Matt Hickson is a community organizer turned school leader. He believes in leveraging the power of education to build more joyful, purposeful, and just communities. In more than a decade of work in North Carolina, he has organized movements for education justice while serving his community both inside and outside of school buildings. Matt was the Durham Public Schools Beginning Teacher of the Year before becoming a principal and central services director. He currently serves as the Vice-Chair for the Board of Directors at Student U and the Chair for Equity Through Innovation for the DPS Foundation. While teaching, Matt joined with colleagues to advocate for the inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQ+ students in the school system. He co-founded the Bull City Schools Unity project to train staff and promote more affirming policies. This project trained thousands of educators and led to the passage of district-wide policy supporting trans and non-binary students. When not organizing and agitating, Matt is an avid Buffalo Bills fan and dog dad to his new puppy Archie. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.