About Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. Educator - Read short Bio Professional educator since 1972, from high school teacher, principal, central office administrator, to educational consultant Provides training in how to work effectively with individuals from poverty Has trained tens of thousands of professionals yearly since 1996 Has certified more than 7,000 Framework trainers Mission: to positively impact the education and lives of individuals in poverty throughout the world Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Loyola, IL; M.S. English Literature, Western Michigan University; MI, B.A. Goshen College, IN Speaker Expert on poverty and mindsets of economic classes Accessible style, using humor and stories Message relevant to business leaders, educators, community and social service workers Helps find creative and practical solutions to the challenges of working across socioeconomic lines Speaks more than 150 days a year, with past engagements including China & U.S. Conference on Educational Leadership, PBS, Harvard’s Summer Institute for Principals, SCERT (Delhi, India), Tasmania Teacher Training, National Conference of State Legislatures, Annual Conference of Southwest Foundations, Walt Disney World Educator Symposium, NY Superintendents Association, Chief Officers of State School Departments Author Hidden Rules of Class at Work Written for the workplace Helps understand motivation, and mindset of entry-level employees Helps assess one’s own ability to get promoted A Framework for Understanding Poverty – seminal work, 1995 Has sold more than 1,000,000 copies For educators and other professionals Teaches the hidden rules and mindsets of economic class Teaches specific strategies for overcoming poverty’s obstacles Also wrote and co-authored a dozen books surrounding issues of poverty in areas of education, social services, the workplace, communities, churches, and leadership Business owner Founder and CEO of aha! Process, Inc. (formerly RFT Publishing) in 1995 Employs 25 full - or part-time staff Has cadre of 70 consultant presenters Has published more than 100 books and video products, offering a dozen different seminars