When our colleagues from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reached out to sam seidel about exploring new ways of bringing equitable design practices to the field of education technology, he agreed partly out of his excitement to bring together this team.

Isaac Ewell, Olatunde Sobomehin, sam seidel, Isabel Huff, and Ariam Mogos.

Isaac Ewell, Olatunde Sobomehin, sam seidel, Isabel Huff, and Ariam Mogos.

Ariam Mogos is a designer, researcher, and futurist investigating the ways that technology can foster playful learning experiences that bridge communities and cultures. She leads emerging technology initiatives at Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school), where she helps students and educators work with emerging technologies like AI and blockchain and shapes conversations around the tech’s ethical implications on humans and nature. She is creating a set of play-based analog resources (in the form of a magazine) on machine learning, brain-computer interface tech, and IOT. You can learn more and order first issue of REP magazine here.

Ariam runs Magikal Machines, a teeny tiny creative learning agency dedicated to the equitable design and application of technology for K12 futures.

Ariam has worked across Africa, Asia, the United States and Europe, including on the development and assessment of the impact of learning technologies with UNICEF, the Kenyan government, the LEGO Foundation, Scratch, Worldreader, and the World Bank.

Ariam’s work around digital learning and inclusion has been recognized by Mozilla and Fast Company, and she was a recipient of the 2022 National Geographic Wayfinder Award.

Ariam loves cooking, crosswords, perfumery, and facilitating learning experiences for young makers in libraries and rec centers.

Isaac Ewell has 20+ years of educational experience, including teaching middle and high school history in public and independent schools, working as an EdTech designer for an online learning company, and serving as a corporate trainer for a Fortune 500 company. From 2004 to 2012, Isaac worked for the Black Alliance for Educational Options, where he managed a multi-million dollar grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that facilitated the creation of several high-quality schools in low-income communities across the country. Ewell was responsible for managing the grant, identifying potential school leaders, and developing a team of expert coaches and consultants to help build sustainable institutions. A few years ago, Ewell launched a boutique educational consulting firm specializing in:

Isaac graduated from Morehouse College in 1994 (B.A., History) and Harvard University in 1996 (MEd). He’s an alum of LEADERSHIP Philadelphia and Stanford d.school.

In addition, Isaac proudly serves on the boards of Boys Latin Charter School of Philadelphia, Wissahickon Charter School, Jill Scott’s Blues Babe Foundation, Big Picture Learning and CodedbyKids.  Despite his many professional accomplishments, Isaac is most proud of his role as a dedicated husband and father.

Isabel Huff first became interested in STEM education when she participated in a high-altitude weather ballooning science program in middle school. Since then, her interests have grown to include edtech, storytelling and imagination in education, and human-centered design.