Our Staff

	Laura Allen is the Founder and President of Vision Education & Media.   She has worked with teachers and students and technology for over eighteen years, creating some of the field's most effective solutions for using technology as a tool for learning and teaching.   Laura's visual arts background is the foundation of her belief that creative thinking is the key to effective learning. An early interest in LOGO programming led Laura to the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she collaborated on projects with the MIT Media Laboratory and the mathematician and educator, Dr. Seymour Papert, the founder of LOGO programming and one of the world's foremost expert on instructional technologies.   Prior to founding Vision Education, Laura directed the Computer Department at The Buckley School in Manhattan for fourteen years and was Director of the Technology Program at the Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School for two. Laura is also the founder and director of The Stonington Retreat, a summer technology workshop for educators, which is now in its twelfth year. She also developed the concept and curriculum for the YWCA's TechGYRLS program, a national program for girls ages 9 - 13 that is currently running in over 35 YWCA's across the country.   In recent news, Enterprising Women has named its 2006 Enterprising Women of the Year and Laura was chosen from among over 400 entries!
	Adriana Pentz joined Vision, Education & Media as the Director of Operations where she is responsible for strategic operations and planning, as well as refining and executing important long-term goals.  Adriana specializes in organizational development and entrepreneurship. Prior to her current position, she spent six years helping non-profit organizations with fundraising, marketing, and financial management. In her last role, Adriana served as the Director of Development and Administration at the CityKids Foundation, a youth development organization serving inner-city teenagers in New York. At CityKids she was responsible for creating and implementing strategies to increase sources of revenue, and building the organization's overall fundraising efforts. Prior to CityKids, she worked as the Events Coordinator for the Women Presidents' Organization, executing international events for female entrepreneurs with small and mid-size companies. Adriana holds a BA in English and Communications from the University of Pennsylvania, and in 2006 she was selected to participate in a competitive leadership development program through StartingBloc, an nonprofit that educates, empowers and connects emerging leaders to drive positive social change across sectors.
	Jennifer Wardell is the Director of Programs for Vision Education & Media where she oversees K – 8th grade programs and designs new programs and curriculum. Jennifer is a seasoned teacher of both youth and adult learners. She developed and implemented RoboPet, a LEGO® Robotics curriculum for New York City adolescents in Chinatown, and many other robotics projects. In 2007 Jennifer designed a 30 hour interdisciplinary LEGO® Mindstorms® Inventors Curriculum for the  Region 6 New York City Department of Education in Brooklyn. The project involved training 150+ fourth grade teachers to implement the curriculum in their classrooms. Jennifer has taught MicroWorlds and other multimedia programs and designs and facilitates trainings for teachers, community leaders, and Vision Education & Media staff. Jennifer holds an M.A. in Educational Communication and Technology from New York University where she researched, designed, and produced an art education interactive multimedia prototype CD-ROM for adolescents. She also holds a B.S. from the University of Georgia in Early Childhood Education including Graduate studies in Educational Psychology. Jennifer previously taught as a full-time classroom teacher for the fourth and fifth grade.
	Corbett Beder is the Director of High School Programs at Vision Education & Media. For the past two years, his projects have included teaching high school digital video, middle school video game design, and LEGO Robotics. Additionally, he has assisted with numerous FIRST LEGO League teams and conducted professional development seminars in Robolab and MicroWorlds. He hails from the Southwest and tremendously enjoys the opportunity to work throughout New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey. He holds BA in Philosophy from NYU and an AM with a focus on Cinema and Media Studies from the University of Chicago. Prior to working with Vision, Corbett has worked in the film industry, publishing, and even repaired a computer or two. He is currently developing curriculum that incorporates hands-on technology and New York State Math, Science, and Technology Standards.
	Diedre Miller is the Marketing Manager for RoboFun at Vision, Education & Media. In this role, she establishes marketing strategies and oversees all marketing, communication, public relations and advertising activities for RoboFun both in school and after school in the New York area.  Diedre has several years of marketing experience in the technology industry, which includes market analysis, and product management. Prior to Vision she worked for Peachtree Software and FujiFilm. Diedre has a BA in Business Administration from Clark Atlanta University and a MS in Internet Business Systems from Mercy College. Diedre enjoys the creativity and innovation that RoboFun programs bring to young people and she is committed to promoting and selling such a unique, quality, and empowering product.
	Carmen Alvarado is a Program Manager for Vision Education & Media and a Lead RoboFun Instructor. She holds a B.F.A. in Sculpture from Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogota as well as an M.F.A. with a focus on Installation Art from Hunter College in New York City. Through her studies of sculpture and her work as a professional artist, Carmen has explored concepts of structure and construction; she has been fascinated by the ways in which the utilitarian can become artistic and the artistic, utilitarian. Her previous teaching experience includes 4 years of arts education at the museum Luis Angel Arango in Bogota and several years of Spanish language instruction. Carmen brings her love of the construction process to all her RoboFun classes as she encourages her students to bring their own artistic point of view to their robotic creations.
	Eduardo Bringas is the Technology Manager and a Technology Mentor at VEMNY. Ed teaches primarily high school programming, robotics and physical interactive arts using various microprocessors and analog circuitry. He hold two BA degrees in interdisciplinary studies focusing in Fine Arts and Biology and an MPS from the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU. His current exploration includes kinetic art, CAD/CAM, sustainable design, and wearable technology. His collaborations have been exhibited in various NYC galleries as well as SIGGRAPH. Ed enjoys empowering students with tools that help expand creativity, knowledge and perceptions of technology.
	Tali Padan is a Program Manager and Technology Mentor at VEMNY. Tali is managing and teaching a three-year National Science Foundation program in parternship with SoBRO and Columbia University called SoBRO TEC. Having worked with Vision Education & Media for two years, Tali has taught primarily high school students Video, Blogging, Cricket Robotics, Web Design, Flash Animation and more. She holds a BS in Computer Science from Georgia Tech and an MPS from the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU. At NYU, Tali worked on a thesis proving that a constructivist, hands-on approach to learning helps students improve important areas in their lives, such as Leadership, Confidence, General Knowledge, and Motivation. Tali cares less about the technology itself and more about guiding students through an experience that empowers and enlivens them in their every day lives.