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Michael Preston, PhD is the Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, a pioneering thought leader at the intersection of technology, media, and children’s learning. He leads the Center’s efforts to explore new frontiers and new literacies, support and translate research into action, and guide the field toward better opportunities and outcomes for kids.

Previously, Michael co-founded CSforALL, the hub for the national Computer Science for All movement; after launching a 10-year partnership with New York City to provide high-quality computer science to every student in the nation’s largest public school system. CSforALL now helps other cities and regions across the country replicate the progress made in New York.

Prior to his work with CSNYC and CSforALL, Preston designed and led digital learning initiatives at the New York City Department of Education, including programs in middle and high school computer science, personalized learning, and digital literacy. 

Zaza Kabayadondo, PhD brings over 15 years of learning experiences design across the entire education ecosystem.

Zaza has worked with clients such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, IEEE, edX, and the Association of Asia-Pacific Rim Universities. 

Highlights from her career include work in the three-sided upskilling marketplace, developing multi-partner coalitions, and working directly with career-seeking learners. 

Zaza was a consultant at Entangled Solutions and on the B2B Learning Marketplace at Guild Education where she helped attract partners for employer-driven innovation in the talent pipeline. Zaza was formerly Director of Industry Partnerships for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, the research and innovation arm of Sesame Workshop. She built a roadmap for creating a new business unit focused on leveraging Sesame IP to support youth-friendly digital designers; and helped broker the unit’s collaborations with global brands and early startups.

Zaza holds a PhD in Learning Sciences and Technology Design from Stanford University, and she is a co-author of Taking Design Thinking to School and a speaker on the future of learning.

Recommended Resources:
Center for Scholars and Storytellers by UCLA
Jason Yip’s research on kids
Innovator’s Compass by Ela Ben-Ur
Age-Appropriate Design Code in CA
Playful by Design Making Child’s Online Safety a Reality by 5 Rights Foundation