AI Roadmap for Colorado

Joanna Bruno is the Executive Director for Teaching and Learning at the Colorado Department of Education. For the past seventeen years she has worked at the department, in various roles, to advance educational equity for all students and champion teachers as leaders. During her time at the department, Joanna earned a doctorate from Denver University, where she specialized in multilingual learners and assessment. Prior to working at the department, she taught secondary science, STEM, and ESL in Colorado schools.

Graham is founder and managing director of Edovate Capital. He’s spent his career in education, entrepreneurship, and investing. He spent 15 years leading sales, marketing, business development, and customer success in startup SaaS education companies. In his last operating role, he led sales and business development for Netchemia where he grew the company to serve more than 2,400 school districts across the US prior to its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners. In 2014, Graham founded Edovate Capital to back impact-focused K12 companies with investment and advisory support, including companies like Pear Deck (acquired by GoGuardian), LearnPlatform (acquired by Instructure), ClassWallet, Paper, and more.

Dr. Tara Nattrass is Managing Director of Innovation Strategy at ISTE+ASCD ,collaborating with educators on reinventing learning with a focus on innovative programs, professional learning, emerging technologies, and cybersecurity. Prior to joining ISTE+ASCD, Tara served as Chief Education Innovation Strategist at Dell Technologies, consulting with educational leaders across districts and states and building meaningful partnerships with national organizations. Tara also spent over 20 years teaching and leading in school districts, including as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for Arlington Public Schools (VA). Tara earned a Doctorate in K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University.

Patty has joined the Colorado Education Initiative as the new Senior Partner, Leadership & Innovation. She is focused on work-based learning, partnerships, Ai in ED and innovative strategic practices. Patty has recently retired from St Vrain schools, she was the Asst. Superintendent of Innovation for the St. Vrain School District and was responsible for overseeing the Innovation Center and integrating STEM initiatives and innovative programs in the district. Her 25 years in educational leadership as an innovator, designer, and entrepreneur provides necessary skills to implement the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) Initiatives in the District.

Born and raised in North Denver, Antonio is a servant leader who has taught in, learned from, opened up, transformed, and regenerated schools throughout the city and country over the past twenty-six years. As a throughline for all these professional experiences, Antonio has dedicated his entire career to working for social change and transformation within public education through humanizing mental models and systems, culturally responsive expectations, and transformative leadership. As Director of Innovative Classroom Technology in Aurora Public Schools, he leverages his experience as an educator and school leader to develop proof-of-concept projects focusing on agentic and liberatory design.