Meet the 13 Mentors
Professionals from industry, K-12, and academia have been invited to provide valuable advice to the participating startups at Slowpitch.
Adam Papendieck
Lecturer and Writer in Residence, The University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Adam Papendieck is a learning scientist with over 15 years of international experience engaging technology for educational change. He studies innovation ecosystems, and how our values pattern and are patterned by technology. At UT’s Jackson School of Geosciences, Adam teaches and studies the design, communication and social impact of science and technology.
Anita Greenberg
Founder and CEO of Cosmos Training & Testing
As a startup executive in the commercial aerospace industry, Dr. Greenberg led the team of subject matter experts (SMEs) that created the world’s first commercial astronaut training program to include a neutral buoyancy tank. Greenberg led Opifex’s nationwide business development strategy to educate and explore partnerships with government officials, legislators, foundations, and other commercial space companies. While Anita has found herself in many different industries, education and training has been the common thread that runs through everything.
Ashley Reinhardt
Founder of WonderWell
Ashley is a proud mother of her three beautiful children: Jet, Saylor, and Hank. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Texas Tech University, taught Kindergarten in Houston, and then moved to Austin to pursue her graduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin. Ashley earned her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in 2013 and is a former student of Dr. Joan Hughes. Ashley designed and opened WonderWell, a Reggio-inspired private school passionately devoted to early childhood education.
Ed Sattar
EdTech Investor, GP Moneta Ventures
Sattar has invested 20 years in the eLearning industry and made significant contributions across multiple industries. His research and contributions have made significant impact in the EdTech industry. He has written e-learning standards for government agencies and regulators that are still in use and developed a proprietary instructional technology methodology “QS Learn” that personalizes the learning experience and converts training & education into a high impact learning experience. He founded 360training training, a compliance career certification training marketplace which he led to a successful exit. He founded QuickStart which is a workforce readiness platform using AI and adaptive learning technology. He has funded and the chairman of the board of three additional EdTech portfolio companies with $100M in management
Greg Russell
Training Program Manager, CS DISCO
Greg has a decade of experience leading training programs, including K-12, non-profit, academia, startups, SaaS, and corporate environments. At present, Greg is the head of product training for CS DISCO, the legal technology company, where he is building out a comprehensive global training program. Previously, Greg directed the development and delivery of training for the Oracle Marketing Cloud suite of products, a $10M/year P&L education business.
Jason Harron
MBA, Ph.D. Candidate, The University of Texas at Austin
Jason Harron is a doctoral candidate specializing in Learning Technologies at The University of Texas at Austin. He has over 10 years of experience in public education as a secondary mathematics teacher and as a trainer of future K-12 STEM educators in the UTeach program. In addition, Jason has won multiple EdTech start-up competitions and has served as a consultant for companies including GameSalad and Patchr.io.
Lorrie Salome
Math Teacher, Hill Elementary in Austin ISD
Lorrie Salome has worked in public schools for 17 years. While she's held a variety of different positions, including intervention specialist and instructional coach, her favorite place to be is in the classroom. Currently, she teaches 5th-grade math at Hill Elementary in Austin ISD. She recently received her M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from UT Austin. Her hobbies include: acquiring and moving-around classroom furniture and telling children stories about her fleet of fantastic felines.
Mark Danforth
Co-Founder & Chief Learning Officer, PenPal Schools
Mark is Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer at PenPal Schools. In addition to having served students as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and school leader, Mark has collaborated with organizations like Oxford University Press, Time for Kids, and National Geographic to develop award-winning content and learning experiences. Mark holds a Master’s in Teaching & Education from the University of San Francisco.
Patricia Fowler
Senior Project Manager, New Meridian Corporation
Ms. Fowler is a former classroom teacher who has worked in assessment and EdTech for more than 20 years. She has consulted with numerous startups introducing new products in the education market. She continues to support education initiatives around diversity, equity and generally improving education for all.
Rita Fennelly-Atkinson
Technology Design Coach, Austin ISD
Rita is an Austin ISD Technology Design Coach working as the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools coach for Sadler Means YWLA. She has experience with science, special education, and English Language Learners, and works with educators to promote effective blended learning through the integration of priority pedagogical practices, inclusion, accessibility, social-emotional learning, and cultural proficiency. She is a doctoral candidate in Instructional Systems Design and Technology at Sam Houston State University.
Steve Sanderson
CEO at EdSight
Steve is a hands-on CEO at EdSight, 30+ year entrepreneur and technologist, blend of consumer and enterprise experience. He has a deep passion for building businesses that make an impact (esp. education), with a special focus on products, customers and systemic change. He held key role in three exits (Food on the Table, Five Runs, Sapling) and his works were featured in “Lean Startup” by Eric Ries
Scott Lipton
Data Specialist, The Holdsworth Center
Scott is currently the data specialist for The Holdsworth Center, supporting districts to leverage data for talent management and leadership development. Scott has served as the senior director for a startup e-learning company. Previously, Scott has been a high school teacher, principal, and district administrator. Scott is the co-founder of EdTech Action, an education innovation incubator, consulting firm, and community service organization. Scott’s combination of institutional and marketplace experiences provide a unique perspective into educational systems, results-based analytics, product, and organizational design.
