Adele Diamond

Canada Research Chair, University of British Columbia

Adele Diamond holds the Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at UBC and is widely recognized as the founder of the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience. Her pioneering research on executive functions — including working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control — has profoundly influenced education policy and practice worldwide, providing scientific grounding for approaches long championed by Montessori.

Alain Tschudin

President, AMI

Alain Tschudin holds two PhDs and has served as President of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) since 2022. He holds the UNESCO Gandhi-Montessori-Luthuli Chair and brings a rare combination of academic depth and institutional leadership to the global Montessori movement, advancing the method's role in education, peace, and human development.

Angeline Stoll Lillard

Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia

Angeline Stoll Lillard is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia and the author of Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, now in its third edition. Her extensive research provides compelling scientific evidence that the Montessori method produces meaningful benefits for children's academic, social, and emotional development — making the case that what Montessori intuited, science now confirms.

Anuradha Shankar

Indian Police Service Officer & Educator

Anuradha Shankar is an Indian Police Service officer whose work integrates Gandhian values with Montessori principles and child rights. She serves as a UNICEF Focal Point and has worked to build bridges between peace, justice, and education — bringing a rare perspective on how Montessori philosophy can transform social systems and communities at scale.

Bo Mynett

AMI 6–12 Trainer

Bo Mynett is an AMI-certified 6–12 trainer who directed the first AMI 6–12 diploma course held in Delft, Netherlands. With decades of experience in Montessori elementary education and teacher formation, his work on belonging, identity, and community offers a vision of education rooted in dignity, deep connection, and the child's rightful place in the world.

Eder Cuevas Iturralde

Executive Director, Montessori México

Eder Cuevas Iturralde is Executive Director of Montessori México and a member of the AMI board. He has been a driving force in growing the Montessori movement across Latin America, fostering connections between educators, institutions, and families committed to authentic Montessori implementation. His vision of legacy and shared journey shapes the final days of this congress.

Gabor Maté

Physician, Author & Speaker

Gabor Maté is a retired physician who spent years working in Vancouver's Downtown East Side with patients facing addiction, trauma, and mental illness. Recipient of the Order of Canada, he is the author of The Myth of Normal and several other widely read books on stress, trauma, and human development. His work on why children become stressed — and how to restore healthy balance in adult-child relationships — resonates deeply with Montessori's commitment to the whole child.

Judi Orion

Director of Pedagogy, AMI

Judi Orion is Director of Pedagogy at the Association Montessori Internationale and retired in 2020 from the Montessori Institute of Denver, where she trained generations of Montessori teachers. With decades of experience in AMI teacher education at the 3–6 and 6–12 levels, she is one of the most trusted voices in articulating the foundations of joyful, authentic Montessori practice.

Julia Ballesteros

Human Communication Therapist & AMI Trainer

Julia Ballesteros is a Human Communication therapist and the first AMI Montessori trainer in Spanish for aging and dementia care. Her work bridges Montessori philosophy, human development, and dignity in care environments — exploring what it means to live fully at every stage of life. Her session invites us to consider how doing becomes being on the joyful journey that is Montessori.

Lynne Lawrence

Executive Director, AMI

Lynne Lawrence has served as Executive Director of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) since June 2008. Leading the organization founded by Maria Montessori herself, she has stewarded AMI through a period of significant global expansion, deepening its mission to preserve the integrity of Montessori pedagogy and extend its reach to children, families, and educators around the world.

Molly O'Shaughnessy

AMI Primary Trainer & Executive Director Emeritus, MCM

Molly O'Shaughnessy is an AMI Primary (3–6) Trainer, Executive Director Emeritus of the Montessori Center of Minnesota, and founder of the Montessori Public School Alliance Collaborative (MPSAC). Her life's work centers on the child as a source of wonder and wisdom — and on equipping teachers to meet children with the reverence, knowledge, and humility their development deserves.