2021 Conference Speakers
Over a career spanning two decades, Nishant Mehta has worked in or consulted for K-12 schools of all types on issues of leadership, culture, strategy and change management, and equity and justice.
At Storbeck Search, he heads the firm’s Independent Schools practice, recruiting transformational leadership for private, charter, and mission-driven schools across the country. In addition to his active role in executive-level searches, he offers consulting on strategy and DE&I, as well as leadership and governance coaching and training for education and nonprofit organizations.
Prior to joining Storbeck, Nishant served as Head of The Children’s School (TCS), an independent JK-8 school in Atlanta that was lauded in 2017 as a “model to follow” for innovation by NAIS’s "Independent School" magazine. In addition to his leadership of TCS, Nishant has twice co-chaired the National Association of Independent School’s (NAIS) People of Color Conference; served on the faculty of the Student Diversity Leadership Conference and the Diversity Leadership Institute, authored articles for NAIS publications; served on the NAIS and the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Boards; led workshops on equity and inclusion, and governance and school leadership at national and regional conferences; and was the founder of The Children’s School’s Master Class in Inclusive Leadership, a summer leadership opportunity designed specifically for women and people of color. For three summers now, Nishant has served as a faculty mentor of the NAIS Institute for New Heads, where he coaches new heads of school.
Nishant grew up in Mumbai, India, and came to the United States as a junior in boarding school. He has lived in four countries and is fluent in several languages. Based in Atlanta, he serves on the advisory boards of the Woodruff Arts Center's Alliance Theatre and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, and on the boards of NBOA and Asheville School. He is a former board chair of the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE). Nishant also serves as a script advisor to the show “Sesame Street,” and he is the founder of The Inclusive Leader Book Club which meets monthly to discuss issues of equity and inclusion in school cultures and communities.
Nicole Brittingham Furlonge is Professor and Director of the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College Columbia University. She also serves as Narrative Medicine Core Collaborator at Columbia Medical School and is co-founder of LEARNS Collaborative, a catalyzer for human-centered, equitable change in organizations. A first generation college student, Nicole earned her Ph.D. and BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, and her M.A. from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Teachers College, Nicole served as Director of Teaching and Learning at the Holderness School. She has taught English and served as English Department Chair and Director of Diversity at several independent schools, including St. Andrew's School (Delaware), The Lawrenceville School, and Princeton Day School. Nicole is the author of Race Sounds: The Art of Listening in African American Literature, published by the University of Iowa Press. Her book demonstrates listening as an essential interpretive and civic act that leads to deeper engagement with others. Nicole has previously served on the boards of People and Stories/Gente y Cuentos and Village Charter School in Trenton, NJ. Currently, she serves on the board of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning. Dr. Furlonge’s research examines the intersections between listening, cognitive neuroscience, social justice, and school leadership. She lives in Yonkers, NY with her spouse, Nigel (Klingenstein Center alum), their three children, and their puppy.