Lindsey Gervais
My passion for educational technology stems from recognizing that the classroom is filled with such a diverse group of learners, but where we are in our education system today and how we teach our kids does not tend to that diverse group of learners. I see this with my own children, one of whom is insanely creative and learns in a very different way. I think it's really important that we acknowledge and develop technologies that can be implemented into the classroom that reach that diverse group of learners while still being able to achieve what's needed from a school's perspective and from a district perspective. After spending years in academia teaching learning technologies and learning theories to undergraduate and graduate students, I transitioned to the corporate world where I developed a multi-million dollar portfolio in digital marketing with ed tech companies. My approach centers on empathy, collaboration, and communication, with passion as a close fourth value. I've built my network on LinkedIn to thousands of connections and nurtured an education professionals group of almost 9,000 members. Despite facing three layoffs in three years and the challenges of being a woman rising above director-level positions, I remain committed to bringing better awareness and best practices to the development and marketing of EdTech. Beyond my corporate work, I previously served as executive director of the Miss America organization, which empowers young women in their leadership skills and futures.
• PhD in Educational Psychology
• PhD in Educational Psychology
• University of Connecticut
• 2016
• Former Executive Director of the Miss America Organization
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received came from my very first boss at the agency level, who told me that my network was money and to always grow and nurture that network. That advice has stayed with me ever since. Another powerful piece of advice I received was to never lose my personality and my spark. Early on, as a woman with a personality, that wasn't really well received. I was told to just not forget who I am and to not feel like I need to set that aside in order to fit in, because somewhere along my career path, I'm going to find a home that's going to really love that about me. So just keep going. That advice has been incredibly meaningful to me throughout my journey.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say, build bridges and collaborate, and build your network. I have built my network on LinkedIn over time, where I have thousands of connections, and I've also nurtured an education professionals group on LinkedIn of almost 9,000 members. I think that networking is the most important thing to do. Never burn your bridges, continue to network, and have courage. That's the hardest part, right, when you're putting yourself out there and you want to make a new connection, but it pays off in dividends later on, especially when you have such a volatile job market and you need to sort of lean on your network. So building and maintaining those relationships is absolutely critical.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge I've experienced in my career has been keeping my role. I've had three layoffs in three years, so maintaining that role and then jumping into a new one and getting a new one has been the biggest challenge. Once you're in the role, I think it's just making sure that you understand what is going to get buy-in and understanding the science and craft of cross-functional collaboration. I think that's my secret sauce, and if you're not in the right organization for that to really bloom, then it makes it really difficult for you to bloom. On top of all that, being a woman in the workplace and rising above director-level positions, getting above director-level positions and not feeling stuck, has been my biggest sticking point. But I've been laid off so many times that having a job I'm enormously thankful for.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My top values are empathy, collaboration, and communication. If I was going to add a fourth one in there, it would be passion. These values guide everything I do, both professionally and personally. They're at the core of how I approach my work in educational technology and how I interact with others in cross-functional collaboration, which I consider my secret sauce.
Locations
Granby, CT