Speakers

Meet the Speakers

Re-Imagine Education Expo 2022
Saturday, June 25, 2022
8:00am – 4:00pm

Katherine Karli

The HUB Austin

Brenda Laurant

Reach for Success

Marisa Pullan

Embark Learning Center

Teri Sperry

Alt Ed Austin /
Educational Consultant

Mary James

Texas Homeschool Coalition

Sue Patterson

Unschooling Mom2Mom

Rachel Hall

Ladders for Leaders

Shaun Fernando

Austin Community College

Anita Wilson

BDI Leadership Network

Greg Keller

Clearview Sudbury

Katherine Karli

Co-Founder / Homeschool Mom of 3
The HUB Austin

The H.U.B. Austin is the brainchild of brain trainer Brenda Laurent from Reach for Success and Kat Karli, a homeschool mama of 3. We are a mother/daughter team whose goal is to serve the North Austin area homeschooling community by empowering parents with the skills and tools they need to help their children learn efficiently and effectively.

The H.U.B. offers an academic and brain training based co-op program for kinder-primary aged children. We also offer private sessions for biofeedback for stress relief and management, auricular therapy for various imbalances, primitive reflex integration for optimal learning and body balance as well as cranial sacral therapy.

Where Homeschooling Unites with Braintraining

Panel: Supplemental Support

TIME: 1:45pm - 2:30pm
LOCATION: High Tech Hall

Brenda Laurant

Founder
Reach for Success

We train our brains 24 hours a day, 7 days a week… Are you happy with your results? What would you change if you knew how? At Reach for Success, we design custom learning solutions for reading and math skills, time management, attention training, listening skills, memory, anxiety, executive function, processing speed, and more. Everyone has learning strengths and weaknesses. Learn to work smarter, not harder. We bridge the learning gap at all ages and stages. It’s never too late or too early… 

We believe in possibilities! 

Schools teach you what to learn. We teach you how to learn.

Panel: Supplemental Support

TIME: 1:45pm - 2:30pm
LOCATION: High Tech Hall

Marisa Pullan

Founder Embark Learning Center

Embark Learning Center:
We offer IT and leadership education for adults and high school students. We strive to offer the very best education in IT and leadership development. We never settle for second best, and always have your satisfaction as our top priority. We also have youth programming year-round ranging from STEM challenges to art and music classes and more! 

Central TexAxe:
Family-owned axe and knife throwing and archery facility located in Round Rock, TX. We host activities for families and kids year-round including teen/tween nights out, homeschool days, teen hangout days, and homeschool-specific axe-throwing leagues. 

Panel: Tweens & Teens

TIME: 10:15am – 11:30am
LOCATION: High Tech Hall

Teri Sperry

Founder Alt Ed Austin

Teri grew up in Tennessee and Nebraska in a family of educators. She earned a B.A. in English from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and an M.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with the support of a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities. Soon after graduate school, she moved to Austin, the vibrant community she has called home ever since.

She spent much of her professional life as a freelance editor, specializing in scholarly books for university presses and other educational publications, which allowed her the flexibility to pursue other rewarding roles: urban homesteader, occasional political organizer, school volunteer and PTO officer, and, most importantly, parent. A passionate advocate for education transformation, she became an educational consultant and publisher in 2011, founding Alt Ed Austin to help families learn about the many unconventional schooling options—holistic, progressive, democratic, self-directed, and other learner-centered models—in the Austin area. Her goal is always to find the right fit for each kid.

Teri currently spends much of her time consulting with parents about schooling options for their children, visiting and observing in schools, researching and writing about education, and collaborating with schools and other educational organizations to support and strengthen the local alt ed community. Most recently, Teri has been delighted to collaborate with her colleagues at Enlight Ignite and partners at Luvmour Consulting to create the International Council for Accrediting Relationship-based Education (ICARE).

Alt Ed Austin is an online resource center and consulting service that helps families explore educational options in and around Austin, Texas.

Find the right fit for your kid.

Panel: Education Options & Learning Communities

TIME: 9:00am – 9:45am
LOCATION: High Tech Hall

Mary James

Representative
Texas Home School Coalition

Since 1986, THSC and its members have worked to keep the freedom of Texas families to raise and educate their own children.

  • We believe raising children is a family’s God-given right and calling;
  • We believe in empowering parents to raise and educate the next generation of leaders;
  • We believe a loving family home is the best environment for children;
  • And we believe homeschooling is one of the best models for educating children.

