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“Thinking Difference” brings together educators, innovators, nonprofits, and industry leaders to explore how collaborative action can solve our most pressing challenges—from workforce readiness to equity in opportunity.
Think Difference By MindSpark (00:01.614)
guys, we're your hosts, Keisha Miller and Lauren Schaefer. And in this episode, we're in this episode on transforming experiences in education. We're sitting down with Kelly Law, CEO of MindSpark Learning. Join us as we talk about what MindSpark is, what we value most and where this podcast is headed. Kelly, thank you so much for joining us today to kick off our podcast. Can you tell us a little bit your background and how you came to connect with MindSpark Learning?
Kellie (00:28.785)
Sure, thank you guys. Excuse me so much for having me. I'm so excited to join. been a dream of ours for a while, so it's great to see you both. Yeah, I mean, I think I come at education from a little bit different of a meandering path than most people. So I was actually, have an engineering background and a love for science. I kind of came into education a little bit later. I had been in the field, excuse me, doing some engineering work for a little bit and just really
It was a little bit isolating and a little bit siloed for me. And I didn't see a lot of mentors in the field. And I could really solidly sort of connect with in terms of seeing this path forward for myself. And so I, and again, this is a very long time ago. So I had enjoyed during my, when I was in college, I'd really enjoyed hosting and running science and math camps along with
Think Difference By MindSpark (01:16.15)
Thank
Kellie (01:26.001)
CU Boulder and some other folks to help especially young girls connect to the opportunities in the world of science and math. And so I got my educational background and degree as kind of just maybe one day or nice to have and actually ended up jumping in with both feet and it's been almost 27 years later and here we are. So a little bit different, but yeah, definitely came out at a little different direction.
Think Difference By MindSpark (01:54.702)
That's amazing. Yes, what a great building of multiple worlds all at one time. What are the core values of MindSpark Learning and how do they come into play in what we do in our work every day?
Kellie (02:05.841)
Yeah, that's a great question. I think, you know, MindSpark is sort of founded and predicated on this idea that the adults in the education system matter, specifically educators and district school leaders, and that we know that research is clear and has been for a long time that a high quality, effective teacher is really some of the biggest leverage that you have in terms of influencing a child's outcome. And so for us, you know, our core values really are around
I am so sorry. Really building, cultivating and designing extraordinary professional learning experiences for people where they feel deeply connected, not only to one another, but to the mission of their organization. really this idea that people within communities, given sort of the support and helping develop their skills further, really are capable of solving their own problems with the resources that they have and that there's no...
Think Difference By MindSpark (02:36.654)
Thank
Kellie (03:03.011)
silver bullet or magical solution. It really was about people doing this work. I think another big core value we fall back on is making the invisible visible, really providing a space and holding space and grace for people to share their insights, share their story. We come at a community-based approach, really wanting ourselves to be part of that community and to really listen and understand.
not just being sort of dropped in or thinking we have some sort of solution or answer for them. And shining a light on things that are hard and messy and sometimes difficult to talk about and address. You know, we also really stand on this idea of where we like to make the weirdest connections we can to transact to win-win, which is a little bit different in the idea that we look to models outside of education to bring those models into education.
And we look for unusual partners, right? Who should be in this conversation if we're talking about early childhood, if we're talking about higher education, if we're talking about STEM, whatever the idea is, who are people who should be in that conversation that could be ambassadors for that idea, even if they're not directly affected by that, or they're not direct participants, but somebody who should be in the know and should be cultivating ideas around that. I think we're really, really, really good at that.
At the end of the day, for us, it's really about helping build systems that are not reactive, but are really resilient enough to be able to redesign and to think forward and think into the future and not just be stagnant. So, you know, I think we're good at mimicking what we want for the outcome of other people to be. And so I think internally we, you know, stand in these honest truths. think internally we talk strongly about what collaboration and discourse looks like. doesn't look like.
And I think we really play around ourselves with ideas and concepts before we push them out. And so I'm really, you know, really proud of our internal team here at MindSpark as well as what then we're capable of doing with our external clients and partners as a result of that. Not only our values, but really the sort of ideation and this process, these end procedures that we employ every day.
Think Difference By MindSpark (05:19.886)
Absolutely. I'm sorry you mentioned a partner. It's of a nice question. So I think sometimes industry education can feel so siloed. She's a little bit of that experience with both, like you do. So how do industry education really tie together and where is that value?
Kellie (05:34.639)
Yeah, so I don't think that education can do this alone. And I don't think they should. think that education should be responsive to its own community and the education should be responsive to the larger, what we kind of define as workforce or sort of quote unquote, the real world. so they are, they're linked together and oftentimes we treat them as very separate and they're not. And so I think education tie together through this idea of
of community through this idea of learning, through this idea of skills building, through this idea of solving problems. And I think that for industry, the value proposition is, is or should be an easy one. This is part of your future. This is part of your talent pipeline. This is part of, you know, if you care about sort of solving any of these huge problems that are plaguing us, really, the through line to all of that is education foundationally. And however you define that, right? We define it very broadly. We define learning very broadly.
