Global Educators Driving Innovation, Inclusion, and Educational Excellence, 2026
Dr. Rania Lampou, a STEM Instructor and Global Educator, exemplifies this modern purpose. Her journey influenced by CERN’s Playing with Protons initiative highlights the power of experiential learning and interdisciplinary teaching that merges STEM with arts, technology, and neuroscience.
On Cover
Dr. Rania Lampou
Growing up in Greece and facing challenges from an early age, she learned firsthand that knowledge opens doors, creates opportunities, and brings hope even in difficult circumstances. This belief has remained steady throughout her career, even as it has been tested and refined through decades of teaching, research, and humanitarian work.
Andrew Wachtel
Co-founder and Director | Compass College of Art and Design Professions & inVision U
Andrew Wachtel is an internationally recognized education leader, institution builder, and visionary shaping the future of higher education through global collaboration, innovation, and human centered learning. As Co-founder and Director of Compass College of Art and Design Professions and President of inVision U, he has dedicated his career to transforming educational systems and creating meaningful opportunities for students and educators across emerging global regions.
Dareen Tawil
Educational Consultant, Global Advisor and Strategist. Founder & CEO of EMPOWER Rise Above(ERA)
Long before any formal position confirmed what those around her could already see, Dareen was drawn to the work of empowerment. Supporting individuals in reaching their potential, creating positive ripple effects within communities, and building something that outlasted her direct involvement were not ambitions she developed over time. They were simply who she was. When a mentor recognized that in 2010 and encouraged her to step into educational leadership, it was less a turning point than a confirmation.
Rania Abdelfattah Obeid
STEM Director, Educational Consultant & Research Scholar
In a world where education systems struggle to keep pace with technological advancement and societal needs, Rania Abdelfattah Obeid stands as a beacon of transformative change. Her journey from a curious educator to a globally recognized STEM advocate represents more than professional growth; it embodies a mission to revolutionize how we prepare students for a future that demands both technical proficiency and purposeful innovation.
Najwa Saba ‘Ayon Fares
Professor & Academic Coordinator | EFL and Intercultural Communication Specialist Rafik Hariri University, Lebanon | EdD, University of Sussex | UNESCO Story Circle Trainer
Before she stood in front of university students in Lebanon, before she earned her Doctorate in Education from the University of Sussex, before she became a professor, curriculum reformer, UNESCO Story Circle trainer, and advocate for ethical AI integration in higher education, Najwa Saba ‘Ayon Fares was lining up her dolls and teaching them English. She would explain vocabulary, correct imaginary errors, and picture herself in front of a classroom. What looked like childhood play was, in retrospect, the earliest expression of a vocation she has spent her entire career living out with rigour, warmth, and an ever-deepening conviction about what education is truly for.
Dr. Asma Khalfan Al Aufi
Lecturer at Sultan Qaboos University | Managing Director, Moon Group LLC
In an era where education and enterprise often operate in separate silos, Dr. Asma Khalfan Al Aufi stands as a remarkable exception. Her dual identity as a university lecturer and managing director of an established Omani enterprise represents more than just professional versatility. It embodies a philosophy that academic rigor and business acumen are not opposing forces but complementary dimensions of transformative leadership.
Sally Jones
Founder, SQS4KIDS
Some missions begin with anger. Others begin with grief. Sally Jones’s began with something quieter and far more enduring: a personal reckoning with her own childhood that refused to let her look away. That experience, and the determination it ignited, became the seed of SQS4KIDS a trauma-informed child protection program now poised to reach classrooms across the globe.
Rydhima Gupta
Founder of Upskill with Ridzi
In an era where education technology often prioritizes scale over substance, one educator stands apart by asking a fundamentally different question: How can technology amplify the human elements of teaching rather than replace them? Rydhima Gupta’s journey from classroom teacher to founder of Upskill with Ridzi represents more than a career transition. It embodies a philosophy that learning, at its core, remains deeply human work.
Samita Bhattacharya
Founder of Frankly Speaking Tuition
Samita Bhattacharya is an international literature educator and founder of Frankly Speaking Tuition, a Singapore based virtual education center dedicated to personalized and transformative learning. With more than eleven years of teaching experience across global curricula, she has become known for helping students move beyond memorization toward deeper critical thinking, analytical confidence, and independent interpretation.
Joan Gillman
Science Educator & Environmental Advocate, The Browning School
In the bustling corridors of The Browning School, where 400 young minds navigate their educational journey, one educator stands as a beacon of inclusive excellence. Joan Gillman’s path to becoming one of New York City’s most celebrated science educators began not in a laboratory or lecture hall, but on a lower school playground where she discovered her gift for ensuring every child had a place to shine.
Dr. Kavitha Rathinam
Math Educator | Orangeburg County School District
In the landscape of education, some of the most transformative teachers never planned to enter a classroom. Dr. Kavitha Rathinam’s story begins not with childhood dreams of teaching, but with a complete redirection of life’s compass. Like many Indian families, hers envisioned a future in medicine. Yet in 2014, what began as simply securing employment evolved into something far more profound.
