LAURA SPENCER
Design Thinker, Advisor and Ambassador

Dr. Laura Spencer is a leading educator in the area of innovative leadership, teaching, and learning. She has served as a classroom teacher, an edtech director, and a school district administrator focused on applying design thinking principles to achieve transformational change. Her current role as Director of Instructional Technology Integration integrates all of those experiences, as she develops engaging online learning tools and curriculum for virtual students in grades 6-12.

Laura has provided professional development and presentations at conferences across the United States to educators and industry leaders on topics ranging from effective leadership, sustainable edtech integration, and building an innovative culture.

Laura has been recognized as an Innovative Educator, Administrator of the Year, and San Diego County’s Top Tech Exec, as well as recently winning a CUE Gold Disk and the Classroom of the Future Innovate Award. She’s been featured on The YouSchool and Innovative Pedagogy podcasts. She’s also the President of SDCUE and a founding board member of EquityEDU. She is a proud US Army veteran. Laura blogs at laurakspencer.com and you can get to know more about her through our interview with her.

@lspencered

MICHAEL “TOP” WASHINGTON
Speaker, Trainer

Mike is a Seattle Firefighter with over 30 years of operational experience. He’s also a retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant with 23 years of service (7 active, 16 reserve), with deployments to Desert Storm, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa as well as numerous other real-world missions. He’s a member of Team Rubicon, a veteran’s disaster relief organization and has responded to over a dozen disasters domestically and internationally. Mike was honored as Team Rubicon Veteran of the Year 2013. Mike was humbled to be selected by the Starbucks Coffee Company as an Upstander for 2017 was further honored and humbled by being named as the 2019 recipient of the HOOAH Award presented by The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and Citizenship. He holds a Masters of Social Work Degree from the University of Southern California and a Masters of Strategic Intelligence Degree from American Military University. Get to know more about Mike

Training topics: Mental Health and Wellness • Post Traumatic Growth • Resilience • Suicide Prevention and Education • Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) • Taking Off The Uniform - Your Life Beyond Service • Peer Support

DONTE ALLEN

Donte is an Author and Speaker that focuses on building healthy relationships with ourselves and others. After graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Donte began working with youth and young adults in schools and non-profit organizations through mentoring and personal development.

While working in both urban and rural environments, Donte had helped many improve their self-esteem and build healthy relationships with others. Donte continues to use his writing and speaking platform to help others discover their purpose and teach them how to strengthen their community around them.

Speaking topics: Lost in Social (Me)dia • No More Filters • Health Community • Adulting 101 • Learn More

BRAD SCANDRETT

Brad is an experienced professional and business leader with a heart for service, leading people to find themselves, and coaching young people to find a life of purpose and belonging. With almost 20 years of working in the non-profit sector he is skilled at program strategy/development, operations, business development, fundraising, coaching, event management, community outreach, teambuilding, and financial oversight.

He values people and have a passion for collaboration, communication and relationship building. He recruits engaged talent and develops motivated teams that achieve big goals. Serving as a public speaker and professional spokesperson for corporate communications, he leads community outreach and fundraising events to build brand awareness, increase community engagement and drive donor contributions.

Speaking topics: Standing Out & Fitting In, Empathetic Listening, Turning Grief into Strength

KEVIN KIRK
Former Navy SEAL

Kevin Kirk graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2005 with a major in Sociology and minor in Criminal Justice. Soon after graduation, Kevin entered the United States Military, where he had both the honor and privilege to serve as a Navy SEAL. Kevin speaks fluent French and enjoys skydiving, scuba diving and developing his combat skills in his free time. After his brother passed away in December 2013, Kevin became inspired to help others, and has since lived with that as his purpose. He is a proud certified hospice volunteer.

Speaking topics: Making a Wave of Kindness

DRAKE FAGES
Athletics

Drake Fages is an innovative mentor who has a real gift for professional coaching and motivation. Through his own experience as an All-American and Gold Glove 3rd baseman, experience of devastating injuries, and the struggle to find relevance and meaning outside of sports he has found a unique way to help students, young professionals, and athletes in transition. Today, he dedicates himself to guiding young people by serving as Director and Lead Guide for YouSchool Athletics, an organization dedicated to giving high school, college students, and military the tools and guidance to plan their best futures. Drake has a particular skill set for leadership development and has a keen ability to convince people that taking responsibility for their lives is the best way to live. Whether working one-to-one, in a small group, or in large group facilitation, his uncommon approach to personal exploration has helped many people discover their potential and live into it. Drake received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Religion from Biola University in La Mirada, CA. Drake has been described as “Funny, engaging, and extremely understanding in conversation”.

