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Ashley Mathis is the Chief Executive Officer for SmartLab. A mission-driven education executive, Ashley joined the company in June 2020. She is responsible for advancing the organization’s mission to “engage every learner, every day” through high-quality, interdisciplinary, project-based learning environments and curriculum experiences that help students develop next-generation skills. Ashley has nearly two decades of experience working in customer-facing roles within education technology companies. Prior to joining SmartLab, Ashley previously spent seven years at Teaching Strategies, where she most recently served as the company’s President and was responsible for sales, marketing, public policy, customer success, operations, and human resources. Before joining Teaching Strategies, Ashley served in leadership positions at Discovery Education, where she led the company’s customer success, sales, and marketing efforts. Ashley holds a B.A. in Mass Communications and English Literature from Denison University.
Geoff Brovich is the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer for SmartLab. Geoff supports the organization’s goal to engage and empower students by managing the financial performance of the company. Prior to joining SmartLab, Geoff served as the Director of Finance for KIPP Colorado. In addition to his education experience, Geoff’s background in management consulting spans multiple industries including retail distribution, equipment manufacturing, telecom infrastructure, and financial services. Geoff is the Board Treasurer for Downtown Denver Expeditionary School as well as a Founding Board Member of Be The Change Community School. Geoff holds a B.B.A. from Villanova University.
Donovan Goode is the Vice President of Sales for SmartLab. Donovan is responsible for the organization’s revenue growth by leading a team of trusted advisors who forge partnerships with K-12 schools and districts throughout the United States. Donovan started his career as a high school teacher and district technology leader. Since leaving the classroom, he has over two decades of experience working in sales and marketing roles within education technology companies. Prior to joining SmartLab, Donovan led sales teams for STEMscopes, Parchment, Hobsons, and Discovery Education. Donovan holds a B.F.A. in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Noel Johnson is the Vice President of Marketing for SmartLab. Noel has been working in K–12 EdTech for 15 years and specializes in helping companies responsibly grow and scale their marketing and leadership efforts and teams.
Bryan Kind is the Vice President of Product and Academics for SmartLab, with more than two decades of experience in transforming education, ranging from early childhood to technical workforce readiness programs. At SmartLab, Bryan is committed to designing educational programs that prepare learners for the modern workforce. He believes in a holistic Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach that encourages active engagement in developing critical knowledge, skills, and mindsets. Bryan has held strategic leadership positions at Fullstack Academy, Innovative Learning Partners, and Project Lead The Way. He has a M.S. in Education Administration & Supervision and a B.S. in Technology Education. He was also appointed to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s commission on Educator Capacity Building in PreK-12 Engineering Education, highlighting his dedication to education transformation.
Rose Roberts is the Vice President of Customer Care for SmartLab. She is dedicated to fostering equitable educational opportunities and empowering SmartLab facilitators to cultivate the next generation of STEM professionals. With a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Campbell University and a diverse background in customer success, sales, teaching, and executive leadership, Rose brings a unique blend of expertise and passion to her role. Transitioning from the classroom to a leadership position in an early-stage edtech company, she ascended to the role of COO before joining SmartLab in 2023. With her commitment to education and proven track record, Rose is positioned to drive significant impact in customer care at CLS.
Denise Basler is the Director of Human Resources for SmartLab. Denise is dedicated to cultivating an environment where SmartLab employees thrive. With over 15 years of progressive HR experience, Denise leads her team in creating and constantly improving total rewards strategies, fostering talent development, and nurturing a culture that sets the industry standard. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in History and a master’s degree from Florida State University in Performance Improvement and Human Resource Development.
Most Influential Teacher: My most inspirational teacher was my high school math teacher, Mr. Crosby, because he made math class fun while also teaching me how to be responsible and manage my time. One of my favorite things he told me was, “Cheese is just a loaf of milk.
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher was Mrs. Everett, my 3rd grade teacher. She was always pushing me to do more.
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher was Chef Doug Weih. He was my high school culinary arts teacher. He helped me develop the skills I needed to be the Captain on our high school Competition Cooking team. This led me to go to culinary school to pursue my first passion of Baking and Pastry. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have ever had the chance to get into Culinary school and follow a passion I had that led me to be a certified pastry chef.
