taught for three years at the collegiate level. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of South Dakota. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband, Brett, and son, Jonas, and she enjoys reading, crafting and playing board games.

 

Tamir Harper

Tamir Harper, is a Southwest Philadelphia native and a proud product of the School District of Philadelphia. Harper believes that teaching is social justice work, teaching is political and that teaching is a form of disruption. At 16 years old, Tamir co-founded UrbEd Inc., a nonprofit that combines community organizing and policy to uplift students, educate communities, and develop coalitions to give students the education they deserve. During his tenure as founding executive director, Harper led the organization to disband the state-taken-over school board, fundraised hundreds of thousands of dollars, and developed the organization to be the go-to student-led education advocacy organization. Harper's work has given him the honor to share his message with GMA 3, ABC News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and a host of other media outlets. He has also been able to meet with a host of students, share the stage with First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Harris, a number of school leaders, and the former Secretary of Education John King, Jr., He is currently pursuing a Master's in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and teaching 8th-grade students english and social studies in the School District of Philadelphia. Harper is a graduate of American University and an awardee of the Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program.

 

Valeria Puildo

Valeria Puildo is a 10th-grade IB English teacher at Cesar Chavez High School in Houston, Texas. She currently holds the position of team leader at her campus. In her first three years of teaching, she was department chair and team lead at Ortiz Middle School in Houston, Texas. Her experience encompasses creating IB curricula that strengthen teacher-student relationships while exploring the world through multiple lenses. She believes that who she is as a person, teacher, and friend coincides with creating a comfortable and safe environment for anyone to be their authentic self while feeling empowered and validated. In 2021-2022 she was selected to participate in The New York Times Learning Network Fellowship to create a curriculum that embodied current events and identity. The following summer of 2022, she was honored to participate in the Latinos for Education Teacher Fellowship to embrace and push Latinidad to greatness. Valeria earned her BS in Interdisciplinary Studies and an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University, College Station.

 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • When do I arrive? Doors open at 2:15 PM. Program starts promptly at 3:00 PM.

  • Where do I park? Parking is limited. We strongly recommend carpooling. See Wortham Theatre Center website for details.

  • What is the attire? Casual!

  • Will food be provided? Drinks and light bites will be served at the reception.

About the Extra Yard for Teachers Summit Event

  • The College Football Playoff Foundation hosts the annual Extra Yard for Teachers Summit on Saturday, January 6th at the Wortham Theatre in downtown Houston. The high-energy and inspirational event inspires and empowers teachers each year in the city that hosts the College Football Playoff National Championship.

  • Past speakers and supporters have included Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Condoleezza Rice, former US Secretary of State; Michelle Obama, Former First Lady, Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org; Desmond Howard, College Football ESPN Analyst, Leon Bridges and Lauren Daigle, Grammy Award-winning artists, Eddie B, a former teacher turned comedian, and many more.

  • Educators are invited to attend in person for free or register for a virtual all-access pass.

 
 
 
 

In 2024, The College Football Playoff Foundation is headed to Houston.
Join us to support teachers! 

Apple_Stress Balls.jpg