Vanessa Vakharia

Known as the Lady Gaga of math education, Vanessa Vakharia is the founder and director of The Math Guru, a super cool boutique math & science tutoring studio in Toronto that's changing stereotypes about what math education looks like. She is also the host of the Math Therapy podcast, author of the Math Hacks Scholastic book series, author of the NEW bestselling book Math Therapy, and lead singer/keytarist for rock band Goodnight Sunrise. She has her Bachelor of Commerce, Teaching Degree, and Masters of Math Education. She appears regularly on national television and news outlets as an expert in math education and math positivity, and her #goals are to be Oprah-level-famous and to totally change math culture so that STEM is finally as cool as every single Taylor Swift song ever written. She failed Grade 11 math twice, which was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Sponsored by:

Dr. Charles Bowman

Dr. Bowman is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and a background as a high school and college mathematics educator. His lived experience as an underrepresented Black male in education shapes his commitment to challenging stereotypes and fostering inclusive classroom environments that highlight the brilliance of all students. Believing in the transformative power of culturally relevant teaching, he bridges gaps in education while empowering marginalized communities. Additionally, he is the author of The Adventures of Charlie, a children’s book series inspired by his own life, addressing topics such as labels, confidence, role models, and aspirations. Through his books, Dr. Bowman aims to inspire and guide children, particularly those lacking advocates, by providing empowering and culturally relevant reading material during their formative years.

Sponsored by:

Zarek Drozda 

Math for 2040: Data Science, AI, and the Next Thing

What should math education look like in 2030? Or 2040? What does AI have to do with math class? What does a Zettabyte of data look like? The world is changing fast, and math educators are uniquely positioned to help students navigate it. Together we’ll dive into the fast-changing technology landscape, explore the universe of digital data, unpack work in other states to modernize content standards, and answer the most important question: what’s math got to do with it? Come learn how to change up your math classroom with a little bit of data-driven fun, Freakonomics-style.

Dr. Courtney Koestler

Dr. Courtney Koestler is the director of the OHIO Center for Equity in Mathematics and Science and an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education in the Patton College of Education at Ohio University. Courtney is a proud, former public school teacher and served as a classroom teacher (grades 2, 4, 5, 7, 8) and a K-5 instructional coach in culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse communities. Courtney has been recognized for teaching, research, and outreach work that center on diversity, equity, and justice and has a number of publications including books for teachers and teacher educators and a series of children’s books that focus on connecting mathematics to critical issues in the real world.