Most Influential Teacher: Mr. Williams was the first teacher who let us look through a large telescope, which led to a lifetime of being inspired by space and engineering.
Most Influential Teacher: TK
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Pam Powell, my high school Student Council Advisor, created an environment that helped me become a leader and inspired me to become a teacher. She cared about her students as individuals; her classroom was a positive, encouraging place that fostered innovation, authenticity, and collaboration. That was just what nerdy little teenage me needed to thrive.
Most Influential Teacher: Teresa Johnston was my most influential teacher. She was my high school history teacher and taught me Robert’s Rules of Order. She led our Model UN club, an organization I joined and led in college as well. What she taught me, paved the way for me to be my most successful self in my careers to follow.
Most Influential Teacher: My 6th grade teacher, Mr. Wells, taught me that learning happens within and beyond the classroom. He helped lay the foundations for my career in STEM fields and STEAM education by making sure his students had opportunities to explore concepts viscerally and beyond the confines of our school room; to learn by DOING; to gain as much educational value from our peers as we would from him; to transcend learning paradigms through passion projects and problem-based noodling.
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher was my high school biology teacher, and later teaching mentor, Dr. David Yates. He brought science to life for me and gave me room to learn and grow through discovery and personal experience. I owe much of who I am today to his influence.
Most Influential Teacher: Mr. Fitzgerald, my 8th-grade Science teacher. As a young child, I thought science was magical, and as an adult, that hasn’t changed. He taught me that failure was success no matter what, the best learning experience. I remember him telling me, “Stephanie, the world is yours, you are the maker of your success, make it count!”. I have held this bit of advice near and dear to my heart since that very day.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Myers, my 4th grade teacher. She cared for all her students, and it showed in how well behaved and eager to learn all of us in her class were. I looked forward to going to her class every day because she made learning fun and exciting. Her pushing me and believing in me allowed me to believe in myself and gave me motivation to be the best I could be!
Most Influential Teacher: Mr. Edward Calloway coached golf and I was the only African American girl on the team. He was very good at explaining difficult topics in an easy and intuitive way. He was very kind and polite to all, and he didn’t show any favoritism. He inspired me to be honest and always treat people the way you want to be treated.
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher as a grade school student is without a doubt Mrs. Burton who used a life size cardboard cutout of Dolly Parton to teach me about improper fractions! All funny stories aside, she helped me believe in myself and taught me that my disabilities were in fact different abilities! She taught me how to harness what made me uniquely me.
Most Influential Teacher: I met my most influential teacher back in third grade and her name was Ms. Johnson. She must have had a crystal ball because she saw my potential before I even knew what ‘potential’ meant. She convinced me that, with hard work, I was capable of great things. I still carry that work ethic and confidence with me to this day.
Most Influential Teacher: Mr. Hoeman, my Art teacher, always encouraged me to think outside the box and strive for the unexpected. He truly was an inspiration.
Most Influential Teacher: Mr. Syron taught me to love science by making it hands-on and engaging!
Most Influential Teacher:
Theresa Knipstein, my education college professor. After I graduated college and started my job as an elementary special education teacher, she was the one who pushed me to go back and get my master’s degree to utilize my leadership skills. She is not only my most influential teacher, but also my mentor, my #1 cheerleader, and a very close friend that I would consider family. Even 16 years later, we still go out to dinner monthly! Someday, I hope to impact someone the way she has impacted me.
Most Influential Teacher: Mr Goss, who taught us to care about our education, specifically the English language. In order to express your thoughts, opinions, experiences, it was imperative to have the structure and vocabulary to do so. I think it was his goal that we had the skills to express ourselves eloquently, which gave us the path to be able to do it at all.
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher was Mrs. Vance, my English teacher, who made learning fun.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Mary McMahon, my gifted classroom teacher at my West Philadelphia elementary and middle school. Mrs. McMahon taught me how to try harder, think critically, solve problems and “dare to be different.”
Most Influential Teacher: Mike Smith, High School Jazz Band. Mr. Smith had an incredible impact by teaching me about dedication, integrity, and always striving to better listen not only to music, but to what others have to say. He continually pushed his students to aim higher while knocking down our fear of making mistakes.
