Heads' Summit
All programming takes place in the Broadway Ballroom, located on Level Two of the Omni Nashville Hotel’s Meeting Space.
2025 Heads' Summit Program
This schedule will be updated and is subject to change. All times listed are Central Time. A final schedule will be distributed to registrants closer to the event.| WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 | |
| 8:00–9:00 AM | Badge Pick-Up and Registration |
| 8:15–9:15 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:15–10:00 AM | Opening Remarks
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| 10:00–10:15 AM | Break |
| 10:15 AM–12:15 PM | Breakout Sessions |
| 12:15–1:15 PM | Lunch Grab a plate and enjoy catching up with other heads of school over lunch. If you wish, join one of the optional affinity lunch tables to connect with heads with shared interests or experiences. |
| 1:15–3:15 PM | Summit Session: Amanda Ripley with Hélène Biandudi Hofer Many leaders try to avoid conflict, hoping it will resolve on its own. That might have worked in the past, but it doesn’t work now. In an age of runaway conflict, the only good option is to use conflict to get smarter and stronger. By seeing conflict as an opportunity rather than a personal attack, you can uncover critical information, stay focused on your mission—and sleep better at night. In this fast-paced, hands-on workshop, journalists and conflict mediators Amanda Ripley and Hélène Biandudi Hofer help teams develop the habits and skills of “Good Conflict.” They use humor, multimedia content, role-play scenarios, and storytelling to help leaders create a culture that is conflict-resilient. |
| 3:15–3:30 PM | Closing |
2025 Pricing
Register for the Heads' Summit through the Thrive 2025 registration platform. This an add-on event only. Conference registration is required to purchase this add-on event.
NAIS HEADS' SUMMIT |
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| SUPER Early Bird (Through October 18) |
Early Bird (Through January 24) |
Standard | |
| Heads' Summit: NAIS Member Pricing | $260 | $260 | $310 |
| Heads’ Summit: Nonmember Pricing* | $350 | $350 | $400 |
*Nonmembers: If you are actively applying for NAIS membership, you are eligible to receive the NAIS discounted price. Contact us to learn more.
Summit Session Speakers
Amanda Ripley
New York Times best-selling author and Washington Post contributing columnist Amanda Ripley is co-founder of Good Conflict, a media and training company that helps people reimagine conflict. She has written three award-winning, nonfiction books.
High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out describes what happens when regular conflict distills into a good-versus-evil kind of feud, the type with an "us" and a "them." It is an evidence-based manual for communicating and staying sane in the current age of runaway conflict. The Smartest Kids in the World follows three American teenagers who spent one year far from home, attending public high school in the countries with the strongest education systems in the world. It was published in 15 countries, turned into a documentary film, and chosen by The Economist, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Amazon as one of the most notable books of the year. The Unthinkable chronicles the stories and wisdom of people who have survived disasters of all kinds—from hurricanes to terrorist attacks. It was published in 15 countries, turned into a PBS documentary, and selected by Hudson Booksellers as one of the Top 10 Nonfiction Books of the year.
Earlier in her career, Ripley spent a decade writing about human behavior for Time magazine in New York, Washington, and Paris. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Politico, The Guardian, and The Times of London. Ripley has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX News, and NPR. She has spoken at the Pentagon, U.S. Senate, U.S. Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and dozens of conferences.
Hélène Biandudi Hofer
Hélène Biandudi Hofer, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, is co-founder of Good Conflict, a media and training company that helps people reimagine conflict.
For nearly a decade, she led an award-winning news magazine program focused on exploring remedies to societal challenges. Her work spans investigating police reform in Camden, New Jersey, to examining education opportunities in South Sudan.
Most recently, Hélène developed and managed the Solutions Journalism Network’s Complicating the Narratives (CTN) project. CTN is a journalistic practice that can transform news coverage about controversial issues. She trained more than 1,000 journalists across 125 newsrooms throughout the world. She has worked with CBS, NPR, and PBS. She credits her passion for journalism to her Nkoko (great-grandmother), who was the oral historian of the Biandudi family in Kinshasa, DRC.
