Tom Lauwers, Ph.D.
Founder & CTO
Tom founded BirdBrain Technologies in 2010 after receiving his doctorate in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. His research was founded on engaging all students, regardless of background, in robotics and engineering. Tom seeks to design educational tools that catalyze positive making, coding, and engineering learning experiences in the classroom. Tom resides in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood with his wife, two kids, cat, and a small army of robots. He would be an invaluable ally in the event of a robot uprising.
Jenna Kindler
Director of Operations
Jenna is your go-to team member for operations, business development, and, unofficially, cooking tips! Earlier in her career, Jenna led the design of children’s museum curricula and exhibits, and participated in research projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Along with elementary teacher licensure and a Masters of Education degree, Jenna offers experience with grants and philanthropic relations. Jenna resides in the Highland Park neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and seeks out the best ice cream and sourdough bread in the region.
Erica Hogan
Operations Coordinator
Erica is responsible for many of the day to day operations at BirdBrain. She processes and creates orders, provides quotes, and manages the demo programs. She has a background in Secondary English Education and a Masters degree in Library and Information Science. Erica is an avid reader and in her free time she enjoys baking, playing D&D, and crafting.
Krissie Lauwers
Software Developer
Krissie maintains and develops all BirdBrain software and apps. She has a background in Computational Biology, databases, and app development. She has written code in at least seven languages, including Fortran (she does not recommend Fortran). She is an expert untangler of knots, be they physical or digital. Krissie enjoys puzzles, painting, baking, and cats.
Dana Schultz
Business Coordinator
Dana supports sales and operations and assists with the demo program. She is a former nonprofit STEM Program Coordinator and National Board Certified Teacher with a Master of Education degree. She is a Professional Development enthusiast who enjoys supporting teachers in their STEM journeys. Dana enjoys the outdoors, reading, traveling, and her rescue pups.
Andrew Miller
Marketing Specialist
For the past 10 years, Andrew has helped teachers set up makerspaces and incorporate hands-on STEM learning in their classrooms. Andrew is a tech geek, maker and really excited to continue working with educators and help them build robots and learn to code using the BirdBrain products. Some fun facts about Andrew is that he has a twin brother, he loves watching his 9 year old daughter play softball on the weekends and he’s currently learning more about 3d printing and designing printable models.
Amanda Gray
Educator Success Specialist
Amanda is a veteran educator striving to inspire all teachers and students to be curious, get excited about making mistakes, and to never stop learning. Before joining BirdBrain Technologies, her 10 years of teaching adventures included K-8 Music in Alaska, 6-8 Band, STEM, and Robotics in Tennessee and spending two years as a Technology Integration Coach. Along the way, she became enthralled with Computer Science Education and finding meaningful ways to integrate computational thinking and physical computing into all subject areas. Representing the Central Time zone, Amanda enjoys cooking, listening to true crime podcasts, strategically planning anything, and going on long walks (when it’s not hot outside!)