Dr. Peter Gray is a research professor of psychology at Boston College who has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. He is the author of an internationally acclaimed introductory psychology textbook (Psychology, Worth Publishers, now in its 8th edition), which views all of psychology from an evolutionary perspective. His recent research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves, through play and exploration, when they are free to do so. He has expanded on these ideas in his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books). He also authors a regular blog called Freedom to Learn, for Psychology Today magazine. He is a founding member and president of the non-profit Alliance for Self-Directed Education (ASDE), which is aimed at creating a world in which children’s natural ways of learning are facilitated rather than suppressed. He is also a founding board director of the non-profit Let Grow, the mission of which is to renew children’s freedom to play and explore outdoors, independently of adults. He earned his undergraduate degree at Columbia College and Ph.D. in biological sciences at the Rockefeller University many years ago. His own current play includes kayaking, long-distance bicycling, backwoods skiing, and vegetable gardening.

Ashish Karamchandani is the managing director at FSG, a mission-driven consulting firm that focuses on using market-based solutions to drive sustainable social change. His emphasis has been on multi-year programs such as low income housing. Through his work, Karamchandani helped to develop a housing market that has sold more than 100,000 homes and has more than 10 housing companies now offering 15-year mortgages to informal sector customers with no income documentation. He is currently co-leading a program to improve private preschool education for low income households in urban India.

Jackie Harland is qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist over 30 years ago and has established four multidisciplinary clinics within the UK and internationally. She is a founder and Director of Services in the London Children’s Practice in central London and is the co-founder of London Learning Centre in Delhi. She has a Masters in Early Childhood Education and has co-authored an early years framework and online screening tool that supports early years teachers in good practice within pre-schools. She has conducted research in early childhood education in the UK and internationally.

Ramya Venkataraman is Founder & CEO of Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA), an India-based teacher certification entity. Prior to this, Ramya was with McKinsey & Company for 16 years, including as Leader of the Education Practice (which she built). Ramya is known for several pioneering on-the-ground reform efforts in both school education and skills in India - driving large scale reform in public schools. Beyond hands-on experience in India, Ramya has played advisory roles in education in Bhutan, South East Asia, middle east and North Africa. Ramya was recently elected an Ashoka Fellow in recognition of her leadership and continued contributions to the education space. Ramya holds a B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.

Prachi is a director at Michael & Susan Dell Foundation India LLP and manages the foundation’s India investments. She is on the board of several for-profit education companies and advisory committees to state governments and education departments. She is passionate about the area of data driven education and has spearheaded the foundation’s work in multiple ways, including: incubating service providers, creating role model states for classroom based assessments and embedding student learning based accountability in all portfolio companies.

Dr. Swati Popat Vats is the founder President of Early Childhood Association India. She is also President of Podar Education Network and leads over 290 preschools and Daycares as founder director of Podar Jumbo Kids. She is also the National representative for the World Forum Foundation. She is Nursery Director of Little Wonders Nursery (UAE) that has branches in Jumeirah and Sharjah. She has received many accolades and awards for her contribution to Early Childhood Education and has been conferred a Fellowship of Honor from the New Zealand Tertiary College. She was a founder consultant for the Euro Kids preschool project in India and helped set up TATASKY’s children’s television activity channel- ACTVE WHIZKIDS. Swati has authored many books for parents and children and is a strong advocate of nature-based learning in the early years