Breakout Sessions
Choose from the following breakout sessions in the 10:15 AM–12:15 PM programming slot.
Building a Tech-Savvy Board
Join Aaron Hurst, founder of the Taproot Foundation and Board.dev, for an exclusive workshop designed for leaders of independent schools. Learn how to introduce technical governance to your school’s board, effectively recruit tech-savvy members, and engage them to elevate your school’s tech capacity. Use this expert guidance to assess your current practices and create a robust three-year tech governance plan. This hands-on workshop empowers you to lead your board in adopting modern solutions and building long-term technology strategies for your institution’s success. Don’t miss this opportunity to future-proof your school’s technology governance!
- Presenter: Aaron Hurst, Board.Dev and Taproot Foundation
Making and Surviving an Unpopular Decision
For students, parents/guardians, employees, alumni, and trustees, the school can represent high and valued ideals. When empathetic breaks occur in their experience of the school and administrative decisions, anger and disappointment can ensue. How can school leaders help individuals and groups navigate the strength of those negative reactions in a manner that can allow for relational reparation and reconnection? Join us for this highly interactive workshop that includes a presentation, discussion, participant-generated scenarios, small-group and partner work, and structured personal reflections. .
- Presenters: Michael Riera, Brentwood School (CA); Daniel Frank, Francis Parker School (IL)
Leading in Transition: What Are the New Skills, Literacies, and Dispositions for Liminal Times?
A wide variety of experts agree: We are living through a time of significant transition. Traditional institutions are under duress, whether due to artificial intelligence, social-political polarization, climate pressures, staff burnout, or other emerging crises and challenges. Which begs the question: What is the purpose of school in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world? What are the new skills, literacies, and dispositions leaders need to guide their communities into the future? Unpack these big questions and learn tools and strategies to envision more relevant, just, sustainable (regenerative), healthy, and joyful schools, now and into the future.
- Presenters: Homa Tavangar and Will Richardson, Big Questions Institute
Engaging in Diversity, Inclusion, and Action: The Ins and Outs of Impactful Board Governance and Head Work
The commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) action in schools is a community-wide effort. The work of the board, head, and administrative teams can serve as both a springboard and a barrier to DEI initiatives. Join us to discuss: What is the role of the head in managing board and administrative teams in addressing DEI issues? What constitutes good governance in DEI? What is the impact on the head of a board and administration unready to address the conflicts and risk inherent in this work? How can a head minimize those challenges and ensure positive outcomes for the community?
- Presenter: Liza Talusan, LT Coaching and Consulting
Candid Conversations About Contracts and Compensation
Heads often fly solo when managing their contract negotiations. What do the salary ranges look like? What benefits should you consider? What is common out there? What key contract terms should you understand? What happens if you get fired? Come join this candid conversation covering these and many more topics that come up so frequently in contracts for heads. Take this opportunity to consider contract language and packages and gain input and insight.
- Presenters: Debra P. Wilson, NAIS; Mark Reed, John M Belk Endowment
The Art, Science, Fun, and Zen of Organizational Restructuring
What do you do when a department is underperforming? When you need to offload part of your portfolio to focus on new strategic priorities? When a leadership position opens for the first time in decades? Join our insightful and imaginative panel of heads who have experienced similar scenarios as we share strategies for restructuring not only the head's cabinet but also tackling the tough challenges of transitioning an org chart. Discover how this sometimes daunting but always rewarding work is powered by a blend of creativity (art), methodology (science), and open-mindedness (fun)—and almost always provides some mental therapy (Zen)!
- Presenter: Gabriel Lucas, 12M Recruiting; Elaine Christensen, Open Window School (WA); Raj Mundra, Lick-Wilmerding High School (CA); Roslyn Benjamin, The Children's School (GA); Virginia Paik, Live Oak School (WA); Christian Donovan, Friends School of Baltimore (MD)