Ivee Cruz is a visionary, creative, facilitator, educator, dancer and conscious spirit. Ivee is passionate about growth, transformation and change. Ms. Cruz is a global citizen, born in the Philippines, raised on the borderlands of California and Mexico, currently blessed to call Hawai'i home. She has lived, worked, and studied in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Ms. Cruz is a lifelong learner and is currently a PhD candidate in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. She has a Masters of Arts in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Bachelors of Arts in Global & International Studies and Sociology from the University of California Santa Barbara. Ivee has been an educator for over 20 years in public, private, and charter schools across K-12 and higher education. She has experience in social entrepreneurship, NGOs, non-profit, and governmental sectors. Her contemplative experience includes People of Color Retreats at Deer Park Monastery, Mindful Schools – Educator Training, Greater Good Science Center, and Courage of Care. As a counselor, educator, and facilitator, she aspires to bridge culture, diversity, spirituality, equity, leadership, and consciousness for youth in education.