The NASS 2026 Annual Meeting Presidential Guest Speaker will be Jennifer Breheny Wallace, an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who has written two instant New York Times bestsellers, “Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic — And What We Can Do About It” and “Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose,” both published by Penguin Random House.

Wallace is the founder of The Mattering Institute and co-founder of The Mattering Movement, a national nonprofit advancing mattering practices in K–12 schools. She serves on the Advisory Board for Making Caring Common at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was a guest lecturer for NYU’s Fall 2025 course, Education, Mattering, and the American Dream.

A maternal mental health advocate at Calm, Wallace also consults for Netflix, is a BCG BrightHouse Luminary, and has partnered with The LEGO Group on its global “Play Unstoppable” campaign, addressing perfectionism and fostering confidence through play.