Speaking topics: Living a Better Story • Leading in Athletics • The Soul of an Athlete

Recent Assembly

TRACEY GEE
Gallup Certified Strengths Coach

I have over 20 years of experience as a director in a faith-based nonprofit. I love to design training experiences and provide coaching for a range of leaders from college students to national directors, board members, and executive teams. I hold degrees from UCLA in Anthropology/Business and from Fuller Seminary in Leadership. I’m a published author of a book for Asian American women called, “More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Woman on Expectations, Relationships, Leadership and Faith.” I became a Gallup certified StrengthsFinder coach and facilitator because I wanted to be the best I could be at helping people amplify their authentic leadership genius.

At home, I count myself lucky to have a husband who makes me laugh everyday and is a talented graphic designer & creative director. His strengths are COMPLETELY opposite of mine. We have two energetic, opinionated, sweet boys who we adore and also make us want to pull out our hair depending on the day. Or hour. For sure, parenting is the hardest leadership gig I’ve ever had.

When I’m not coaching and training the awe-inspiring leaders that the world desperately needs, I love the Office, camping, baseball, and sending texts/Marco Polo updates to my besties. I run on black coffee, the thrill of crossing things off my to do list, and the grace of God.

Speaking Topics: Discovering the Talents and Strengths of Your Kids
@traceygee.me

MATT BISHOP
LMFT

Matt Bishop is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works at Soul Care House in Mission Hills. A private practice and community of therapists in Mission Hills providing individual, couples and family therapy to the general population. Matt was born and raised in La Jolla and went on to graduate from San Diego State University with a bachelors in psychology in 2011. In 2013 he graduated with his Masters in Counseling Psychology and is currently working on his dissertation as a doctoral candidate at Grand Canyon University researching the intersection between female clergy and mental health professionals. Matt began working with young people and parents in 2012 at North County Lifeline in Vista where he provided individual and group therapy to at-risk youth as well as and facilitated parenting workshops for the community. From there he went on to serve at the San Diego Rescue Mission as a director in their Recuperative Care Unit providing mental health counseling and case management to a challenging population. Since 2016, he returned to work with young people and their parents through Soul Care House. He emphasizes a holistic approach of psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual healing to individuals seeking support in their overall wellbeing. Matt has spoken to various audiences in churches, nonprofits, community organizations, workplace staffs and universities.

Speaking Topics: Technology and our Youth: Navigating the Complexity of the Smartphone Era • The trickle down effect: Why a healthy relationship among parents leads to healthier kids • Body Image, Eating Disorders, and Young People • Talking to your Teen about Sex and Sexuality • Normal Teenage development: When is a mistake by your kid just a mistake and when is it a red flag pointing to a deeper issue?

GREGG IMAMOTO
Chief Operating and Financial Officer, Co-Founder

Gregg is a values-based leader who specializes in guiding people and companies to develop compelling visions and strategies that can be operationally executed. He makes the train run on time for the YouSchool and stays focused on delivering our mission. He has spent the last twenty years in C-Suite, startup, and entrepreneurial positions—leading distressed companies through challenging turnarounds that delivered world-class results. As the Chief Architect of The Bridge, a performance management system that guides leaders and their teams through the use of clear expectations and well-defined leadership principles, Gregg has a demonstrated passion for developing people. Gregg spent over ten years working with high school students as a youth group leader and camp director, experiencing firsthand both the void and confusion our youth face today. His wife and twins keep him schooled on life.

SHAWN PARR
Chief Innovation Officer, Co-Founder

Shawn gets up every day to help others realize their full potential. He’s focused on ensuring that YouSchool inspires and drives meaningful change in students’ lives through physical and digital experiences. As the Guvner of Bulldog Drummond, he’s spent the past twenty years helping Fortune 100’s, non-profits and passionate startups unlock the power of their brands. He’s been a guide helping executive teams and leaders navigate solutions to major challenges, create new products, and think about what's next. He is a guest lecturer at SDSU’s School of Business, a writer for Fast Company and speaker about brand, culture and innovation. Shawn has worked with high school students over the past seven years. He surfs daily with humility, is blessed with a wife of twenty five years and three children who will all benefit from the YouSchool.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

We are always on the lookout for great people who can serve as Guides. Our Guides already have years of facilitator, storytelling and coaching experience, and are on an inner journey of growth themselves. They are, of course, background checked and trained to leverage our common-sense curriculum to make a big impact.

* These days we have a specific focus on middle school and high school students.