Meet The Future 50 Education Innovators Transforming The Dallas-Fort Worth Region!
Plugging In to the Future: The 2023 Future 50 Education Innovators of Dallas-Fort Worth by Richard Margolin • Mar 16, 2023
From gamifying the learning experience to addressing principal turnover rates, these education disruptors are revolutionizing their fields. Meet the Future 50 in Dallas-Fort Worth, our editors’ picks of trailblazers who are shaping the future in their industries.
AMANDA DUDLEY: EQUITY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS Executive Director | Principal Impact Collaborative
Amanda Dudley is an education innovator on a mission to improve public school outcomes for all students. As executive director of the Principal Impact Collaborative, Dudley works with leaders and educators to increase equitable access to education in the Dallas region. By providing research-based best practices, her team strives to help reduce principal turnover and improve student performance across the district
KAREN MEADOWS: EMBODYING EXPERIENCE Director | UNTHSC Simulation Center
Karen Meadows is director of the Simulation Center at UNTHSC. Her work there has transformed it from a training space used by medical professionals into a hub of interactive experience. In 2021, Meadows was named one of the “20 to Watch” by the American Academy of Nursing, and she continues to have a positive impact through her leadership.
LUKE HEJL: TIME TO HEAL Co-Founder and CEO | TimelyMD
Luke Hejl is the co-founder and CEO of TimelyMD, a platform designed to complement campus health centers with on-demand medical and mental health care for college students. Hejl believes in providing support wherever students might be, and his telehealth-based service is making an immediate impact on campuses and student wellness.
TAYLOR SHEAD: EMPOWERING STUDENTS Co-Founder and CEO | STEMuli Studios
Taylor Shead's robotics and computer science experience inspired him to create STEMuli Studios, an educational metaverse platform that uses games to teach coding and robotics. Shead is committed to giving people the basics they need to unlock their potential, making his dreams to bring equal economic opportunity to students of all backgrounds a reality. His efforts have been recognized by Fast Company as one of the Impact Council’s Top 10 Innovators Under 40 this year.
RICHARD MARGOLIN: ROBOTICS REVOLUTIONARY Founder and CEO | RoboKind RoboKind, a Dallas-based education technology company, founded by Richard Margolin in 2011 uses facially expressive robots to facilitate learning for individuals with autism. The friendly robots Milo, Veda, Carver and Jemi, help bridge a gap that isn’t always met with human therapists alone. RoboKind’s robots can provide consistent, nonjudgmental and patient assistance with no limit to how many times a lesson can be repeated, helping to improve school outcomes for special education students.
JAMES HENNINGSON: MAKERSPACE MASTER Board Member and Outgoing President | Dallas Makerspace
When James Henningson needed to wire up a prototype for his day job, he found his solution at Dallas Makerspace. This nonprofit venture offers the tools and teachers necessary for traditional crafts, such as woodshop and metalwork, as well as modern technology, from electronics and robotics to 3D fabrication. It has grown exponentially in recent years and Henningson is proud to have been part of the team driving the organization’s success.
BEN MAGILL: OPPORTUNITY CREATOR Associate Vice Chancellor, Economic Opportunity | Dallas College
Ben Magill is committed to creating equitable economic opportunities in Dallas County through Dallas College. As the founder of the school’s Labor Market Intelligence Center, Magill and his team assess current jobs and near-term trends to align the college’s programs with available employment and work with companies to fill those jobs. Thanks to the success of his initiative, Dallas College recently secured an $8.8 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge
