Rudy Ruiz is a national education thought leader with over 20 years of experience in the field. In his work as vice president and partner with FourPoint Education Partners, Rudy and his diverse team help advance educational equity through strategic planning and facilitating collective impact in communities across the country. Rudy is a doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. He recently launched a new venture, Edifying Teachers, to help ensure better support for new and aspiring educators of color, introducing an innovative platform providing daily encouragement; free, curated resources; and high-quality, ongoing mentorship from experienced educators of color. Rudy and his wife Dagmar live in Ellicott City with their three sons, Elijah, Ezra, and Evan.