Today we’d like to introduce you to Kellie Lauth.
Hi Kellie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey and Mindspark’s journey are very much intertwined. I have always been fueled by a passion for education, innovation, and impact. I started my career as a biochemical engineer turned science teacher, where I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of education, especially when it’s designed to engage students in real-world problem-solving. It became clear to me early on that our education system needed to evolve to meet the demands of the future. My own experience within higher education and industry really drove my passion for creating more opportunities and access points for all students, but especially girls within science and math.
I co-founded a K-8 public STEM school in Colorado with two other amazing women before STEM was cool and many people doubted our ability to deliver on authentic and relevant teaching and learning models. By mid-year of our opening, we had over 480 families on a waitlist and knew that we were on to something, which quickly became a model for innovative, hands-on learning that integrated technology and problem-solving across all subjects. That experience was a turning point for me. Our model became a nationally recognized model for not only STEM but for the intersection of education and industry, and I saw the tremendous potential in reimagining how we approach teaching and learning—not just for students but for educators as well. We have since scaled our model and the model has endured over 15 years, which is a lifetime in education.
From there, I moved into leadership roles that allowed me to scale that vision, including serving as a K-8 STEM principal and District Science and STEM coordinator, which eventually led to my current role as the CEO of MindSpark Learning. MindSpark is all about empowering educators and leaders to transform education through meaningful, real-world learning experiences. We focus on building the capacity of schools, businesses, and communities to collaborate in ways that prepare both students and the workforce for the future. Building upon our tenets and success within our early STEM model, MindSpark was founded on the belief that education is a social and economic imperative and educators and education leaders matter. Whether it’s through STEM education, career-connected pathways, or leadership development, we’re working to equip educators with the tools and strategies they need to create lasting change in their classrooms and beyond.
At MindSpark, we know that the world is changing rapidly, and education needs to change with it. That’s why we focus on innovation and adaptability, always keeping a community-based approach at the forefront. Every project we undertake is about creating opportunities—for students, teachers, and communities.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t always been a smooth road, but I believe that the challenges have been some of the most valuable experiences in shaping who I am and what MindSpark Learning has become. Education, especially when you’re pushing for innovation, often involves navigating resistance to change. There were moments early on when people were hesitant to move away from traditional models of teaching and learning, and convincing them to adopt new approaches wasn’t always easy.
One of the biggest struggles has been finding ways to scale innovative programs that are equitable and accessible to all students and educators, regardless of their resources or geography. The barriers are often systemic—whether it’s limited funding, outdated policies, or even the digital divide in rural and underserved areas. Overcoming those hurdles has required a lot of persistence, creative problem-solving, and deep collaboration with schools, businesses, and communities.
Another challenge we’ve faced, especially as we’ve grown, is ensuring that we stay true to our mission while adapting to the evolving needs of the workforce and the education landscape. It’s a delicate balance—maintaining our core values while also being flexible enough to innovate at the pace the world requires. That has meant constantly evolving our programs, scaling our impact, and investing in leadership development for educators in ways that make sense for different communities.
We are a small organization (but mighty) constantly punching above our weight. There is this beautiful and maddening tension to be at the forefront of innovation and emerging trends driven by our industry clients yet work within systems and deliver programs to organizations that are often still catching up and evolving slowly. But through every challenge, there is the excitement and energy of designing solutions, generating ideas, testing and analyzing. We have become more agile and creative as an organization and ultimately more impactful. Every roadblock helped us refine our approach and strengthen our partnerships.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At MindSpark Learning, we focus on revolutionizing how education aligns with workforce needs by upskilling educators, school leaders, and entire educational ecosystems to lead transformative change. We specialize in delivering professional development that blends real-world workforce trends with dynamic, hands-on STEM learning experiences.
What truly sets us apart is our ability to create scalable, community-driven solutions. We don’t approach professional development with a one-size-fits-all mindset. Instead, we engage deeply with schools, districts, and community leaders to co-design programs that reflect local contexts and address specific challenges. From building healthcare and technology pathways in rural Kentucky to bringing computer science and robotics programming to rural Montana, we specialize in rural and Title I populations while also being able to serve some of the largest school districts in the country. We make the invisible visible with our focus on listening, responding, and collaborating.
We’re known for being a powerful intermediary between education and industry. We speak both languages. Our industry partners bring ideas, concepts, programs forward that they want to see within the education landscape and our role is to ensure these are relevant, sustainable, and impactful. We love to find the “weirdest” (most unique) connections we can to ensure a win-win for our partners, this includes an extended metaphor on our mascot, the Yeti, and how it parallels educational success.
I’m particularly proud of our Education Accelerator programs. These programs are built to be adaptive, personalized, and deeply aligned with the evolving needs of the workforce—especially in fields like STEM, healthcare, agriculture, and AI. Our accelerators empower educators to develop leadership skills, integrate cutting-edge technology into their teaching, and foster cross-industry partnerships. But beyond that, they create a ripple effect that goes beyond the classroom, impacting communities and local economies. We have an 88% retention rate among our educators, we have galvanized over 284,000 partnerships for the communities we serve, and through our workforce development programs, we have contributed $325M to GDP growth. Each accelerator looks different depending on the needs of the community we are working within.
MindSpark schools have a 7% higher graduation rate than the national average, and
Across 10 states, our Education Accelerator program alone has:
● Forged 6,822 partnerships between schools and industry
● Impacted over 178,561 students
● Led to 25 patents, over 22,000 work-based learning experiences, and 8,200 industry-based externship hours
● 27 unique career pathways created
90% of industry partners involved in MindSpark Learning programs report that students they’ve interacted with are better prepared for the workforce compared to those from schools without such programs.
What makes us unique is how we blend workforce readiness with an access lens. We ensure that all educators, regardless of their location or the resources available to them, have access to training that prepares them to teach in ways that are relevant, innovative, and grounded in the needs of their communities. Every program we implement has measurable outcomes, from increasing student engagement to fostering long-term sustainable change in educational systems.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was fortunate to grow up in a very rural part of Colorado on a ranch learning early the value of hard work and watching my parents be resourceful and community-oriented; they let my sisters and I figure things out, knowing failure is often a tough teacher. Through school and 4-H, I loved to create and design, fell in love with science and math and never felt like these were a secret club I should not be part of until college. I was the first to go to college in my family and pursuing engineering was daunting but always felt doable, sitting in a large university lecture as freshman and realizing I was one of a handful of females was not only eye-opening but felt absurd, and I knew then that I did not want others to feel like I did. In high school, I discovered a talent and passion for painting and I realized later that the art design process is not so unlike the engineering design process and that if more girls were engaged in cross-pollinated opportunities early on, maybe they would not think that STEM disciplines are not for them. I am the oldest of four girls and so if you asked them, they would say I am bossy and definitely play the older sister role, protective and have very high expectations for myself and those around me. Starting a school, turning around a Title I K-8 school, and launching an organization have definitely taught me that some of my more demanding traits have to take a backseat. I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur, but I know now (many personality tests later) that I thrive in the chaos and noise of building and designing, taking on messes and challenges. I enjoy the start-up process and I love helping people find their leadership and talent path. Reimagining what education could look like for future generations with the most innovative and courageous colleagues and partners gets me up each morning.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mindspark.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mymindspark/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mymindspark/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mymindspark
- Twitter: https://x.com/mymindSpark
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MindSparkLearning
Image Credits
TEDx Cherry Creek Colleen Comstock
