Keynote Speaker

Hamish Brewer

Award-Winning Educator and Principal, Author, International Speaker

Hamish Brewer known as the relentless, tattooed, skateboarding principal from Northern Virginia isn't your normal principal. Hamish is high octane, constantly calling on his students to "Be Relentless." Mr. Brewer has become known as an educational disrupter who transcends the status quo and typical educational norms.

Mr. Brewer is an award-winning principal at both the secondary and elementary school levels. He was recognized in 2017 as the NAESP Nationally Distinguished Principal and Virginia Principal of the Year. He has also been recognized with the 2016 VAESP School Bell Award and ASCD Virginia Impact Award. In 2018 Hamish was named a Northern Virginian of the Year by Northern Virginia Magazine and the 2018 Principal of the Year for the online national publication - Education Dive. In 2019 Prince William County Public Schools named Hamish the school division's Principal of the Year. In 2020 Hamish was recently recognized by Omega U as the principal of the year.

Under his leadership - his elementary school was recognized as a Nationally Distinguished Title 1 School, and Hamish has since gone on to turn around one of the toughest middle schools in the state of Virginia.

Mr. Brewer is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker - motivating and inspiring audiences everywhere around the world, including being recognized as a TEDx speaker.

Originally from New Zealand where he earned his first degree from the University of Auckland. Mr. Brewer is currently a doctoral student at Virginia Tech University. Hamish is the best-selling author of "Relentless - Disrupting The Educational Norm", published in 2019.

Mr. Brewer previously served at the state level as the Federal Relations Coordinator on the Board of Directors with the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals and is currently the lead fellow of NAESP's Center for Innovative Leadership. He is a school turnaround and school improvement specialist, working with some of the most at-risk students in the United States.

Mr. Brewer was highlighted as a Hometown Hero by Fox 5 in Washington, DC. With more than 32 million views and his story has become a viral sensation through the Freethink Docuseries "Relentless", and being highlighted on all the national news broadcasts here in the US and in Australasia, including with NBC and Lester Holt. Mr. Brewer is also being featured this summer in the skateboarding humanitarian documentary Humanity Stoked.

General Session Keynote Address

Hamish Brewer will present his Keynote Address at the Opening General Session on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, from 8:45am-9:45am in the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Do you have a relevant and thoughtful question for Hamish Brewer? Help guide and shape the community conversation. Submit your question here.

Meet the Authors

Hamish Brewer will also be participating in our Meet the Authors event on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, from 9:45am-10:15am in the Exhibit Hall. Meet Hamish and get your book signed by him on-site at the conference. You canpre-purchase their book in your online account and pick it up at the BOOST Booth (#0101 & 0105) on Wednesday morning.

Relentless- Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm

Hamish Brewer (aka the Tattooed Skateboarding Principal) grew up in a home disrupted by poverty, addiction, and family dysfunction. He understands the feelings of fear, lostness, and desperation that overwhelm too many children today—because that was his life. That experience is what drives him to work relentlessly to empower people living in the toughest areas to envision and create a better future for themselves.

Disrupt the norm. That is the challenge Hamish, a Nationally Distinguished Principal, calls educators, students, families, and communities to accept. And as he authentically shares his life experiences and adventures in this book, you, too, will be inspired to . . .

Believe that something bigger and better is possible.
Pursue your best, whatever it takes.
Transform your school.
Become the educator you always dreamed of being.
Leave a legacy that pushes others to achieve their best!

Relentless is more than a motto. It’s a mission of total passion and purpose. And it’s the only way to win at work and at life. Are you ready to take your life and work to the next level?

Master Class with Hamish Brewer

soldout stamp Hamish Brewer will be facilitating a Master Class, Relentless Leadership, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, from 10:30AM-12:00PM.

You can register for this Master Class in your online account. We anticipate that this Master Class will be SOLD OUT and we recommend pre-registering in your online account to ensure access to this class.

Relentless Leadership

The Relentless Leadership Master Class is designed to help you laser focus on key areas for growth in your leadership journey, practices, and processes that align with successful school and student outcomes. This session will help you walk away with practical solutions and ideas to key education challenges around organizational improvement, closing the achievement gap, stakeholder culture, and participation that will help you like Hamish has done create an award-winning organization. There will be time for Q&A during this session.
PK, E, M, H, HE, ULA, MLA, CB, DS

GETTING TO KNOW HAMISH BREWER

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 5 Ways to Educate Your Team on Hamish Brewer and share these with your team so you know what to expect from our 2024 BOOST Conference Keynote Speaker.

Click the image below to download.