Co-founded by former CNN host and education reform activist Campbell Brown, the organization's name refers to the 74 million children in America under 18 years of age.

Romy Drucker, who previously worked for the New York City Department of Education under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is co-founder and CEO.

The summit was sponsored by the American Federation for Children, the nation's leading school-choice advocacy organization.

[7][8][9] The 74 also scheduled a second education summit in Iowa to feature Democratic presidential candidates in conjunction with the Des Moines Register, the state's largest daily newspaper.

In an interview with Politico, Campbell Brown said Democratic candidates were unwilling to attend the event because of pressure from historically Democratic teachers unions eager to move the party away from school reforms implemented under President Barack Obama.