Kim Bearden is the cofounder, executive director, and language arts teacher at the highly acclaimed Ron Clark Academy, an innovative middle school and educator-training facility in Atlanta. More than 115,000 educators from around the world have visited Kim's classroom and have attended her workshops to learn better ways to engage students, promote academic excellence, build relationships, and create a climate and culture for success.

Throughout her career, Kim has received numerous accolades, such as being inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She was chosen from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Humanities Teacher, and the Milken Family Foundation selected her to receive the Award for Excellence in Education. She is the winner of the InfluencHer Award, the University of Georgia Outstanding Educator Award, and the Turknett Character Award for Servant Leadership. Mercedes-Benz recognized her in their Greatness Lives Here campaign, and Women Works Media Group has named her one of Georgia's Most Powerful and Influential Women.

Over the past thirty-six years, she has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, curriculum director, school board member, staff development trainer, and middle-school principal. Kim is also a wife, mom, and bestselling author of three books: Crash Course, Talk to Me, and Fight Song: Six Steps to Passion, Power, Peace, and Purpose.

Before Kim comes to the stage, please watch this video about where she spends her days at the Ron Clark Academy.