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ASHWIN VEERAVALLI, CEO
The education landscape is changing not just in terms of the content that is taught, but also how it is taught. At Wizbots, our approach to teaching coding and robotics is to empower children with the knowledge and then allow them the freedom to creatively problem solve and come up with solutions. Within our labs we also weave essential soft skills like team work, communication and presentation, and it is this unique and wonderful combination that makes our program stand out in its excellence. I am excited to be a part of a company that can change how children learn..
Ashwin is an entrepreneur at heart and has started and run a number of successful business over the last 20 years, both in the US and around the world. He holds a degree in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin and worked for a big consulting firm before following his dream of owning and running his own enterprise. Ashwin is excited to be a part of Wizbots and help bring its program of excellence to more schools and children. He believes that the unique selling point of Wizbots, which is its curriculum and perspective on learning, can really make STEM and Tech not just accessible but exciting for children. He brings passion, experience, vision and a clear sense of direction to the growth and expansion of the company.
APARNA VEERAVALLI, President
Creating a fun and hands-on environment changes not just how children learn, but their attitude towards what they are learning. I love our Wizbots labs because they inspire kids to develop a curiosity about robotics and coding and instills in them a confidence to work as a team, come up with solutions and present them.
Aparna has a background in communication and marketing and worked for the advertising company Ogilvy and Mather in India before working for a number of start-ups here in the US. Her perspective is shaped by the varied roles she filled in these companies and she understands the need to shape-shift and adapt to what is thrown at you when it comes to running a smaller company. Aparna comes from a family of educators and developed a passion for it early on. This combined with having two boys of her own, has allowed her to gain a deep knowledge about children, education and learning. Her goal was to become involved with endeavors like Wizbots, that bring new and reimagined perspectives to teaching and learning, and she is excited to be a part of a company that inspires children to explore their potential in a fun and hands-on environment.
CONOR MCGANN, Founder
I started Wizbots because I saw that robotics could be made accessible and meaningful to kids and that this could transform their perspectives on learning.
Conor has been a practicing engineer for over 20 years. He received his Bachelors in Mathematics and Engineering from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) and his PhD in Computer Science from that same institution. He was a founder and CEO of a software company after college, and then moved on to join the Internet wave in Austin, Texas. He got into robotics when he joined NASA in 2002 and has never looked back. Since then he has been an active researcher in the robotics community, having developed cutting edge technologies that have been used on Mars Rovers (while he worked at NASA), undersea autonomous vehicles (at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) and personal robots (at Willow Garage). Conor lives with his wife and 2 children in San Carlos, CA.
LISA MCGANN, Co-founder
Wizbots is not only a fun and exciting place to work, but its mission to provide a service for a greater good also provides a wonderful sense of purpose.
Though Lisa earned a BA in Biology from Duke University, she entered the world of high tech start-ups right after school and never looked back. She loves start-ups because they are dynamic, challenging, and afford the opportunity to wear lots of different hats. Her experience includes management (teams, accounts, programs, projects), marketing, pre-sales, customer service, training, writing, and interaction design. Lisa has been instrumental in seeing several start-ups through their "firsts" - processes, programs, products, etc. As a mom, Lisa finds extra fulfillment in being a part of Wizbots where the programs are designed to provide an amazing learning experience for kids, hers included!
KATIE CRISWELL, Director of Sales
Wizbots makes my job very easy (don't tell the boss) and enjoyable because not only is the program exciting and fun for kids, but parents and educators immediately see the quality and enrichment opportunities that it offers to both boys AND girls.
Katie has a BA in English from UCLA and has worked in the Silicon Valley high tech sector in product management and development as well as software training and sales. She enjoyed working with a wide range of people from engineers, developers, sales reps, marketing pros, and customers to ensure that a quality product was created and delivered. As a board member for the San Carlos Educational Foundation, she saw how budget cuts had reduced much of the enrichment that schools used to be able to offer their students. Now, as the Director of Sales for Wizbots, Katie's background and skills easily translate when contacting and working with new and potential customers for our after school programs. As a mom of two active boys, Katie especially enjoys being involved with a company that provides such great enrichment for kids. In fact, she became interested in Wizbots after her own son had such an amazing experience with the program!
ROXIE EDWARDS, Director of Operations
I joined Wizbots because I believe that learning while playing is the best way to develop critical thinking - a skill that will last a lifetime.
Roxie has spent the last 30 years as an IT Professional. She spent the first years of her career at McKesson Corporation in San Francisco as a program developer and Project Manager. Later she went to work at eBay and PayPal in San Jose as a Project Manager, where she applied her experience to multiple projects and supported the Project Management Office. Roxie came to Wizbots where she uses her extensive organizational skills to respond to the day-to-day coordination effort between Wizbots and the locations they serve. She enjoys entertaining for her family and friends, home renovation and gardening. She is married and lives with her husband in Redwood City, CA.
JOSHUA MUSIAL, Program Director
I look forward to the challenge of challenging the dreamers to dream with eyes open.
Joshua has been a Wizbots Mentor for over 5 years who enjoys working with youth in pursuance of a bright future for all. His previous services prior to joining with Wizbots include teaching math, tutoring language arts, and offering a helping hand in the special needs classrooms as a behavioral management tech. Joshua spends his personal time with music, studies, and partaking in high endurance activities such as mountain biking.
CHANEL MCFARLAND, Customer Happiness Agent
Exploration and discovery promote genuine learning experiences. It is an honor to be part of a team that provides children with a space to expand their creativity and fuel their passion.
Chanel has been a dedicated Educator for over 10 years, 5 of which she was previously a mentor with Wizbots. She worked as an Instructional Aide in the Special Education Department for the San Jose Unified School District for 6 years, providing support to both mainstream and special needs children. Her passion for understanding human behavior led her to achieve a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and she is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology.
ALEJANDRO VILLAMARIN, Director of Engineering
The thrilling idea of participating on a project where kids could learn about the wonders of programming and robotics immediately got me. Being part of Wizbots gives a great sense of helping in this educational purpose.
A big fan of technology from early childhood, Alejandro completed an MS in Computer Science and started working in the R&D IoT fields, working with all types of hardware and communication protocols. He then decided to move into industry to solve "real world" problems, and he created a start-up company. While the start-up was not a huge success, Alejandro learned a lot in the process such as how small businesses like Wizbots operate well. He is always striving to improve the engineering process with best practices he's learned from working with other colleagues, while trying to have fun at the same time!
What kids say about Wizbots...
In Wizbots you have choices.
I like Wizbots because it gives me a chance to brainstorm ideas.
Wizbots Rules!
I like Wizbots because it’s great building robots of your choice!
I like Wizbots because I get to do fun creating after school!
I like Wizbots because we get to do a robot that we want and we get to make our decisions.
I like Wizbots because I made a bunch of cool stuff.
Wizbots Rocks!
I think Wizbots is better than Mama Luigi!
I like Wizbots because I like building and creating stuff.
It's a great creative outlet and you get to learn alot of new stuff.
It helps prepare me for what I am interested in, because I am into technology and programming.
People who work at Wizbots have just as much fun as the students who attend our programs! We get to inspire kids and play with, talk about and think about cool robots all the time! We're a quirky, laid-back bunch of folks from around the Bay Area that share a common belief - robotics infused with imagination is an instantly engaging (and fun!) means to transform kids' perspectives on learning. If you see an open job opportunity you think you are well suited for, don't waste any time - drop us a line at jobs@wizbots.com to let us know why you're the best candidate.
Current Openings
After School Part-Time Instructor
