Opening Keynote

Mallory Mbalia

Director of Learning and Education

As Director of Learning and Education at Fred Rogers Productions, Mallory Mbalia advises and collaborates with colleagues to further realize the organization’s educational mission for children and families. She previously served as Director of Education at PBS North Carolina in Education and Innovation where she created and delivered educational initiatives statewide for infants to 12th grade and beyond. Mallory has also worked as an education outreach trainer for PBS North Carolina and was named a PBS Digital Innovator All Star in 2018. She has served as a home family childcare teacher as well as a kindergarten teacher and an elementary assistant principal.

Mallory has a passion for equity work, media integration, joy integration, social-emotional learning, and early childhood education. Equitable access and awareness are her driving forces for educator, parent/caregiver, family, and community outreach with joy and inclusivity as essential elements. She holds a Master’s of Curriculum and Instruction, a Master’s of School of Administration rom North Carolina State University, and a B.S. in Human Development with a concentration in Child and Adolescent Development from Howard University. Mallory is a proud wife and mother and resides in North Carolina with her family.

Closing Keynote

Benu Chhabra

Benu Chhabra has been a licensed large family child care provider in Contra Costa County for the past 24 years and has been in the early childhood education field for over 35 years. Benu is…

• President of Bay Area Professional Family Child Care Network, her county-wide family child care association.
• Treasurer for the California Family Child Care Network, a state-wide organization.
• On the Board of Directors for CocoKids, the Contra Costa County Resource and Referral Agency.
• A Member-at-Large for the National Association for Family Child Care; and
• On the Board of the Contra Costa County Local Planning and Advisory Council for Early Care and Education.

Additionally, Benu has served students from Diablo Valley College as a California Early Childhood Mentor Teacher since 2017 and has worked closely with Childcare Changemakers Community, a group of parents, child care providers/educators, and supporters coming together to fight for affordable child care for every family as well as living wages for people who work in child care since 2020.