Most Influential Teacher: Mr. Stewart McMillan inspired my desire to pursue a degree in teaching history with his passion for uncovering even the smallest details on how people around the world lived their lives. His classroom was a mix of chaos and learning but he always had the most interesting stories to tell. His exuberance lasts even to today as he provides guided tours around the city of Detroit.
Most Influential Teacher: My high school Spanish teacher and volleyball coach, Mr.Baker was the most influential teacher. Mr.Baker would always add to the curriculum, we would have long discussions about the origin of many practices. Although we weren’t quizzed on these cultural facts, Mr.Baker thought it was of great importance. Later during my career as an educator, I kept that going with always teaching cultural importance no matter the subject.
Most Influential Teacher: My fifth grade science teacher, Ms. Burville, introduced me to microscopes and that captured my interest. I found myself exerting 100% of my limited talent to drawing salt crystals, mold spores, and fingerprints.
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher was my high school English teacher, Mr. Rafferty. I had him freshman and senior year. It is why I decided to become an English teacher and I even wrote my college application essay about him. He was so passionate and exposed us to things most high schools did not cover. I loved that he wasn’t afraid to explore things outside of the classics and that his class was discussion based. I found myself opening up and feeling more comfortable speaking in front of my peers.
Most Influential Teacher: My Database Design instructor Dr. Hoxmeier, who taught me to examine a scenario through multiple lenses to gain better perspective.
Most Influential Teacher: Nancy Mendoza stands as one of my most influential educators. Following my completion of her course, I had the privilege of serving as a Teacher’s Assistant (TA) under her guidance for a semester. Throughout my tenure as a TA, Professor Mendoza played a pivotal role in aiding me in overcoming my apprehension towards public speaking and significantly sharpened my skills as a teacher.
Most Influential Teacher: My high school French teacher, Madame Eads, helped me learn how I can participate in the world (at home and abroad) to make a more positive impact on our world for those around me and far away.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Suddeth, my first grade teacher, knew how to make everyone feel special.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Goetz was my English teacher, sponsor, and coach at different times through middle and high school. She was super smart, super kind, and tirelessly encouraging. Lots of kids who were tough on other teachers seemed to behave better for her, and we learned. I don’t know if kids noticed how hard Mrs. Goetz worked, but I know she made a lot of us feel like we would achieve anything we worked at.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Louise Sebring, my 11th grade English teacher. At a time when I didn’t think much of myself, she taught me to have the confidence that I could do anything I wanted if I set my mind to it, and that changed my life
Most Influential Teacher: My physics teacher, Ms. Sellers, gave the craziest assignments that encouraged students to think outside of the box and solve problems through trial and error. I learned so much about success through failure, including the importance of using at least 5 rolls of duck tape to connect milk jugs on your boat so you don’t sink in the middle of the pond.
Most Influential Teacher: My favorite teacher was my High School homeroom teacher, Bo Seaman. He was also my Anthropology teacher. Mr. Seaman was the first teacher that I had that spoke to us like we were adults. He would ask questions and then let us run with it. Not only did you learn more about yourself, but you also learned about your classmates.
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher would probably have to be Mr. Lattieri, my chemistry/Science Olympiad teacher. He was a fantastic teacher and supporter who helped encourage me to pursue my interests in college rather than settle for a more conventional pathway.
Most Influential Teacher: Mr. Beaber, my band teacher and Student Council Advisor, saw in me a leader with ideas worth sharing.
Most Influential Teacher: Ms. Hubbard, an accounting professor, was my favorite teacher because she connected what we were learning in the classroom to real-world experiences.
Most Influential Teacher:
My 6th grade teacher, Mr. Wilgenkamp. As a young student, I was a bit hyperactive, disinterested in my studies, and struggled to stay engaged. However, Mr. Wilgenkamp recognized our mutual love for martial arts and used it as a way to connect with me. Through his mentorship, he taught me to channel my energy into being disciplined and responsible.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Bittner, my third grade teacher, taught me to value all perspectives and instilled in me the idea that there is always more than one way to solve any problem.
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher was my high school calculus teacher Mr. W. Not only did he help math click for me, but he didn’t put up with any of my attempts to cut corners. He even went so far as to flunk me one quarter – a grade I absolutely deserved based on my lack of effort. His “tough love” helped shape my work ethic, something from which I am still benefiting today.
