Dr. Nicol Russell is the daughter of a Kanaka ʻŌiwi wahine and an Alabama-born and raised Black man. Nicol’s parents raised six children in rural Waiʻanae, Hawaiʻi and taught her that ʻohana and aloha are the ties that bond Kanaka ʻŌiwi, always, to one another and to Hawaiʻi. Nicol is a mother to two children: a son, Nainoa, who passed as an infant, and a daughter, Makena Hōkūleʻa, a kind, loving, brilliant human being who teaches Nicol everyday how to stay curious about the world and joyous about life. Nicol is currently the Chief Academic Officer at Teaching Strategies. She began her career as a teacher and went on to be a childcare center director, a professional development coordinator, a state director of special education, a state deputy superintendent of early childhood education, and an educational researcher. In all of her work, Nicol tries her best to “choose the margins”—a phrase learned from Linda Tuhiwai Smith—and be a voice for Indigenous, Black, and other children of color who are often excluded, neglected, or otherwise overlooked. Nicol has a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership, a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education.

Dr. Iris Chin Ponte (she/her) is Director and Classroom Teacher at the Henry Frost Children’s Program in Belmont, MA. Dr. Ponte has studied multiple early education approaches including, the Reggio Emilia Approach, the Montessori Method, as well as the Eliot-Pearson Developmental Approach. As a former Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Ponte has expertise in cross-cultural issues in education. She has taught and conducted extensive school research in the United States, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, China, Japan, and Newfoundland. She has published in the areas of children and technology, behavior management, children’s play, and heritage trips for adoptees in China. Her most recent co-authored books include: From Survive to Thrive: A Director’s Guide for Leading an Early Childhood Program and Complementary Curriculum Approach: Transform Your Practice Through Intentional Teaching. Dr. Ponte has also received various scholarship and fellowship recognitions from the Children’s Defense Fund, the Watson IBM Fellowship, CBS, and the American Educational Research Association.

Sim Loh is a Public Policy Specialist at First Up, where she informs system and policy change in early childhood education by empowering educators and families, particularly those from immigrant and AANHPI communities. She previously served as a Family Partnership Coordinator at a NAEYC-accredited, Keystone 4-STAR program, supporting diverse families through trauma-informed, strengths-based practices. Deeply committed to equity, Sim serves on regional and national committees, amplifying underrepresented voices to advance inclusion and opportunity for children, families, and the early childhood education profession.