Meet the Speakers
Get to Know Our Speakers!
Make the most of your time at convention, by getting to know our speakers, and planning which sessions you’d like to attend.
Jared Dodd
Jared Dodd is an author, pastor, and speaker who has been doing ministry for the last 20+ years. He and his wife, Amy, homeschool their 9 children and travel the country speaking on many different subjects; Apologetics, Family, Homeschooling, Discipleship, etc. They have a weekly broadcast radio show called The Blessed Family and currently have three full length video series on RightNow Media.
Jared is the author of nearly a dozen books including the Scroll Saga (The Castle and the Scroll, The Dragon and the King, The Maiden and the Serpent), and the DIO Trilogy (Discipleship, Immersion, and Obedience). He was recently the KeyNote Speaker at the North Dakota Homeschool Convention. His greatest passion is the renewal of the Biblical Family. To find more of Jared’s resources, including books, videos, and audios please visit jareddodd.com
*Allen and The Woodlands Conventions
Heather Haupt
Heather Haupt’s background in neuroscience alongside her voracious love of learning and fascination with HOW kids learn fuels both her own family’s learning adventures as well as her desire to equip others. Recognizing the brevity of childhood and the power of a parent’s influence, Heather both inspires and equips families toward intentional parenting, pursuing God, and delighting in the adventure of learning. She is a popular speaker and author of the books Knights-in-Training: Ten Principles for Raising Honorable, Courageous and Compassionate Boys, The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks, and co-author of the curriculum GO GLOBAL: A Literature-Heavy, Movement-Rich Learning Adventure.
Amber O’Neal Johnston – Heritage Mom
Amber lives in Georgia nestled among pine trees, hammocks and ziplines with her husband and their four children. Her happy place is the back porch on a rainy day, preferably with a giant mug of hot tea and a good book. And although she was raised in the air conditioning, somehow the woods is where she feels most at home these days. Amber is the author of A Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond (TarcherPerigee), and she writes about adding multicultural mirrors and windows to a traditional Charlotte Mason education at HeritageMom.com and @heritagemomblog.
*The Woodlands Convention only
Dr. Kathy Koch
Dr. Kathy Koch (pronounced “Cook”) is the Founder and President of Celebrate Kids, Inc., a Christian ministry based in Fort Worth, TX. She is an internationally celebrated speaker and popular radio guest who has influenced thousands of parents, teachers, and children in 30 countries through keynote messages, workshops, seminars, assemblies, and other events. Her practical, relevant, results-oriented concepts and engaging, honoring, and humorous speaking style draw enthusiastic raves from children, teens, parents, and educators. They leave her events armed with new beliefs, attitudes, and practical tools and increased hope in God to build healthy relationships and increase success in family, life, and school. She earned a Ph.D. in reading and educational psychology from Purdue University, and was a tenured associate professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, a teacher of second graders, a middle school coach, and a school board member for a Christian school prior to becoming a full-time conference and keynote speaker in 1991.
*Allen and The Woodlands Conventions
JD & Brittney Lott – American Family Road Trip
JD and Britney are both combat veterans, entrepreneurs who have been featured in entrepreneur.com, and Adventurous Spirits. They sold everything they had to move into a 217 sq. ft. RV he converted from a military bus. They’ve been traveling the country the past three years with their six young children and one on the way. Their hearts’ desire is to align their lives with God’s will. Focusing on generational discipleship, roadschooling, and ministering to and encouraging Christian families. JD also spends a fair amount of time consulting individuals and organizations how to respond to the macroeconomic challenges facing the US. You can be encouraged and follow along on the journey on which God takes them on their Instagram page @americanfamilyroadtrip.
Warren & Mary Robins – Family Reform
Warren and Mary have been married for over 35 years and are the proud parents of 8 children, most of which are married and bringing them a growing number of grandchildren (12 and counting). They homeschooled all their children over a span of 28 years.
For years, the Robbins have been teaching, discipling, and coaching parents in various stages of parenting. Many families who have benefited from their teaching strongly encouraged them to make their materials more broadly accessible to others. Warren left his technology career to launch Parent Reform alongside Mary – resigning his role in Dell’s Office of the CTO where he was responsible for defining the security strategy for Dell’s Internet of Things initiative. His knowledge in technology and cybersecurity has proven invaluable for advising parents about technology in the home.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that “For everything there is a season.” Warren and Mary have intentionally waited in launching this ministry until most of their children were grown and the fruit from their labors tested and evident. As they have entered the “fall” season of parenting they believe this is the time to share what they have lived and learned.
While both hold college degrees, their credentials in creating Parent Reform comes from the school of experience that has been their tutor these past many years. Their deepest desire and motivation is to share with others what God has taught them to help equip and encourage the next generation as they raise their children for the glory of God!
*Allen and The Woodlands Conventions
Rebecca Spooner – Gather Round & HomeschoolOn
Rebecca is a homeschool mom of 5 kids, creator of Gather ‘Round Homeschool, owner of Homeschoolon.com, and author of More Than Words Bible curriculum. She is a second generation homeschooler who is passionate about sharing her successes and failures . . . to be authentic and honest that this is not always easy, but it is possible. Join her for stories from the trenches of homeschool life that are relatable, funny, and all too true. And may you walk away with practical tools and strategies and a fresh new perspective to keep you going. Bring a cup of coffee, it’s about to get real.
*Allen and The Woodlands Conventions
Denise Thomas
TEDx speaker, international best-selling author, and coach to parents of college-bound teens, Denise’s mission is to ‘flip’ the student debt statistic in the U.S. using her Cracking the Code to Free College strategy.
7000 hours of research resulted in Denise’s proprietary repeatable strategy that got both of her homeschooled teens accepted to every college applied to. They attended college on 17 scholarships exceeding $199,000, graduating college with cash left over. Denise says you can keep your money. “Send your kids to college on other people’s cash!” ™
“College doesn’t have to be a Debt sentence.”™ Denise Thomas
