Jaylen Brown is not just an athlete; he’s a multifaceted force both on and off the court. In 2024, he led the Boston Celtics to an NBA Finals victory, earning the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award and the Eastern Conference MVP for his stellar performance throughout the season.

Brown’s journey began in Atlanta, where he was a top recruit by the end of his high school career, accumulating numerous accolades. Influenced by his mother, a professor with dual degrees including a PhD, he placed a strong emphasis on education. Determined to challenge himself academically, he chose to attend the University of California, Berkeley over traditional basketball powerhouses, where he took a graduate-level course as a freshman and earned Freshman of the Year honors, along with first-team All-Conference accolades in the Pac-12.

In July 2023, Brown made headlines by signing a five-year, $304 million supermax contract extension with the Celtics—the most valuable deal in NBA history. A first-round top-three draft pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, he joined the Celtics at just 19 years old after negotiating his own contract. Since then, he has become a two-time NBA All-Star and serves as Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), where he was the youngest executive committee member when elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. His leadership in the NBPA led to the creation of THINK450, an initiative aimed at helping players gain control over their name and likeness.

Beyond basketball, Brown is a dedicated advocate for social justice, particularly focused on addressing inequities in the education system. His commitment is evident through initiatives like the Bridge Program, which fosters leadership in science and technology for underrepresented youth, developed by his 7uice Foundation in collaboration with the Community Biotechnology Initiative at the MIT Media Lab. He is also a proud inductee of the MIT Media Lab's Directors Fellows Program and has collaborated with NASA.

His remarkable achievements are complemented by his recent launch of 741, his self-funded and designed sneaker and athleisure brand, showcasing his innovative spirit in business and fashion. With 741, Jaylen Brown intends to empower other athletes by providing better deals and more creative control over their brand and likeness.

With his unwavering dedication to philanthropy, education, and social change, Jaylen Brown stands out as one of the most enlightened and impactful athletes in the league.

Dr. Claudia Urrea is the Executive Associate Director for pK-12 at MIT Open Learning. Most recently, she helped launch the Day of Climate initiative. Over the past decade, she has played a pivotal role in various initiatives, including the Institute-wide Task Force on the Future of MIT Education, the MIT Online Education Policy Initiative, and the MIT Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL).

Dr. Urrea is the founder of the MIT STEAM camp, which brings MIT’s innovative learning approach to middle school students and teachers worldwide. She also co-founded Full STEAM Ahead, a virtual archive and program that integrates hands-on exploration, project design, and skill-building in STEAM subjects. She previously led the creation of a STEAM laboratory school in Belize in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Additionally, she is leading the creation of a center for early childhood education in Colombia.

With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Urrea has collaborated with numerous governments and non-governmental organizations to transform traditional teaching methods into progressive learning environments, empowering schools and communities of learners globally.

Pete Bouchard joined the NBC 10 Boston and necn family in January 2016, broadcasting weekday evenings. He has been a familiar face in Southern New England for over 13 years as the former senior meteorologist at WHDH in Boston. Pete studied meteorology at Lyndon State College in Vermont, one of the first colleges to offer a concentration in broadcast meteorology. His television career began humbly in the basement of a motel in White River Junction, Vermont, at WNNE-TV. He then worked at WMTW in Portland, Maine, WVII in Bangor, Maine, WGME in Portland, Maine, and Fox 25 in Boston.

Yashasvi commenced his PhD at the Centre for Climate Repair in 2023/24 and is based in the Department of Engineering.

His research looks at mechanising the natural processes of sea spray generation by waves on the surface of the ocean, coined as bubblisation, to deliver sea salt nanocrystals into existing clouds to 'brighten' them. The insights gained from his research aims to evaluate the viability of bubble atomisation as a suitable technique for generating droplets for marine cloud brightening (MCB).

Cynthia Breazeal is a professor of media arts and sciences at MIT, where she founded and directs the Personal Robots group at the Media Lab.  She is the MIT dean for digital learning, and in this role, she leverages her experience in emerging digital technologies and business, research, and strategic initiatives to lead Open Learning’s business and research & engagement units.   She is also the Director of the MIT-wide Initiative on Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (raise.mit.edu). MIT RAISE is a research and outreach effort that advances access and inclusivity in AI education to people of all ages and backgrounds with a focus on K12 and the workforce. She co-founded the consumer social robotics company, Jibo, Inc., where she served as Chief Scientist and Chief Experience Officer.

Breazeal is a pioneer of social robotics and human-robot interaction.  Her work balances technical innovation in AI, UX design, and understanding the psychology of engagement to design personified AI technologies that promote human flourishing and personal growth.  Her recent work focuses on the theme of "living with AI" and understanding the long-term impact of social robots that can build relationships and provide personalized support as helpful companions in daily life. Her research group actively investigates social robots applied to education, pediatrics, health and wellness, and aging. As part of this mission, her group also develops design justice frameworks for human-robot interaction and inclusive AI literacy education for under-served K12 students.