Most Influential Teacher: This goes WAY back. Mrs. Koenig was my 3rd grade home room teacher. I was teased quite a bit as a ‘red headed’ child and yes very ‘chatty’, the name fits. She was the only elementary school teacher that I remember that told used to point out my strengths and tell me how valuable I was in the world. She gave me a confidence that still brings me tears of joy to this day.
Most Influential Teacher: My favorite teacher was my 4th grade teacher, Mr. Barba. He made our classroom into a STEM lab and was the teacher that influenced me to enjoy science.
Most Influential Teacher: Mr. Serine always made class an exciting place to be by bringing the content to life. His passion for learning was contagious and made a lasting impact.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Usher in the 3rd grade. I was a new student enrolling in late November and I had missed a large amount of days at my previous school that year. Mrs. Usher welcomed me and took the time to see that I was caught up on the curriculum and made friends. She went above and beyond in the classroom and on the playground to ensure I was where I needed to be both academically and socially.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Williams was my first grade teacher, and it was her first year teaching. She had such an impact on the entire class that, years later, almost the entire class came back together and gave her a “1st Class” retirement party.
Most Influential Teacher: My favorite teacher, Mrs. McCaughey, brought learning to life with real-world simulations that required me to apply the concepts and skills we were learning.
Most Influential Teacher: Dr. Nance was my business professor and he taught me the importance of continuous improvement while thinking outside of the box. (Plus, he coupled that with great jokes!)
Most Influential Teacher: Mr. Luchich, my biology teacher, ignited my natural curiosity and let me design biology projects and test my own hypothesis. I grew to love looking objectively at data. Anyone who has ever worked with me has heard “Data is not good or bad, it can teach us.”
Most Influential Teacher: One of my High School English Teachers, Elmo Hegge. He was a man of great enthusiasm for English and Literature and his influence extended far beyond that. He was man of great tolerance who was true to himself. He demonstrated how even though people and life can be hurtful, compassion and strength were the most important qualities.
Most Influential Teacher: Dr. Frank Pies & his wife, Marie at Salem Lutheran School in Detroit, Michigan. I attended a K-8 one room school with less than 40 students total in Grades K-8. Mrs. Pies was my primary teacher; she taught me to read & could sing like a songbird. Pastor Pies was my elementary & middle school teacher. It was memorable because of all of the individualized instruction and attention that I received from them and because of how connected we all were, teachers & students, not only during school but within the church community. During the summer, Pastor & Marie Pies also ran a camp for underprivileged children from their home property on Whalen Lake in Hartland, Michigan. It was my great joy to work as a camp counselor there for several summers as a teenager.
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher was one of my high school math teachers, Mr. Morrison. He is who really inspired me to get into education and how to teach passionately.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Fleming, my fourth-grade teacher, had a tremendous influence on me. She created such a warm, caring, and fun environment for us as students, and she really filled me with a love of education and inspired me to enter the field myself!
Most Influential Teacher: My most influential teacher was Mr. Bill Tucker. Tucker was my psychology teacher in high school and was a dynamic, funny and inspiring man. He was the reason that I pursued a degree in psychology and became a lifelong teacher.
Most Influential Teacher: Mr Zurbrick, my high school music teacher and theatre director for our amazing high school plays. He was an inspiration to all that met him. He instilled in me a love of art, music and theatre, and encouraged me to pursue Art in college. When he asked me to play piano in the orchestra pit for a local production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies when I was only 16, I was hesitant out of fear, but he gave me the confidence to do it.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Cianciabella, my kindergarten teacher, helped every student see what made us unique.
Most Influential Teacher: My second grade teacher really knew how to make school fun and engaging.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Sawyer, my third grade teacher at La Marina Elementary School in Manhattan Beach, CA. She was awesome and led us on so many adventures. She walked us to Pollywog Park to get crawdads and let us keep them in the classroom while we were “scientists”—measuring, weighing, gathering data, making predictions, observations, and doing “experiments” with them. I took her love of learning and adventure with me into my classrooms when I became a teacher.
Most Influential Teacher: Mrs. Grabfelder, my fifth-grade teacher, was profoundly influential because of her contagious enthusiasm and genuine love for her students. Her dedication to our growth and success left a lasting impact, inspiring me to embrace learning with curiosity and determination.