About

WHO ARE WE AND WHAT DO WE DO

 

Since 2000, over 29,000 refugees and other populations of humanitarian concern have settled in Colorado from all over the world. Colorado is also home to more than 540,000 immigrants. Today, one in ten Coloradans is an immigrant. While over 30% of Colorado immigrants have an advanced degree, 29% of immigrants have less than a high school diploma.  Many refugees have spent decades in refugee camps where access to education and training were sparse or unreachable. The refugee journey is not only dangerous, but also long and frustrating; it interrupts careers, educations and dreams indefinitely. So a big focus of our support is on providing refugees access to educational resources while they’re in camps and once they’ve been resettled into their Colorado community. Teach by Tech believes in the power of education and opportunity to change lives for the better. 

Recognizing the need for innovative approaches to meet the needs of these underserved populations, Teach by Tech was founded in 2016, in Colorado.  Our goal is to increase accessibility of basic education, workforce training and financial literacy to newcomers and set individuals and families on a path to self sufficiency.  As of January 2023 we have served 500+ students in Colorado. Our services continue to expand beyond Colorado, to other states in the U.S., and most recently to Kenya. 

 

Our Team

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Staff

 

Linnie Pawlek: Founder and CEO of Teach by Tech. Linnie has an extensive background in education. She worked in Osaka, Japan as an ESL teacher and spent 4 years teaching ESL, English and Social Studies to junior high students in Colorado. She is currently in her 13th year teaching history at a local community college in Lakewood, CO. Ms. Pawlek holds a MA in History from the University of Colorado and a MA in International Development from the University of Kent in Brussels, Belgium.  She is a Certified Financial Education Instructor  through the National Financial Educators Council. It is through her passion for learning and recognition of inequalities that led Linnie to create Teach by Tech.

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Andrew Pawlek: CTO and Platform Engineer of Teach by Tech. Andrew graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He has worked as web designer, software engineer,   Q & A specialist and game designer. Andrew understands the need for innovative use of current technology to make effective and sustainable change. 

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Board of Directors

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Kathleen Lockhart is technical by trade, a math and geography major in undergrad, and compounded on her technical capabilities early in her career as a fiber engineer at Zayo Group. She pivoted into product management with the assistance of an MBA through CU Boulder while working fulltime. She spent several years climbing the ladder in Product to become the Senior Product Director for Zayo’s West region. Kathleen currently is the VP of Deal Management leading a 50+ person organization and has responsibility for all pricing, commercial contract negotiations, and RFPs for the company outside of Europe. Deal Management sits as the linchpin between the technical and sales portions of the business. Kathleen has been able to excel in this role as she has a P&L mindset coupled with an aptitude for sales. She understands the key determinants of sales success and is able to align customer interests with technical demand as a bridge connecting the different sides of the business. Outside of work, she is the President and co-founder of the University of Denver Alumni Women in STEM organization, a board member and Outreach chair for the Leeds School MBA Alumni Board, and an Advisor in Residence for Greenhouse Scholars.

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Board Chair

Laurie Bedford is an innovative higher education professional focused on engaging learning experiences in diverse modalities. Expertise in active, experiential, and constructivist classroom strategies and instructional design for elearning incorporating data-driven practices and principles of adult learning. She possess in-depth business acumen relating to storyboarding, behavioral-based learning objective models, mapping of learning trajectories, gamification, microlearning, and learning assessment outcomes.

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Lindsey brings 15+ years of experience in consulting, program leadership and organizational development. She is driven by her commitments to creating equitable, innovative learning opportunities and helping organizations amplify their impact. Currently she serves as Director of Organizational Learning & Development at TNTP, a national organization that partners with public K - 12 school systems. Prior to this role, she served as a consulting director for TNTP and as Senior Director of Operations for the NYC Teaching Fellows, an alternative teacher certification program. In addition to her support of Teach by Tech, Lindsey serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at Denver Language School and as a partner for SVP Denver. Lindsey holds a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Illinois and a MPA in Public Administration and Public Policy from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. She is a mom, a runner, and an avid traveler.

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Kristina is an accomplished senior executive with over two decades of experience in the real estate and technology sectors. She currently serves as the Senior VP of Operations at AIR Communities, where she oversees strategic initiatives to drive operational excellence and enhance customer experience. She works with technology start-ups and innovative thinkers in the proptech space and other sectors to develop innovative tools that give AIR Communities a competitive advantage.
Kristina began her career working in technology for Morgan Stanley and later became a
management consultant, working in Latin America in Spanish for Booz Allen and Hamilton. She
then transitioned to an operations leadership position with Aimco, a Denver based residential
REIT, where she played a pivotal role in optimizing operational efficiency and improving
processes. At Aimco, which later became AIR Communities, she also worked in redevelopment
and asset management and later led the procurement, shared services center, marketing, asset
quality and service, AI and automation/machine learning, and field training departments.
In addition to her professional achievements, Kristina is committed to giving back to her
community through volunteer work, particularly for causes linked to international development
and refugees/immigrants. She has volunteered with organizations such as Focus Points,
teaching GED classes in Spanish, and with the African Community Center as part of the First
Friends program, helping recently arrived refugees settle into their new lives in Denver.
Kristina holds an MBA in Operations from The Wharton School and an MA in Latin American
Studies from The Lauder Institute of the University of Pennsylvania. She also earned a Bachelor
of Science in Foreign Service with a focus on International Economics from Georgetown
University.
Kristina's diverse skill set, strategic mindset, and commitment to social responsibility make her a
valuable asset to any board. Her extensive experience in operations, coupled with her passion
for making a positive impact, positions her as a forward-thinking leader dedicated to driving
innovation and creating meaningful change.

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