And so I also think education gains so much when they work with experts from the field, when they bring in authentic and relevant models of learning and teaching. I think you see educators really level up their game. I think you see schools become much more sort of hubs of innovation and creativity and even more entrepreneurial when you involve these real world models and these experts and mentors from the field.
Think Difference By MindSpark (06:41.998)
Thanks.
Kellie (07:00.773)
And likewise, think education has a lot to give to industry as well.
Think Difference By MindSpark (07:05.581)
Absolutely, yeah, bridges are so important. It can just help support so many kids and what they decide to do after their K-12 educational career. And to support teachers. mean, we put so much societal on teachers, you know, everywhere. And we ask teachers to wear so many hats and do so much work in a child's life. And by bringing those industry professionals, you know, into those conversations and sitting across from those teachers, it kind of alleviates some of that pressure for teachers.
Kellie (07:31.419)
Yes, I agree so much.
Think Difference By MindSpark (07:34.232)
Kelly, can you describe a time that you have flipped the script in education or on education?
Kellie (07:40.753)
I love this question because I feel like this is actually like MindSparks mantra. So I think we look at it a core problem or a core issue or something that one of our partners is wrestling with. And we actually think about how can we flip the script on this? can we, you know, we kind of hold it up out here in space and we look at it from all different angles and sort of think about how we can flip it around. You know, I mean, I think for me personally, I mean, one of the things I'm most proud of in my career
Think Difference By MindSpark (07:45.123)
Yeah.
Kellie (08:08.091)
besides my time and work at MindSpark is really the early days of when myself and two other amazing women, Penny Uecker and Tracy Tellinger and I, you know, kicked off one of the first STEM schools in Adams 12, but it was one of the first STEM schools for K-8 kiddos across the country. And I think the big flipping of the script then was to do kind of quote unquote STEM with five-year-olds and start with young and early career intervention. And then I think the other piece was this idea that
Think Difference By MindSpark (08:29.784)
Yeah.
Kellie (08:36.761)
kids' ideas matter and that kids can be purveyors of not only brilliant ideas, but this idea of running their own companies, having their own organizations, getting involved with an industry partner and actually having something, their idea come to fruition in real time. And having this idea of education be truly authentic and relevant, I think was a big piece because so much of what we do in education is simulation-based or we learn out of a textbook.
or even if we learn on a screen, we don't experience it. And so I think this idea of having education become something we experience and something that we have control over as students and we have agency over as educators was something that we did. And maybe today it doesn't sound very or shattering, but back when it felt like a very different way to have people approach this idea of teaching and learning.
Think Difference By MindSpark (09:09.442)
Yeah.
Think Difference By MindSpark (09:26.69)
Yep.
Kellie (09:34.257)
and it's still alive and well today. I'm so grateful for that, that time when I was 12. yeah, I mean, I think that's, I just feel like it's really part of our DNA here at Mike's Park is to think about how to not only do things differently, but really figure out how we can turn something inside out to maybe just be the best that they can be.
Think Difference By MindSpark (09:44.994)
Yeah, absolutely.
Think Difference By MindSpark (09:56.024)
What was that experience like in those early days kind of being one those first innovators to say like, hey, let's the kids solve these problems and listen to what they have to say. What kind of pushback were you greeted with and how did you navigate through that?
Kellie (10:09.051)
I mean, there was a ton of pushback. So our superintendent at the time was incredibly, I think, courageous, in my opinion, because the district was facing a very large budget deficit and cuts were being made. And so to have the courage to say, we're going to start a whole new program in school at a time when that was probably not a real popular decision, I think says a lot about his leadership and sort of where he's at. And I'll forever be grateful for that yes.
Think Difference By MindSpark (10:16.696)
Yeah.
Kellie (10:38.235)
But I think when you believe in something and you have conviction around the idea and around what you know is truly best for students and their families in your community, it actually makes that easier. I also will just say we were naive. We had lot of sort of guts and grit around like this just is what we want to see happen. we just sort of went for it. But at the same time, you have to, one of the things I tell a lot of emerging leaders is,
Think Difference By MindSpark (10:52.27)
Yeah, let's do it.
Kellie (11:07.887)
you have to have the ability to say no thank you to things that bring in too much noise and too much chaos and too much distraction. And you sort of have to block those things and run interference for your teams. And I felt like in that moment, there was a few of us that just have the ability to say no thank you to things that we're trying to not get this idea off the ground and not get the school started and be able to lean in where there was good energy. You know, I say feed the hungry and become the lighthouse model.
Think Difference By MindSpark (11:10.446)
you
Kellie (11:38.475)
And that's what we did. That's what we focused on is who wants to be at this table, who should be at this table, where is this energy and excitement going and what can we get accomplished. And I'll never forget the day we looked at each other and it was an emotional moment and said, my gosh, we have a school and we have 400 kids walking through that door. Like, my gosh. And they read that school's still doing exceptionally well today. But yeah, I mean, it's exciting, but I do.
