Guest Speakers at the IAC Middle & Elementary School National Championships

Daniel Katz is the board chair and former president and CEO of the Rainforest Alliance, an organization he co-founded in 1986 at the age of 24. Daniel is the lead environmental advisor to the The Overbrook Foundation, where he directs environmental philanthropy in areas ranging from biodiversity conservation and sustainable consumption to movement building and innovation. At Overbrook, he has launched numerous initiatives, including Catalog Choice, an online service that offers an easy way for millions of users to stop the flow of unwanted catalogs into their mailboxes. He is currently spearheading initiatives to build a stronger, more inclusive, and more equitable environmental movement in the United States.

Daniel received his MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, where he also taught sustainability and business. He is an ICF accredited executive coach and received his training at the Hudson Institute of Coaching in Santa Barbara, California. He studied Chinese linguistics in Wuhan, the People’s Republic of China. Daniel lives in New York City with his wife, Maggie, and their two children.

Dennis A. Ross is an attorney and former Member of the United States Congress, former Member of the Florida House of Representatives, and currently serves as the Director of the American Center for Public Leadership (ACPL) at Southeastern University, where is he is also a distinguished professor of political science. He will be speaking on his experiences serving in Congress and the work of the ACPL in promoting civil discourse and citizen participation in our democracy.

Bob Boden is often considered the foremost authority on American television game shows, and has spent almost 50 years as a creator, producer, writer, network and studio executive. He is currently a Showrunner on the CBS late night and syndicated celebrity game show Funny You Should Ask, as well as co-founder of the National Archives of Game Show History, which will come to life in 2028 at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. In his career he has worked with many classic formats, including Price is Right, Press Your Luck, Family Feud, Jeopardy!, Pyramid, Let’s Make a Deal, Match Game, To Tell the Truth, Card Sharks, The Chase, Greed, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Don’t Forget the Lyrics, Family Game Night, Lingo, and Shop Til You Drop, in addition to a wide variety of reality competition programs. He will present “Anatomy of a Game Show,” which details the elements of game shows from conception through development through production, post and on air.

QuizVidya is the official AI-powered training platform for IAC competitions. It gives students a smarter, more personalized way to prepare for the History, Geography, Academic, and Science quiz competitions. In this talk, I’ll walk through how QuizVidya works and how features like spoken-clue drills, automated spaced review, Quick Review, and Good-to-Know Topics help students buzz earlier and recall faster under pressure. Whether you’re just starting out or preparing for Nationals, you’ll leave knowing how to make every practice session count.

Siddhu Nagarajan is currently a sophomore at Hillsborough High School in New Jersey. He has been in academic competitions and has been competing in various bee-style competitions since the 6th grade. In 2024, 2025, and 2026, Siddhu won the Junior Varsity National Geography Bee Gold Medal title, which was hosted by International Academic Competitions. Siddhu is also the author of two books, America Unmapped (2025) and The World Unlocked (2026). Other than academic competitions, he is also passionate about piano, chess, history, and content creation.

Rowena Scherer is an award-winning cookbook author, trained chef, and founder of eat2explore, an award-winning experiential cooking and cultural discovery kit that brings the world to life through the lens of global cuisine. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute and former New York City financial executive, she combines her passions for food, travel, education, and family to create meaningful, hands-on culinary experiences.