Darcy Bakkegard

Darcy believes in the power of education to change lives and the power of TEACHERS to lead that change. To help teachers do this work, she co-founded The Educators' Lab USA and is a board member of The Educators’ Lab Global. She designed and facilitates The Teacher Empowerment Incubator, a pilot program that supports rural teachers as community collaborators and problem-solvers.

A classroom teacher for over a decade, Darcy creates the type of PD she always wanted, driving change in education and empowering teachers as changemakers. Through her work, teachers reconnect with their purpose, rekindle their spark for teaching, and reignite the JOY of teaching and learning.

In addition to her joy work, Darcy is the co-author of The Startup Teacher Playbook, a frequent contributor to Edutopia, holds a Master’s of Secondary Education, is an ISTE Certified Educator, and is an experienced international presenter and keynote speaker. She's ALWAYS up to brainstorm and collaborate. She lives in Fargo, ND, with her husband and their triplets.

Areas of Expertise:

  • Implementation of Professional Learning Inspiration

  • Joyful Teaching (& Learning)

  • Purpose-Drive Self-Care

  • Interactive Teaching Strategies

  • Professional Learning Course Design

  • Building Better Book Clubs

  • Meaningful Media & Technology Integration

Michelle Blanchet

Michelle is an educational futurist who believes change in education can only happen if we support our teachers. For the past decade, Michelle has worked with schools and organizations to infuse startup strategies into professional learning so that teachers are empowered to reimagine education focusing on social impact topics like civic engagement, regenerative economics, and changemaking. After teaching social studies in both the U.S. and Switzerland, she co-founded the Educators’ Lab, which supports teacher-driven solutions to educational challenges. Michelle is the co-author of The Startup Teacher Playbook, and  Preventing Polarization: 50 Strategies for Teaching Kids About Empathy, Politics, and Civic Responsibility. She has worked with organizations like Getting Smart, PBS Education and Ashoka, and occasionally blogs for Edutopia. A graduate of IE University in Madrid, she is part of the Global Shaper Community of the World Economic Forum and has presented at numerous events, including SXSWedu and TEDxLausanne.

Areas of Expertise:

  • K-12 Ecosystem + Strategy

  • Green Skills + Career Pathways

  • Regenerative Economics for Secondary Schools

  • Active Learning for Sustainability

  • Reimagining Civic Engagement

  • Transformational Leadership in Education