Texas Tribune Festival 2019

Tough is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine, where he writes about education, parenting, poverty and politics. He is the author of The New York Times bestseller “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character,” and, most recently, “Helping... Read More →

Paredes is the Texas commissioner of higher education and the CEO of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He spent most of his career at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he spent 30 years as an English professor and 10 as vice chancellor for academic development... Read More →

Williams joined the Center for Public Policy Priorities in 2018 and focuses on postsecondary education and immigration policy. She is dedicated to intersectional policy research and advocacy and previously researched the disparate impact of high-cost online lending on communities... Read More →

Bertani joined Walmart in 2013 and is currently the company’s senior director of learning strategy and innovation. She is responsible for delivering training, development and education programs to the company’s U.S. employees. Previously, she held positions with the Bill and Melinda... Read More →

Turner, D-Grand Prairie, has represented House District 101 since 2013. He also served as the district’s state representative from 2009 to 2011. He currently serves as chair of the House Higher Education Committee and as vice chair of the Redistricting Committee, and he sits on... Read More →