Keynote Speaker

Author, Speaker, Scholar, and Advocate for Marginalized and Underserved Youth

Dr. Tommie Mabry is an international speaker, nationally recognized educator, and best-selling author whose story of resilience and transformation has inspired audience worldwide. As the author of his memoir, A Dark Journey to a Light Future, and three other impactful books, Dr. Mabry shares a powerful message of hope and perseverance. His achievements have been celebrated on platforms like USA Today, PBS Network, The Jennifer Hudson Show, and FOX Soul, among others. ​

​Growing up in one of Jackson, Mississippi's toughest neighborhoods, Tommie faced significant challenges early on. By fifth grade, he was arrested for breaking into the state fairgrounds and spent much of his school years suspended or expelled. A judge once predicted he would end up dead or in prison within five years - a statement that ultimately became a turning point. Through basketball, Tommie found a new path, traveling with an AAU team and becoming the first in his family to graduate high school in 2007. Despite being shot during his senior year, he persevered and earned a full basketball scholarship to Missouri State University, West Plains.

Tommie graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Education from Tougaloo College and went on to earn an M.A. in Child Development. In 2020, he completed an Executive Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education at Jackson State University. His journey came full circle when he was hired as a teacher by the same Jackson Public School District that once expelled him.

Today, as the founder of the Tommie Mabry Company, Dr. Mabry travels the globe, inspiring students, educators, and leaders through his compelling story and actionable insights. His latest book, Perspective! The Secret to Student Motivation and Success, earned him the prestigious Corwin New Voices Award in 2022. In 2025, he was recognized as one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Men in Business.

Dr. Mabry lives by the motto, “I cannot walk in my future with my foot in my past,” embodying his belief in the power of transformation.

GENERAL SESSION KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Dr. Tommie Mabry will present their Keynote Address at the General Session on Thursday, April 29, 2027, at 8:45am in the Palm Springs Convention Center. 

Keynote Meet & Greet and Book Signing

Dr. Tommie Mabry will also be participating in our Keynote Meet & Greet and Book Signing event on Thursday, April 29, 2027, at 9:45am at the BOOST Collaborative Booth in the Exhibit Hall. You can pre-purchase their book in your online account. If you have pre-purchased a book, you can pick it up at the BOOST Booth. There will also be a limited supply of books to purchase. We cannot guarantee the availability of books on-site, and we recommend that you pre-order this book in your registration account.

Perspective!: The Secret to Student Motivation and Success

Understand Where Your Students are Coming From!

The factors that influence students’ beliefs and attitudes about the value of formal education are complex and expansive, especially with respect to marginalized student populations. Motivational speaker and master storyteller Dr. Tommie Mabry builds from personal experiences as a child labeled "at risk" to promote empathy and understanding in motivating the success of youth.

Written in a clear style, this practical guide leads educators through shifting student perspectives on the value and benefits of formal schooling, beginning first with teacher self-examination of their own perspectives.  Perspective is a holistic construct that encompasses mindset, emotions, effort, and outcomes. Layered with effective methodologies, chapters address a range o­f critical topics important to this view of perspective, including extensive information on

• Building positive relationships
• Drawing on educators’ empathic capacity
• Engendering trust
• Practicing culturally responsive teaching
• Igniting students’ passions

Written with an emphasis on marginalized students and adverse childhood experiences, the concepts and strategies are applicable across all student populations.

Click here to add this book to your registration. 

Master Class with Dr. Tommie mabry

11:00 AM-12:00 PM 
*Space is limited. Pre-registration is highly recommended. 

Beyond the Behavior: Turning Connection Into Action
Dr. Tommie Mabry, Author, Speaker, Scholar, and Advocate, Tommie Mabry Company, Ridgeland, MS

Understanding the story behind a young person's behavior is only the beginning. The next question is: What do we do with that understanding?

In this highly interactive breakout session, Dr. Tommie Mabry takes participants from awareness to action. Building on the importance of perspective, participants will explore practical, relationship-centered strategies for connecting with young people who may be disengaged, resistant, frustrated, or impacted by trauma and adversity.

Rather than focusing only on correcting behavior, participants will learn how to identify what behavior may be communicating, respond in ways that preserve relationships, and create environments where young people feel safe enough to engage, grow, and succeed.

Through real-world scenarios, reflection, discussion, and practical application, participants will examine their responses to challenging behaviors and develop strategies they can use immediately in classrooms, after-school programs, mentoring relationships, and community settings.

Participants Will Learn How To:

• Identify what may be happening beneath challenging or disruptive behavior.
• Respond to behavior without damaging the relationship with the young person.
• Use relationship-building strategies to increase trust, participation, and engagement.
• Recognize common triggers and understand how trauma and adversity can affect a young person's response to adults and authority.
• Apply practical strategies for de-escalating difficult situations.
• Create a culture of belonging where young people know they are seen, heard, and valued.
• Move from simply managing behavior to developing the whole young person.
• Turn everyday interactions into opportunities for connection, growth, and transformation.
• Develop practical strategies for responding to challenging youth behaviors.
• Strengthen their ability to build authentic and trusting relationships with young people.
• Increase their understanding of the connection between behavior, trauma, environment, and unmet needs.
• Practice approaches that promote engagement, accountability, resilience, and belonging.
• Create an actionable plan for applying relationship-centered strategies in their own programs, schools, and communities.

The Breakout Experience

This is not a sit-and-get session. Participants will have opportunities to examine real-life scenarios, discuss common challenges, reflect on their own practices, and determine how they would respond when faced with difficult situations involving young people.

The goal is simple: move from knowing better to doing differently.

When we learn to see beyond the behavior, we stop asking, "How do I control this young person?" and start asking, "How do I connect with this young person?"

That shift can change everything.

Click here to learn more about this Master Class.

EDUCATE YOUR TEAM ON Dr. Tommie Mabry

BOOST is proud to bring prominent experts, researchers, and leaders to our General Sessions. We have created a useful guide to support your learning prior to attending the BOOST Conference. Download our guide on How to Educate Your Team About Dr. Tommie Mabry and share it with your team so you know what to expect from our 2027 BOOST Conference Keynote Speaker.

Click the image to download.