I help EdTech startups and mission-driven education companies scale smartly - from messy beginnings to meaningful impact.

With over a decade of experience spanning classroom instruction, curriculum design, product strategy, and organizational operations, I now work with pre-seed, Series A, and growing educational organizations to build better learning experiences, stronger systems, and more strategic teams.

I specialize in:

- Curriculum and product development (especially experiential, SEL, STEM, and AI-integrated learning)
- Operational infrastructure and go-to-market strategy
- Policy-informed AI professional development for educators
- Branding, messaging, and community-building
- Cross-functional team leadership with a human-first approach

Whether I’m serving as a fractional COO, leading market research, developing a data dashboard, or building a gamified student learning journey - I’m a connector, a problem-solver, and a builder.

If you’re a founder or education leader looking to move faster without sacrificing quality, let’s connect.

Claire Smizer

Happy #SocialSaturday!

If you are an #Educator, #Principal, #DistrictAdministrator, someone in the #Curriculum, #School or #Classroom IT space, or anyone that works with or has ever worked with #Schools, #Districts, or organization that serves kids - we should be connected! 💯

In a nutshell: I'm a former #Teacher, turned #EdTech generalist that specializes in early stage #StartUps and #UserExperience (think #ProductDesign, #UI, #InstructionalDesign, #L&D) - I've been fortunate to have a wonky career path that has given me the opportunity to work across neurotech (that bordered on sci-fi!), #STEM, gamified #SEL, and even with a handful of founders working on much-needed products in the #Education space. 

What do I do now? I run BrightMinds AI with my best friend and co-founder, Jessica Maddry. 🥰🥰🥰

We're two former #Teachers who got tired of watching districts adopt #AI and innovative tech backwards - tools first, strategy maybe. BrightMinds flips that. We build policies, train educators, and audit tech stacks so districts make informed decisions, putting people first, always. 

Think that sounds like someone you'd like to have in your network? Smash that connect button! 

Can't wait to see you in my DMs!

💜 me!

Co-Founder @ BrightMinds AI | Board Member | EdTech Start-up Builder and Strategist 🌀| Teacher Advocate | Oxford Comma Enthusiast

Let's talk math for a moment. #Politician math. 😒

The proposed FY2026 federal budget cuts over $6 billion from #K-12 #PublicEducation. 

Not one program. 
Not one state. 
Across the board.

$6B is a large number - a really large number. So large that it's almost incomprehensible so... what does that look like in reality?

💸 Migrant Education: $1.3 billion. Poof.
💸 English Language Acquisition: Eliminated entirely.
💸 Title I funding to high-poverty schools: $4.7 billion. Gone.
💸 18 grant programs consolidated from $6.5 billion down to $2 billion - over a 60% reduction.
💸 Community Schools grants: $168 million. Cut.

But we won't be feeling that loss evenly. #Districts primarily serving #Students of color would lose nearly double the funding that their counterparts serving primarily white students will face.

Want an example? 

In #Pennsylvania, the districts most underfunded are also those where students of color make up the majority of enrollment - 64%, compared to 22–30% in adequately funded districts. That gap equals $1,732 less per student, nearly 9% less, in state and local revenue. Federal dollars can help (or rather would have helped) to bridge that disparity.

This isn’t a budget conversation. It’s a values conversation. It's an #Equity conversation.

When #Legislators use language like “local control”, they aren't talking about community empowerment. They're obfiscating the truth. They're asking (telling, really) local communities to make do. 

With less. 

For the kids who already had the least.

I’m not sharing this to spark outrage (though we should all feel outraged). 

I share this to bring attention to the tension local decision makers - #Superintendents, #CFOs, #SchoolBoard members - are grappling with. 

Too many conversations about “innovation” in #Education gloss right over the part where the floor is being pulled out. Purposefully. Systematically.

You can’t build on a foundation that's actively being dismantled.

💜 someone who thinks *actual* math should inform policy

#Teachers! Help!!! 

I'm trying to get a general temperature check on where we are with Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) in classrooms. 

Are you able to set your own?
Is that something that feels necessary in this moment?
Is that something you'd expect for your district or even school leaders to set and roll out? 

You know Jessica & me - we're always looking to close gaps and create useful tools! 

❤️  someone very excited to be building tools that #Educators actually want

#Education #K12 #TeachersofLinkedin #AIinEducation #InnovativeTech #AcceptableUse #ItTakesAVillage

Do you have an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for AI-enabled/enhanced tech in your classroom?

Camelia Williams

Indeed

•	Led product execution of CCaaS, UCaaS, advertiser CRM from strategy to delivery of technical solutions, including architecture, design, implementations, change management, support of system implementations with AWS, Salesforce, Amazon Connect, Zoom, Microsoft 365 integrations and data pipelines. These solutions leveraged technologies such as AWS, Salesforce, Kafka messaging, Amazon Kinesis, AWS Glue and AWS Lambdas, Cloud warehousing, RESTful and GraphQL APIs, CI/CD, GitHub,
Kubernetes and Terraform for infrastructure provisioning. As a result systems availability
improved from 85% to 99.999% 
•	To ensure regulatory compliance with GDPR and CCPA regulations overseen a data
governance framework, focused on data quality and risk management
•	Collaborated closely with all teams and stakeholders
•	Client focused attitude, high ability to build relationship and communicate technical product development approaches
•	Participated in AI ambassadors program focused on increasing awareness and adoption of  AI agents and AI assistant tools

