Dr. Julie A. Evans is the Chief Executive Officer of Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow.org) and the founder of the heralded Speak Up Research Project which annually collects and reports on the authentic views of K-12 students, parents and educators nationwide on key education issues. Dr. Evans serves as the chief researcher on the Speak Up Project as well as leading over 60 national research efforts on the efficacy impact of emerging learning models and interventions in both K-12 and higher education. Her work includes helping education leaders embrace change and innovation in education, and to recognize that the voices and views of their stakeholders, most notably students, is a valuable leadership asset. Prior to joining Project Tomorrow in 1999, Dr. Evans enjoyed a successful career in management within the technology industry including with two education technology startups. As a national thought leader and influencer, she brings to discussions about the future of education a unique perspective because of her experiences working in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors as well as within education. Dr. Evans is a graduate of Brown University and earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of California, San Diego and California State University San Marcos. She is a frequent facilitator, speaker and writer on the efficacy of new learning models within education, most notably around digital learning. Among her many accolades and awards, Dr. Evans was named in April 2023 as the winner of EdTech Digest’s Visionary Leader award. Dr. Evans is the author of the newly published book, Free Agent Learning: Leveraging Students’ Self-Directed Learning to Transform K-12 Education.