Karen Mayer Cunningham

Karen Mayer Cunningham is a nationally recognized special education advocate, keynote speaker, and professional development trainer with over 25 years of experience supporting students with disabilities and their families in navigating the special education system. Known as the Special Education Boss®, she is the founder of Special Education Academy™, an online training platform that has served tens of thousands of parents, educators, and professionals, and she has participated in thousands of IEP and 504 meetings across the country. She is also a certified mediator and a John Maxwell Certified Speaker and Behavioral Analysis Trainer, applying her expertise in leadership, communication, and conflict resolution to advocacy and training work.

Cunningham is the creator of The Epic IEP™ educational framework and host of the Special Education Boss® podcast. She is the author of The Epic IEP: A Powerful Playbook for Parents, Educators, and Advocates Navigating the Special Education Process (Simon & Schuster, 2026), The Epic IEP™: PARA, and The Epic IEP™ Guide to Federal and State Laws for Special Education, the latter a reference work aligning federal IDEA regulations with state codes across all 50 states.