EDUP Xcelerated Excellence

Our guest, Mario Jovan, is a world-renowned Leadership Coach and Founder of Messy Roots, LLC. He has developed a specialized coaching curriculum focused on Diversity, Equity,Inclusion & Belonging (DEI) to empower leaders of color. Drawing from his extensive leadership experience, which includes spearheading a multi-million-dollar non-profit, Mario used coaching techniques to foster team member retention. Witnessing firsthand the transformative impact of coaching,Mario is now dedicated to assisting coaches and organizations in harnessing these strategies to grow leaders. Together with his fellow coaches, he eagerly anticipates sharing these valuable insights with you in this immersive experience.

Mario Jovan has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 as a leader in social entrepreneurship.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 2026 2.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF. 

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0,  Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference. 

Resources:

EDUP The Experience

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: Brent Miller

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY #LGBTQ

Our guest, Robert Kelty, is Head of Outreach, Government Relations, and Development for the International Baccalaureate (IB) North America.  Robert embarked onhis career journey in Crownpoint, New Mexico, nestled within the Navajo Nation, when he joined Teach For America in 2001.

The IB, renowned globally as an esteemed education foundation, operates across more than 6,000 schools worldwide and 2,000 schools within the United States.

Robert earned his doctorate from Northern Arizona University (NAU) and received an honorary doctorate from NAU in 2008.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF. 

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0,  Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.  

Resources:

International Baccalaureate

Cultivating Peacebuilders Through International Education

EDUP The Experience

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: Brent Miller

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

#EDUPXE #Educationalexcellence #Educationalequity

Our guest, Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., currently serves as the president and CEO of AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education). She joined AACTE in January 2025, after serving as a distinguished professor and dean of the Schoolof Education at American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., for over eight years.

During her tenure at AU, Holcomb-McCoy implemented various programs that heightened the visibility of the school within the University and on a national stage. Notably, under her leadershipthe SOE became a stand-alone school in 2019 and grew its enrollment from 200 to more than 1,500 students. In addition, she led the development and implementation of the AU/District of Columbia Public Schools Teacher Pipeline Project and secured a multi-million grant from JP Morgan Chase to launch the stackable credentialing project, Advancing Early Education Collaborative (AEEC) with DC area partners.

Before leading the School of Education at AU, Holcomb-McCoy served as vice provost for Faculty Affairs campus-wide andvice dean of Academic Affairs in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, where she launched the Johns Hopkins School Counseling Fellows Program and the Faculty Diversity Initiative. She also served as an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services at the University of Maryland College Park and as director of the School Counseling Program at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

She received her bachelor’s in early childhood education and master’s in school counseling degrees from the University ofVirginia and earned a doctorate in counseling and educational development from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF. 

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0,  Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.  

Resources:

AACTE

AACTE Holmes Scholars

AACTE Leadership Academy

EDUP The Experience

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: Cheryl L. Delk-Le Good 

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY

Our guest, Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Ph.D. (she/her), is a Professor of English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. In May, 2024 Yolanda was recognized with the prestigious Dorothy Height Distinguished Alumni Award from New York University. She is co-editor of five books and is co-author of the multiple award-winning book Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education: Activism for Equity in Digital Spaces (2021) where she examines her concept of Archeology of Self ™ in education. Her first full-length collection of poetry, Love from the Vortex & Other Poems, was published in March 2020. Her sophomore book of poetry, The Peace Chronicles, was published in July, 2021. Yolanda opened the 2022 TEDx UPENN conference at the University of Pennsylvania with her TEDx Talk: Truth, Love & Racial Literacy.

For three years in a row, she was named one of EdWeek's EduScholar Influencers -- a list of the Top 1% of educational scholars in the United States -- a highly selective group of 200 scholars (chosen from a pool of 20,000).

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsors:

 Western Governors University. WGU is an online, accredited university that specializes in personalized learning and making higher education accessible for as many people as possible.

·      The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 2026 2.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF. 

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0,  Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.  

Resources:

Love From the Vortex and other Poems (Book)

Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education (Book)

The Peace Chronicles (Book)

All About Black Girl Love in Education: Bell Hooks and Pedagogies of Love (Book)

⁠EDUP The Experience⁠

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: Cheryl L. Delk-Le Good 

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY

Xcelerate educational excellence and equity with Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen, author of Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Urban Schools.

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF. 

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0,  Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.  

Resource:

Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Urban Schools (published by Teachers College Press)

#EDUPXE #EducationalE&E #Educaitonalexcellence #Educationalequity #Radicalcare

Our guest, Rick Benbow, is the Regional Vice President (West) at Western Governors University, the nation’s largest competency-based university. He leads efforts to expand access to affordable, high-quality education for adult learners by advancing strategic partnerships and driving student success across the region.