We’ll help you take the guesswork out of homeschooling so you can enjoy the journey. With member benefits like a homeschool starter kit, planning tools, resources, and expert homeschool coaches, you are sure to thrive.

Check our our extensive library of articles and our free newsletters to help keep you informed, keep homeschooling fresh, and help you create an environment of peace in your homeschool.

Keeping Texas Families Free

Panel: Education Options & Learning Communities

TIME: 9:00am – 9:45am
LOCATION: High Tech Hall

Sue Patterson

Representative
Unschooling

Sue Patterson, a homeschooling mom with over 25 years of experience, is also an author, and an unschooling coach and podcaster. She helps families who aren’t happy with their educational situations, and shows them how learning more about unschooling will help. She runs Unschooling Mom2Mom, available on all the social media platforms and offers courses, guides, group coaching programs, and private coaching. Sue’s book: Homeschooled Teens: 75 Young People Speak About their Lives without School. (Digital and HardCopy at Amazon) Want Unschooling Resources and Inspiration from Sue? Text: UNSCHOOL on 66866

Panel: Education Options & Learning Communities

TIME: 9:00am – 9:45am
LOCATION: High Tech Hall

Rachel Hall

Representative
Ladders for Leaders

Ladders for Leaders is a non-profit organization established in 2018. Our mission is To Bridge the Gap Between Education and Industry for Williamson County high school students. We achieve this by providing six-week-long, paid summer internships to students so they gain professional work experience in their industry area of interest before graduating high school. We are rapidly growing and excited for this year’s class of students! 

Rachael Hall is a professional event photographer and resident of Cedar Park. She has been a board member with Ladders for Leaders for four years. Her favorite activity with Ladders for Leaders is talking with high school students about their dreams for their futures.

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Panel: Tweens & Teens

TIME: 10:15am – 11:30am
LOCATION: High Tech Hall

Shaun Fernando, MPH

Representative
Enrollment and Partnerships Coordinator
High School Programs
Austin Community College District
Shaun is the E&P Coordinator for the North Team covering students zoned for the ACC Northridge campus. Shaun works closely with students, parents, and high school staff to enroll and register public, private, charter, and homeschool students in dual credit, co-enrollment, and early college start programs. Shaun has been with Austin Community College for 5 years and has also served the College as an Enrollment Advisor for traditional students, and Recruiter.

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Panel: Tweens & Teens

TIME: 10:15am – 11:30am
LOCATION: High Tech Hall

Anita Wilson has over 20 years of experience in service, leadership, development, directing, education, and management, Anita has a vision to share leadership practices, principles, and perspectives that lead to radical transformation and fulfillment. Anita served Content Manager, Course Curator, Training Director, Speaker and State Manager for Classical Conversations, Inc. pioneering the launch of Classical Conversations in Texas. With seven children ages 7 to 23, Anita and her Husband, Kip, have homeschooled for 17 years, currently lead Marriage & Family Ministry at Freedom Church in Round Rock, TX, and serve as regional volunteers with Family Life Ministries. Anita is the Director of Client Services with BDI Leadership Network where she creates, leads, and coaches courses, curriculum and community for young adults, adults, businesses and organizations. Perspective is Anita’s springboard to inspire people to live victoriously and abundantly bearing the remarkable difference of a Divine heritage, leaning into strengths, identity and purpose.

You are uniquely designed for a powerful purpose! Know it, grow it, go and sow with it victoriously fulfilling your highest purpose each day.

Panel: Supplemental Support

TIME: 1:45pm - 2:30pm
LOCATION: High Tech Hall

Greg Keller

Representative Clearview Sudbury School
Greg has been a parent at Clearview since 2013 and has four students currently enrolled. He comes from a career in overly complex computer systems and is known to gadget frequently. His original purpose for computers was to run a flight simulators, which lead to his love of flying and experimental aircraft. He also works on cars and PCs for fun. Greg has been transitioning to SDE and Horizontal Communication in hopes to help create space for everyone to find their place in our communities.

At the heart of our method are the beliefs that all interests and work have equal value and that children, like all people, learn best when focusing on what interests them. Within the bounds of the school rules, students are free to pursue any activity they choose.

Panel: Education Options & Learning Communities

TIME: 9:00am – 9:45am
LOCATION: High Tech Hall