Think Difference By MindSpark (11:54.584)
Yeah. Yes.
Kellie (12:05.851)
there's always going to be challenges and barriers and constraints. And I think those make you more creative. But you have to have that filter for yourself of what do we need to pay attention to and what do I need to not pay attention to? What can I shelf and say, thank you.
Think Difference By MindSpark (12:11.768)
resilient.
Think Difference By MindSpark (12:22.766)
So we have a courageous moment too, just to kind of bolden that and go for it. So thank you for sharing that example. Yeah, what were some of the impacts and outcomes for both the students and the teachers that have proved it to you guys that this worked and that this is something to chase after and to push?
Kellie (12:40.785)
I mean, it's been a model that's endured for over 15 years. So in education, that is literally like a geological time period. We like to change things and pilot things so quickly. I also, you we've had several now of our graduating classes and to have students who have been able to change the entire economic trajectory of their family based on the opportunity they got through this STEM model to.
Think Difference By MindSpark (12:49.358)
Bye!
Kellie (13:10.723)
engage with industry, have a really solid quality paying job right out of either high school or be able to go on to college when that was never an option for them. And I think that opportunity to have choice and access and to decide what kind of life you want for yourself is the greatest gift you can give anyone. And that's what I'm most proud of around the model is that countless stories and students have come back and just said what I wasn't able to do.
by engaging this model, I don't think would have happened for me. And over time, know, over the 15 years, we've watched not only student and family identities change around what's possible for them in a career, but we've also watched educators feel that same way, going from saying things like, I'm just a teacher to I'm a STEM teacher, I'm a researcher, I'm a scientist, I'm an entrepreneur, I'm an innovator, you know, I'm a creative, like that to shifting that identity for educators and for system and.
Think Difference By MindSpark (13:52.696)
Yeah.
Kellie (14:09.379)
school leaders I think has been also really, really compelling for us to watch. I mean, there's higher graduation rates, better reading and writing outcomes. mean, all the things that in education we sort of major and care about, and we could argue whether we should or not, but all those things that matter in that sense come along, right? They come along with this type of learning and you see much stronger outcomes for students.
Think Difference By MindSpark (14:14.477)
Yeah.
Think Difference By MindSpark (14:22.734)
Yeah.
Think Difference By MindSpark (14:37.87)
Absolutely. That's amazing. Thanks so much for sharing all that with us. Yes, so many great things to share. Well, that is almost a wrap on our first episode of Think Different. So before we go, we always leave you with one last spark. Kelly, what's one idea, insight, or challenge you want listeners to carry forward from this conversation?
Kellie (14:59.409)
think for me it's this kind of letting go of this idea that education should be about standardization and that it should really be about adaptation and this idea of truly resilience and building these forward modules where all students can be a part of that and engage in their own future. So, you know, would be remiss if I didn't say, which I believe with my whole heart is that teachers matter and they matter mad.
now more than ever. Even with all the cool tech stuff we have on the table, you know, that human peace matters and teachers are vitally important and critical in the system. And so I think we should invest in teachers like we invest in tech. That's my personal bias. But yeah, I mean, we need to care about education. And I would argue and say that no matter where your seat is in your organization or in your company, you are in your foundation or in your system.
Think Difference By MindSpark (15:44.248)
Yeah, absolutely.
Kellie (15:59.493)
You, at the bottom line, should care foundationally about education.
Think Difference By MindSpark (16:04.814)
Absolutely. I mean, it's the propeller that pushes everything forward. The next generation, our next, you know, our future workforce, our future presidents and civilians and everything. Like teachers are the ones molding and shaping those. Yes. And have it for a long time and continue to will be in the future. Forever, honestly. I mean, that's a job AI won't be able to take.
Kellie (16:16.017)
Mm-hmm.
Kellie (16:26.577)
Exactly, yes I agree.
Think Difference By MindSpark (16:30.158)
Well, Kelly, thank you so much for being here today. We appreciate you joining our podcast to discuss your experiences in education and sharing all of your insight and how you've come to do this work and be a part of this industry. We're curious, where can listeners find you and MindSpark on social media?
Kellie (16:49.253)
Yeah, MindSpark is on all the normal channels, and so you can just find us by searching at MindSpark. Obviously, mindspark.org is our website, and you can find me on LinkedIn under my name. So I appreciate you both so much, and I appreciate the time. It's always such a pleasure to chat with you both and also to share a little bit about where we come from.
Think Difference By MindSpark (17:08.876)
Yeah, thanks so much. love hearing your insight. and I get to share with you and others moving forward. Well, that's a wrap on our first episode. Remember to think difference.
Kellie (17:22.075)
Thank you.
Think Difference By MindSpark (17:24.942)
There we go.