Rick earned his MBA degree at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business and an MA in Emerging Communication Technology Policy; Strategy from the University of Southern California. He completed a BS in Business Management and International Business from Howard University in Washington D.C.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF. 

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0,  Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.  

Resources:

⁠EDUP The Experience⁠

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: Cheryl L. Delk-Le Good 

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY

Our guest, Curtis Valentine, MPP,  has dedicated over 20 years to the field of public education. Curtis is Founder of Real Men Teach, a community of educators striving to recruit and retain male educators of color.

Curtis also serves as Co-Director of the Progressive Policy Institute's Reinventing America's Schools Project and as Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland. For over 10 years Curtis served as an At-Large Member of the Board of Education for Prince George’s County (MD) Public Schools.

A graduate of Morehouse College and Harvard University, Curtis serves as Vice President of National Alumni Associationof Morehouse College and its nearly 20,000 alumni.

Curtis is currently writing a book entitled “Real Men Teach,” highlighting the impact of Black male educators throughout history.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF. 

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0 Education 2.0 Health 2.0 Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.  

Resources:

Real Men Teach

⁠EDUP The Experience⁠

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: Cheryl L. Delk-Le Good 

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY

Our guests, Dr. Joe Sallustio and Elvin Freytes are co-founders and hosts of The EdUP Experience podcast, America's leading platform for higher education insights, featuring interviews with prominent global leaders.

Joe stands out as a leading expert and influential voice in the world of higher education. His unique blend of experience across operations, finance, and academics positions him as a rare breed of executive with leadership acumen in diverse functional areas. Across his impressive 20+ year career, Joe has ledteams in every critical aspect of university operation, from non-profit institutions to for-profit colleges. This comprehensive understanding makes him invaluable for scaling and operating businesses and institutions effectively in the 21st century.

Currently, Joe is the Vice President of Industry Engagement for the market-leading educational technology company, Ellucian. Joe is also of co-author of the forthcoming book “Digital Modernization for Higher Education Boards,” commissioned by AGB and set for release in June of 2025.

Elvin has been podcasting since 2019, produced over 1,000 podcast episodes, and helped to create over 20 new podcast shows. Has experience with podcast monetization and marketing strategies. Worked in higher education for over 20 years. He is also a contributor to the best-selling book "Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education," co-authored by Joe and a trusted resource guiding thousands of staff and faculty worldwide.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF. 

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0 Education 2.0 Health 2.0 Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.  

Resources:

Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education

⁠EDUP The Experience⁠

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: ⁠Adil Bentahar⁠

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY

Our guest, Joel Nomdarkham, is a dynamic marketing strategist with a gift for transforming both personal brands and corporate identities into powerful, market-ready forces. With nearly a decade of experience, Joel has carved a unique niche at the intersection of personal branding, corporate marketing, and social impact—helping professionals and organizations alike unlock their full potential.

Joel's journey began humbly as an intern, where his passion for storytelling and strategy quickly set him apart. Today, he is the founder of Amplify Studios, a social impact marketing agency that blends analytics, strategy, and creative direction to craft campaigns that drive meaningful results.

Armed with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Master's in Marketing & Data Analytics, Joel bridges creative thinking with data-driven precision. His thought leadership is featured in respected global publications like Adweek and Social Media Examiner, where he shares insights on marketing, tech, and digital culture with audiences around the world.

As a global speaker, Joel has brought his expertise to stages in Belize, Grenada, European Digital Week, and his home country, Jamaica. Known for his engaging, actionable talks, he’s inspired countless marketers, entrepreneurs, and creatives to build impactful, purpose-driven brands.

Outside of the boardroom, Joel is also passionate about the next generation. He’s the author of “Future Makers: A Guide to 30 Creative Careers”, a children’s book designed to spark curiosity and ambition in young minds.

Creative, strategic, and deeply mission-driven, Joel Nomdarkham is not just a marketer—he's a change maker helping others craft their stories, scale their impact, and shape the future.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF. 

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0 Education 2.0 Health 2.0 Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.  

Resources:

Future Makers 30

Amplify Studios

⁠EDUP The Experience⁠

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: ⁠Adil Bentahar⁠

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

#EDUPXE #Marketing #Media #Educationalequity #Educationalexcellence

Our podcast Turn ONE! In just one year, episodes havebeen heard around the globe and the EDUP Xcelerated Excellence community continues to grow. We are member of the nation’s largest podcast network dedicated to thefield of education, EDUP The Experience.

At EDUP Xcelerated Excellence, educators, entrepreneurs,researchers, advocates, and policy makers are welcome to share their talents, resources, and insights on air. Our podcast addresses important issues spanning higher education, grades P-12, and community learning spaces. The diverseperspectives of our guests makes EDUP Xcelerated Excellence a gem. Let's keep the momentum going!