Handsprings 2026: Faculty
Keynote Speakers
Zahra Marwan
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Agents
Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox Literary
Kaitlyn Sanchez, Bradford Literary*
*Online Only. Pitch Party Round Table Panelist, open to queries from Handsprings attendees
Sara Megibow, Megibow Literary*
*Online Only. Pitch Party Round Table Panelist, open to queries from Handsprings attendees
Adria Goetz*
*Online Only. Pitch Party Round Table Panelist, open to queries from Handsprings attendees
TBA*
*Online Only. Pitch Party Round Table Panelist, open to queries from Handsprings attendees
TBA*
*Online Only. Pitch Party Round Table Panelist, open to queries from Handsprings attendees
Presenters
Ali DeMoro
Alexandra Diaz
Laurel Goodluck
Laurel is a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and the Tsimshian Nation. She lives in Albuquerque, NM. Before writing for children, she worked for various non-profits in community advocacy. She received both her BA in Psychology and an MA in Counseling and Family Studies at UNM. She has several award-winning picture books and one young-reader chapter-book biography. Her newest picture book, Stories Are the Heart of the World (Simon & Schuster, 2026), weaves an intertribal celebration of traditions and stories that help Indigenous children, and all children, understand who they are as they enter and discover the world.
