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?

Trilingual Project Leader| Mindfulness Coach | Process Improver | Ease Advocate | Instructional Strategist

As an innovative mixed-roots, 𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲r, I leverage my mindfulness training and instructional strategist experiences, thriving on the cross-pollination of ideas, cultures, and explorations. Throughout my career, I have been known to improve processes and systems in order to streamline skill building, workflow, and boost engagement for my team and/or larger organization. 

I bring cross-functional members together around a common goal, then inspire and mobilize them to start, sustain momentum, and complete projects within budget and schedule. 

As a high-touch educational coach, I identify obstacles that inhibit client growth and create pathways for their success through personalized plans that both enhance their existing strengths, build confidence and move them forward with new insights and skills.

Experienced in managing projects virtually and in person for groups of 3-70 people.

Languages:  Spanish, 日本語Japanese, English, and some French

🔥EXPERIENCE
-𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 and 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 in: feedback for hiring process, communication, resources procurement, adoption of new instructional framework, data tracking and management

-𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 for groups 3-70 people (youth and adults) virtual and in-person, highly skilled at unpacking concepts/activities for universal access and learning

-𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽, and 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 for groups 3-70 individuals. Completed 500+ projects from initiation to completion.

-Mentor & onboard individuals to support adjustment and performance in organizations

-Build intentional relationships through curiosity and authenticity, inclusive of diverse perspectives 

-Facilitate and engage in difficult conversations to 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀, and bring team to 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 in order to achieve common goals


❤️🏺 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 🎭𝘐𝘔𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘝 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.

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Claire Smizer

Eliko Ozeki

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The Battle

Claire Smizer

Eliko Ozeki

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Claire Smizer's LinkedIn Performance

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