Gary and Sue co-founded Innovate Technology and Robotics Academy with a shared mission: to inspire children and teens through robotics, coding and future-ready STEM education.
Chief Executive Officer — Innovate Ahead Group (CEO)
Gary is a respected John Maxwell Team Coach on Leadership, Technology and Entrepreneurship with over 25 years of international business experience working with diverse companies and individuals through business transformation projects, enhancing human capability through strategic training programs that empower and develop individuals to succeed.
His ‘Can Do’ attitude to drive large-scale change programs across organisations has delivered demanding projects on time, on budget and to quality.
Gary has worked with educators around the world on innovative programs, including delivering programs for the Ministry of Education Singapore, the National Institute of Education (NIE) and Nanyang Technological University. He has delivered many nationally accredited programs on behalf of the Singapore Government and has been teaching robotics and technology in the classroom since 1999, starting with LEGO and many other robotics and technology tools. He has contributed his expertise to several Asian governmental programs through projects funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In 2016, Gary was invited by the Mauritius government to conduct STEM keynote presentations and coding workshops in Mauritius.
With more than 25 years of training and consulting experience, Gary co-founded Innovate Technology and Robotics Academy. He spearheaded the start-up of the VEX Robotics program and Competition (VRC) in Australia in 2013 and developed a rookie team to compete in the VEX Robotics World Championships — Anaheim, California in 2014. He has coached and mentored teams for the VEX IQ State and National Competitions, the First Lego League (FLL) and the VEX Robotics World Championships 2016, where his team finished 3rd in the VEX IQ World Tournament out of 200 teams. Gary also co-organised the Asia Pacific Robotics Championships 2015 at the Melbourne Showgrounds, with more than 200 teams from Asia and Australia participating.
Gary delivers leadership development programs for educational institutions globally. He has trained over 20,000 participants in Australia, Singapore, India, China, Maldives and Mauritius among other countries, and has been invited as a speaker at various business and technology conferences.
Gary has conducted incursions and teacher PDs in many Melbourne schools (Hillcrest Christian College, Mount View Primary School, Oxley Christian College, Kambrya College, Huntingtower, The Peninsula School and more). He has run more than 25 seasons of tech camp holiday programs and leads the Innovate Technology and Robotics Competitions. Gary continues to lead training and inspire children and teens in robotics and technology weekly. He believes in the importance of mental health and is an Accredited Mental Health First Aider, working with both children and adults in this area.
Gary believes – “Change happens faster than ever, so leaders must remain adaptable.
Director of STEM Learning & Development
Sue started her career at an international Intellectual Property boutique firm. As an IP Consultant in Singapore, she managed the trademarks of clients such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Universal Studios and the National Football League (NFL). She was head-hunted to lead the training and development division of a highly successful business and technology consulting company headquartered in Singapore that delivered many innovative projects to governments and large companies in the Asia Pacific.
Sue co-founded Innovate Technology and Robotics Academy Australia and is a Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy Certified Instructor. She has been teaching robotics, coding and technology courses in the classroom — including high school elective programs in several top primary and secondary schools in Melbourne and Sydney (Huntingtower, Mount View Primary, The Geelong College, Shelford Girls Grammar and more).
Sue has trained students from Melbourne, Regional Victoria and interstate across more than 27 seasons of STEM-driven tech camps with ITRA. She has coached and mentored teams for the First Lego League (FLL) Competitions, the VEX Robotics World Championships and the VEX IQ National Championships, in addition to delivering robotics incursions for corporate clients such as VIC Roads, Melbourne Zoo and neighbourhood learning centres.
Sue is an Accredited Mental Health First Aider and works with children in mental health awareness.
Sue is one of the founders who kickstarted the VEX Robotics program and Competition (VRC) in Australia in 2013 with its first 3 seasons, before developing other strong robotics competitions such as the Asia Pacific Robotics Championships 2015 at the Melbourne Showgrounds and the Innovate Technology and Robotics Competitions (both classroom and competitive robotics challenges).
“When robotics works its magic, students see science at work in their world.”
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