Panel
From the Boardroom to the Classroom: A CEO Blueprint for Change
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Join us for a direct and dynamic Summit conversation with Black male CEOs who are leading the charge for equity. This panel will confront the systemic barriers facing Black male educators and deliver concrete strategies for change. We’ll discuss the critical impact of representation, define the actions leadership must take to support and retain talent, and outline how to build a powerful pipeline for the future. This is a session for those ready to move from talk to action. Come get the executive perspective and the actionable plan to make our schools places where Black male educators can—and do—thrive.
About
Keynote
Raymond McGuire
President and Co-Head of Financial Advisory in North America at Lazard
Raymond J. McGuire was named the President of Lazard in April 2023. He is also Co‑Head of Financial Advisory in North America for Lazard. Prior to joining Lazard, Mr. McGuire held a 13-year term as Citigroup’s Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, the longest tenure for this position in the history of Wall Street. Afterwards, he was the Vice Chairman of Citigroup and Chairman of Citi’s Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory business. Previously, Mr. McGuire was the Global Co-Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley, a Managing Director in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc and was one of the original members of Wasserstein Perella & Co., Inc. He started his career in 1984 in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group of The First Boston Corporation.
Mr. McGuire is currently a member of the corporate boards of the Hess Corporation and Vornado Realty Trust. He was formerly a board member of KKR & Co., Inc. He received his M.B.A. and J.D. from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School and an A.B. from Harvard College.
Our Speakers
Linton Man III
Chair, Uncommon New York City Charter Schools Board of Trustees
Linton Mann III is a Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. He brings extensive, nationwide experience in defending and advising financial institutions, boards, and companies in complex, high-stakes litigation across a diverse spectrum of disputes, including securities litigation, class actions, breach of fiduciary duty, Ponzi schemes and other fraud-related matters, business torts, federal and state RICO matters, deceptive acts and practices, and financial products liability. Linton is also a leader in the Firm’s Anti-Discrimination Litigation and Advisory Practice, and a member of its Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice, including the Artificial Intelligence Working Group. Beyond litigation, Linton provides proactive counsel to help clients anticipate potential areas of exposure, mitigate risks, and manage complex regulatory challenges. Linton is Co-Chair of the Firm’s Recruiting and United for Justice Committees.
Linton is consistently named a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500, where sources say he “stands out from his peers for his securities work.” Recognized among Crain’s “40 Under 40,” 2024 “Notable Black Leaders” and 2023 “Notable LGBTQIA+ Leaders,” Linton was also recognized among the “Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40” for 2022 by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, and has been named a “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal, Law360 and Euromoney. Linton is also recognized by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” and was a repeat honoree on Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List.”
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Linton is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for Uncommon Charter Schools New York City, which oversees twenty-four public charter schools in Brooklyn, New York. He is also Chair of the Board of Directors of Manhattan Legal Services, a program of Legal Services NYC, the largest provider of pro bono civil legal services in the country. In 2023, Linton was one of four recipients of the Pro Bono Service Award from the Legal Services Corporation, and the Chief Judge of New York’s Court of Appeals appointed Linton to the Permanent Commission on Access to Justice, which has a mission to expand access to civil legal services and improve access to justice generally.
Darryl Williams
Chief Executive Officer of Teach Like A Champion
Darryl Williams is Chief Executive Officer of the Teach Like a Champion (TLAC) where he shapes the strategic direction of the organization, co-manages our emerging consulting and partnerships work, facilitates national workshops, and provides executive leadership support to partners. Along with a few other amazing teachers, Darryl was one of the original champions Doug studied when writing Teach Like a Champion. Most recently, Darryl co-authored Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging with several of his colleagues at TLAC.
Prior to joining the TLAC team, Darryl served as the Chief Officer, Office of School Leadership, for the Houston Independent School District (HISD). In this role, he was responsible for leading training and building systems to support the development of principals and district-level leaders. Prior to his work in HISD, Darryl was a Regional Superintendent with Achievement First Inc., and a principal and teacher in upstate New York.
Dr. Vernon-James Riley
Founder and Chief Education Officer of VJR Consulting Firm
Dr. Vernon-James Riley is the Founder and Chief Education Officer of VJR Consulting Firm, through which he and his consultants network train, coach, and support school and system-level leaders to strengthen the mindsets, skills, habits, and systems necessary for transformative instructional leadership—ultimately driving teacher development and accelerating student growth and achievement. Known as a knowledgeable and dynamic facilitator of adult learning, Vernon-James has led professional development for over 10,000 educators in cities across the U.S. and the United Kingdom, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Philadelphia, New York City, San Antonio, Tulsa, Washington, D.C., and more.
Earlier in his career, Vernon-James served as Principal of North Star Academy West Side Park Middle School in Newark, New Jersey—part of the Uncommon Schools network. Under his leadership, the campus achieved significant academic growth, with all grades outperforming state averages in Math and exceeding the performance of New Jersey’s non-economically disadvantaged students in English Language Arts. He began his career as a teacher, Dean of Students, and Director of Operations.
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Earlier in his career, Vernon-James served as Principal of North Star Academy West Side Park Middle School in Newark, New Jersey—part of the Uncommon Schools network. Under his leadership, the campus achieved significant academic growth, with all grades outperforming state averages in Math and exceeding the performance of New Jersey’s non-economically disadvantaged students in English Language Arts. He began his career as a teacher, Dean of Students, and Director of Operations.