Janet is passionate about sparking the joy of making in everyone. She has spent the past 10+ years developing Maker Education pathways for under-resourced communities informed by her experience in engineering, architecture, creative technologies, woodworking, librarianship, and education. Her passion lies at the intersection of inclusive design, traditional handcrafts, digital technologies, project-based learning, and community activism. Here at TPZ Janet reports to Gus Halwani and leads the STEAM team in daily operations, overseeing: STEAM program development, integration, and delivery, collaborating with the Research and Evaluation team to build out creative assessments for competency mapping, pursuing STEAM partnerships, developing and executing Deep Dives, coaching team members, expanding Open Studio, launching the Maker in Residency program and contributing to community and family engagement initiatives. As VP of STEAM and Innovation she also co-leads the Program Matrix team and serves on the execution leadership team. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies from Tufts University. Janet co-founded Boulder Public Library’s BLDG 61 in 2015, a nationally-recognized makerspace with a focus on engaging diverse and underserved communities. She also worked in Washington DC during the pandemic to teach project based learning to High School students virtually. Notable collaborations and partnerships include: MIT Media Lab; Adam Savage; Harvard Graduate School of Education; Colorado Center for the Blind; University of Colorado; Converse; Smithsonian; Museum of Science Boston; SparkFun; Denver Art Museum; Boulder Startup Week; Fab Foundation; XQ Foundation; Sewing Rebellion. When she’s not kicking up dust in the shop with students, you’ll likely find her adventuring somewhere by foot or by bike, collecting curiosities, and maximizing the amount of groceries she can fit in her backpack. She is always up for a good exchange, be it skills, food, stories, or handmade things.