I have been drawn to instructing and coaching for as long as I remember. My early experiences with these practices began at age 14 when I had the chance to work as an assistant coach for the youngest swimmers on our team. From that experience on, I was hooked. I continued competing and coaching, eventually serving as the head coach for 9 years during and after my undergraduate studies. One of the banner moments in my life was ending my final season with my team family, in one of my favorite cities, witnessing young people experience incredible achievement as a result of their hard work and dedication. Junior Olympics was held in New Orleans that year, and I got to coach eleven of my swimmers who'd qualified as they went on on to compete and medal at such a high-level competition. The memory of watching those kids realize the potential I'd seen in them and the confidence and inspiration they'd found within themselves is a bucket-filler that I'll always treasure.I began my formal career in education 12 years ago at a small private school in my hometown. I started out as a classroom teacher, and then began my work as an elementary math interventionist. In that role, I helped teachers and students grow by building bridges between the curriculum, standards, learning trajectories, technology, resources, data, and evidence-based best practices. I highly value the time I've spent mentoring, coaching, encouraging, and learning from my students and fellow educators. There is simply nothing better than meeting an "I'm not a math person" person at the beginning of the year, and then being successful at my own personal mission to hear them say "I love math!" by the end of the year! I have now transitioned that passion for coaching and education into building a community of collaboration and support around EdTech startups. I am so inspired by the innovation and grit I get to witness daily! It doesn’t take more than a few minutes around me to see the telltale signs of my obsession for all things botanical. I love learning about and caring for my plants, not just because it’s a beautiful and relaxing hobby, but because it is a physical manifestation of my passion for cultivating and nurturing growth. All of my plants, and all of us, can grow and thrive with a little individualized attention, a well-suited environment, some creative problem solving, and the determination to reach for the light.I’d love to connect with you here on LinkedIn, or you can get in touch with me by email at sarah@edinno.com