Her seminal book, Designing Sociable Robots, is recognized as a landmark in launching the field of Social Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction. She is a fellow of the AAAI and is an international award-winning innovator, designer, and entrepreneur. She has spoken at prominent venues such as TED, the World Economic Forum, the UN, SXSW, CES, and she has keynoted at numerous top academic conferences. She is a recipient of the National Academy of Engineering's Gilbreth Lecture Award, Technology Review's TR35 Award, TIME magazine's Best Inventions, where her Jibo robot was featured on the cover.  She has received numerous design awards, including recognition by the National Design Awards, Fast Company Design Award, and Core 77.  She has also been recognized as a rising entrepreneur by Fortune and Entrepreneur Magazine.   Breazeal did her graduate work at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab and received her doctorate in 2000 in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT.

Christopher Knittel is the Associate Dean for Climate and Sustainability, the George P. Shultz Professor and a Professor of Applied Economics at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Prior to MIT Sloan, Knittel taught at the University of California, Davis, and at Boston University. His research focuses on industrial organization, environmental economics, and applied econometrics.

Knittel is an associate editor of The American Economic Journal— Economic Policy, The Journal of Industrial Economics, and the Journal of Energy Markets. His research has appeared in The American Economic Review, The Review of Economics and Statistics, The Journal of Industrial Economics, The Energy Journal, and other academic journals. He also is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in the Productivity, Industrial Organization, and Energy and Environmental Economics groups.

Knittel holds a BA in economics and political science from California State University, Stanislaus; an MA in economics from the University of California, Davis; and a PhD in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Margaret Wang is the co-founder and Executive Director of SubjectToClimate, a nonprofit organization empowering all educators to easily and effectively teach about climate change, justice, and action.  She was a high school teacher, primarily in economics and business, for several years before she pursued an M.Ed. in international education policy at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Working with Professor Fernando Reimers, she supported and edited several books regarding education reform and climate change education. She received her teaching certification at Princeton University. Outside of work, Margaret is an avid ultramarathon runner and triathlete.

As a former educator and a union organizer, Naima was actively involved in organizing around climate change education and environmental justice. She helped push for more sustainable modes of transportation that allowed educators to have access to reduced MBTA fares and Blue Bike passes, and led the effort to make Somerville the first school district in Massachusetts to create a climate change curriculum committee tasked with creating and implementing a climate curriculum.

Working with the Massachusetts Teachers’ Association’s Climate Action Network, Naima Sait helped unions in Massachusetts advocate for climate change education and climate resilient schools. She worked with youth in MA and Somerville Sunrise Youth members to develop strategies to advocate around climate policy.

Dave Kramer (he/him) is the Director of Green Programs and Partnerships at Boston Green Academy, Boston Public Schools’ only school with a deep focus on sustainability and environmental justice. Known as “Big Green Dave,” he energizes educators and students with innovative green curriculum, hands-on programming, and updated approaches to green jobs and post-secondary pathways.

Starting his career teaching in Cali, Colombia during the 1990s, Dave’s early adventures with vibrant biocultural diversity and real-world challenges led him to pursue environmental policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Over 20 years, he’s honed his expertise in education and coaching through roles at UT Austin’s Planet Texas 2050, Verra, EcoLogic Development Fund, the Conservation Coaches Network, and beyond.

Dave Kramer holds a certificate in Outdoor Leadership from Greenfield Community College, a Bachelor's in English from Dartmouth College, and an MPP from Harvard. Now based in Jamaica Plain, he cherishes every opportunity to explore JP's and Boston's greenspaces by walking, running, and biking

Laelia Maynor is a global advocate and facilitator for compassionate youth leadership, well-being, and environmentalism. Maynor believes the future is not young, old, or singular: it is a rich tapestry of collaborative spirit. This belief has been exemplified in her wide-reaching work. Beginning as a regional Girl Scout Delegate at fourteen, she has moved fluidly through positions to create lasting community change. These roles have included Girl Scout National and United Nations Delegate, Student School Board Representative, and numerous education equity taskforces. Maynor has advocated for youth rights and representation at local, community, national, and international levels. Her main focuses for advocacy have been intergenerational collaboration, gender and socioeconomic equity, and continual investment in the leadership skills of young people. Maynor’s current role at the Center for Systems Awareness, an education reform non-profit, keeps this scope in sharp focus. As a member of the Youth Leadership Team, she proudly serves youth and educators from four continents. She provides programming to support the development of young leaders and consultation on integrating youth leadership into existing educational structures. In this role, Maynor assists communities in two of her greatest passions: grassroots movements and global citizenship. She recognizes these as two deeply intertwined aspects in the fight against the rapid decline in youth well-being across the world.

In the fall Maynor will start at university, majoring in International Relations with a focus in Gender/Feminist Studies. She aspires to be an international gender rights lawyer.

Sophie Shen is the President and Co-founder of the Slash the Trash Waste Diversion team, which advocates for cafeteria reusables, diverts lunchroom waste, and organizes educational events.

Within town, Sophie Shen has been highly involved in local government, passing a school committee waste-reduction policy and interning at the Department of Public Works. She was also a 2024 Massachusetts Environmental Education Society presenter. In college, she plans to study public policy and urban studies.