Rebecca Winthrop
Opening session - Thursday, 16 July
Rebecca Winthrop is a globally recognized leader in education, and is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Her work focuses on ensuring all young people, especially the most marginalized, develop the skills they need to thrive in work, life, and as engaged citizens. She leads innovative research on transforming education systems, including the role of families, communities, and emerging technologies in accelerating student agency, engagement and learning.
Winthrop currently leads the Brookings Global Task Force on AI in Education and has co-authored a book on student engagement, The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better. A trusted adviser to governments, schools, parent networks, international institutions, foundations, and companies, her expertise has informed efforts at the United Nations, the White House, State and school district leaders, and Fortune 500 firms. Prior to Brookings, she spent 15 years working on education for displaced and conflict-affected communities, including as head of education for the International Rescue Committee.
Jal Mehta
Closing session - Saturday, 18 July
Jal Mehta is a tenured professor of education and faculty co-chair, Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. A sociologist by training, his work focuses on how to remake the industrial-era school system into a modern learning organization that creates passion and purpose for both students and adults.
He is the co-author with Sarah Fine, of In Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to Remake the American High School (Harvard University Press, 2019), a contemporary study of schools, systems, and nations seeking to produce powerful teaching and learning. He is also the co-director of the Deeper Learning Dozen, a network of 12 districts across the United States and Canada who are transforming their systems to support deep and equitable learning for all students. His latest book, A Chance to Solve Their Own Problems, will be released in August 2026. Jal received his Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy from Harvard University.
Expert Keynote Panel Speakers
Friday, 17 July
Ketty Dones
Panelist
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme alumna, Ketty Dones, has built her career at the intersection of artificial intelligence, public service, and social impact. Since completing the IB Programme in 2020, AI has been a constant thread through her evolution from student to strategist, shaping how she thinks critically, collaborates meaningfully, and drives change.
Ketty holds dual master's degrees from the University of Central Florida in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. In her current role as a Community AI Strategist with the Applied AI Innovation Initiative, she works at the forefront of responsible innovation, identifying ethical, sustainable AI solutions tailored to the unique needs of nonprofits, education, and public sector organizations.
Her work is grounded in the belief that AI should serve communities and that communities deserve access to the tools and literacy to lead in an AI-powered world.
Dr Marsha Maxwell
Panelist
Dr. Marsha Maxwell is an innovation and education leader whose work sits at the intersection of AI, learning science, global education, and equity. As Head of Innovation, Research, and Technology at Atlanta International School, she leads strategic initiatives that connect IB learning, emerging technologies, and real-world partnerships. She leads the Google Educator Group IB Global, a cross-regional community advancing AI and data-informed practice across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. With a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience from Caltech and more than 25 years of experience in education and technology leadership, Dr. Maxwell designs learning ecosystems that prepare students to think critically, act ethically, and shape the future. Her work centers on expanding opportunity, strengthening educator capacity, and building bridges between schools, industry, and underserved communities worldwide.
Dr Yuhyun Park
Panelist
Dr Yuhyun Park, founder of the DQ Institute, is a leading global expert in AI-digital literacy, ethics, and the digital economy. She created the Digital Intelligence (DQ) Framework (IEEE 3527.1™), the global standard for digital literacy adopted in 100+ countries, and developed the Child Online Safety Index and #DQEveryChild initiative, impacting millions worldwide. A pioneer in Digital-ESG Standards, she co-founded the Cross Economy framework with NTU Singapore. An advisor to the World Economic Forum, G20, national governments, and global tech platforms, Dr Park is a WEF Young Global Leader, Ashoka Fellow, Eisenhower Fellow, and Harvard Ph.D.
Loic Tallon
Facilitator
As Chief Digital Officer (CDO), Loic drives the strategy, delivery and outcomes of the IB’s technology portfolio. Loic took a leading role in developing the IB’s Technology Playbook and is implementing the organization’s new technology operating model. Prior to becoming CDO in September 2024, Loic served as the IB’s Director of Digital Transformation.
Loic brings more than 20 years of experience as a digital leader, helping social sector organizations leverage digital to transform and scale their impact. He previously was the Chief Digital Officer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and has consulted on digital strategy for institutions across Europe, North America and the Middle East, both for his own firm and as an associate partner with McKinsey & Company. Loic holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nottingham and a Master of Arts from the Courtauld Institute of Art.
