The idea for the Dyslexia Summit originated from a meeting between President Daniele Struppa and Jamie Montgomery, managing director of March Capital Partners, and Chapman
parent. I got involved when my husband and I were at dinner with Daniele and his wife where we began talking about our ten-year-old daughter’s dyslexia and my passion for finding the right education for her, to get her help where she needed it, and to shine a light on her creative gifts. Daniele connected us with Mr. Montgomery and a few days later we began brainstorming for the Inaugural Dyslexia Summit, which took place October 2015.
The Inaugural event was an incredible success with over 250 participants and outstanding speakers including Ben Foss, paleontologist Jack Horner, UCSF brain researcher Fumiko Hoeft, and others.
There is increasing scientific knowledge about the brain and learning differences, and Chapman's goal is to remove misconceptions about what it means to learn differently and encourage inclusive learning. The Summit was created to present cutting edge brain research and translate that into innovative learning environments to meet the needs of creative thinkers through enhanced teaching methodologies.
It is essential for the general population to be educated about cognitive diversity as a civil rights issue. Neurodiversity is just as important as racial or socio-economic diversity for example, some would even argue it is among the most pressing issues of the moment.
This year the Cognitive Diversity Project has exploded and I am directing a much larger conference, which is incredibly exciting for me as this subject is near to my heart as my daughter begins a new year as a fifth grader at yet another school.
The Cognitive Diversity Conference aims to broaden the scope of diversity and inclusion at all levels of education and is looking to partner with other institutions as we grow. We hope you will join us for our 2nd annual conference with many exciting speakers including scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and educators!
Lisa Cupolo
Director, Cognitive Diversity Project
Jamie Montgomery is a Los Angeles based entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of March Capital Partners, one of Southern California’s leading technology investment firms. Previously, he was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Montgomery & Co, a leading Los Angeles-based investment bank for the support of technology.
gy companies. He is the founder of The Montgomery Summit, an annual conference that attracts over 1,000 entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate executives focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity.
Jamie is a strong supporter of Education. In addition to founding and underwriting the annual Dyslexia Summit at Chapman, he serves on the Advisory Board of the Rady School of Business at the University of California, San Diego, and actively supports programs for innovation and entrepreneurship at Claremont McKenna College and Chapman University. Jamie formerly served as Chairman of Westmark School, Vice-Chairman of Brentwood School and on the Parents Council at Stanford University. He has been recognized by multiple civic organizations for his contributions and commitment to education, scholarships and youth programs.
Jamie currently serves on the Board of Directors of Foghorn Systems, Katch and TeleSign. Jamie received his M.A. in Economics from the University of Cambridge, and a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego.
James (Jamie) Montgomery
Managing Director, March Capital Partners