Vicki Abeles

Vicki Abeles is a filmmaker, author, speaker, change agent, and youth advocate. Collectively, her films have inspired numerous communities to overhaul education policies and practices that encumber student health and meaningful learning.

A former Wall Street attorney, Abeles turned filmmaker when she noticed that children across the U.S. were struggling with a silent epidemic of school stress. A two-year investigation into America's education system grew into the award-winning documentary Race to Nowhere, which uncovers ways our obsessive achievement culture undercuts children's health, growth, and learning. Using a cutting-edge distribution model that has showcased the film in more than 10,000 community-sponsored screenings, Abeles has brought Race to Nowhere to millions of viewers around the globe, igniting a grassroots movement bent on restoring student well-being, transforming education, and redefining success.