GTM Sr Technical Product Delivery Manager

Robert Half

•	Led product development with a team of 8-10 engineers, designed and developed external websites, mobile apps, integrations between core applications and third parties automating multiple manual processes increasing productivity by 85%.
•     Migrated to scalable distributed cloud-based platforms like Salesforce, AWS, Mulesoft, Workday and scaled core applications and global services improving recruiters efficiency by 45% .
• Using Agile methodology designed and implemented Gold Stevie, Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts awards winning RH Mobile app which increased business revenues by 25%.
• Spearheaded design and development of External Websites user authentication and authorization functions including OAuth, SAML, MFA and SSO cloud-based functions serving millions of external users, driving 2.9x user/candidate growth.
Implemented DevOps, CI/CD principles, GitHub, Test-driven Development, Load Testing, Capacity planning reducing deployment failures by 50% and post-production error rate by 25%
• Collaborated on security assessments and penetration testing using Checkmarx, SAST and DAST tools resulting in 30% application vulnerabilities reduction, and enhancing system security.
• Recruited, mentored, and trained developers and technical staff, reviewing and approving vendor agreements and statements of work. Nurtured team member’s growth, fostering both technical and professional advancement.

Software Development Management - Product Lead

• Transformed seven mission-critical revenue-generating websites into solid and scalable applications by following best practices of SDLC and SRE, effectively managed an on-call support team, grew revenue by 2x and reduced incidents by 75%.
• Scaled the External sites by adding caching, making code asynchronous, increased performance and sites traffic by 50%.
• Acted as key resource for Project Planning, worked closely with Business, Quality Assurance, Software Configuration Management and Security teams to ensure high quality implementation and Production deployments on complex architecture, decreased project time by 50%.
• Collaborated on security assessments and penetration testing using Checkmarx, SAST and DAST tools.
• Coached and prepared the next generation of senior engineers and tech leads.

Software Engineering Supervisor - Technical Lead

Enterpulse

•	Designed and developed Enterpulse’s Out of the Box Portal/Web based Solution based on Bea 8.1 WebLogic Portal Framework incorporating the reusable asset repository portal to allow developers to quickly identify and implement Enterpulse’s reusable assets for customer engagements. 
•	The Asset Repository Portal was build on a BEA 8.1 Portal Framework, using the Spring Framework, Webservices and WSRP for inter-portlet communication as well as BEA security providers for Single Sign-On and Authentication.

Tech Lead - WebLogic Portal Architect 

Telephia

•	Responsible for full Entreprise development cycle, employing Unified Method as Software development methodology with J2EE technologies, releasing application systems that meet business functionality and Return-on-Investment requirements yet at the same time satisfing technology requirements for robustness, performance, scalability and maintainability.

Senior Software Engineer

Information Technology Leader | Enterprise Applications Development & Security

By leveraging my over 20+ years of software product development experience I empower organizations to build large scalable technology solutions to solve client problems and drive impact while ensuring compliance with data governance and data security policies - always prioritizing people and customers. 
Led high-performing teams from product discovery and strategy to execution of technical roadmaps delivering  enterprise-class products with high impact running on multiple platforms, with focus on scalability, reliability, security, quality and performance.
● Led comprehensive project management for AI-powered chatbot initiative, overseeing planning,
execution, and delivery phases while ensuring strategic alignment with business objectives and
adherence to project timelines. Coordinated cross-functional teams, managed resource allocation, and
implemented risk mitigation strategies to deliver the chatbot solution on schedule and within budget.
● Overseen the product life cycle including market research, design, implementation, launch of large-scale client products built on Salesforce, Amazon Connect (IVR), and Zoom Cloud Communication Services, seamlessly integrated with Identity and Access Management (IAM), data warehouses, and cloud infrastructures. Utilized technologies such as GPS, AWS, GraphQL, RESTful APIs, Kafka, Redis, Data lakes, Kubernetes resulting in 99.999% system availability and sub-0.025s response times. 
Proven technical product expertise for cloud-based analytics and database solutions, guiding products from conception to launch while accelerating time-to-market by 30% through innovative solution design and performance optimization
● Overseen Data Governance Frameworks for adherence to GDPR and CCPA
● Shaped key decisions in the product architecture, design and implementation of scalable and distributed  web-based, mobile applications and microservices, boosting efficiency by 30%
● Demonstrated ability to form partnerships across cross-functional teams (Engineering, Marketing, stakeholders) to ensure customer success leading to a 20% increased customer satisfaction 
● Deep interest in people management, mentoring, and coaching the next generation of leaders in their careers, resulting in a 20% increase in team productivity.

Software Development Management  - Technical Lead 

•	Led team of 8-10 engineers, designed and developed integration between core applications and third parties automating multiple manual processes increasing productivity by 85%.
•     Migrated to scalable distributed cloud-based platforms like Salesforce, AWS, Mulesoft, Workday and scaled core applications and global services improving recruiters efficiency by 45% .
• Using Agile methodology designed and implemented Gold Stevie, Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts awards winning RH Mobile app which increased business revenues by 25%.
• Spearheaded design and development of External Websites user authentication and authorization functions including OAuth, SAML, MFA and SSO cloud-based functions serving millions of external users, driving 2.9x user/candidate growth.
Implemented DevOps, CI/CD principles, GitHub, Test-driven Development, Load Testing, Capacity planning reducing deployment failures by 50% and post-production error rate by 25%
• Collaborated on security assessments and penetration testing using Checkmarx, SAST and DAST tools resulting in 30% application vulnerabilities reduction, and enhancing system security.
• Recruited, mentored, and trained developers and technical staff, reviewing and approving vendor agreements and statements of work. Nurtured team member’s growth, fostering both technical and professional advancement.

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