Strategy and Vision
I came up with the idea for AWS Spark as an early career AWS Solutions Architect: I had studied Computer Science, but hadn't learned anything about the cloud. It was intimidating at first and it wasn't until I learned the why behind cloud that it started to click. Having a lifelong passion in tech education and diversity in STEM, I designed a way to bring that why into interactive cloud learning labs that focus on topics students actually care about: climate change, sports, cancer research, sustainability.The concept started as my side-of-the-desk project and a few proposal papers. I pitched it internally and secured $6M in funding. As the first headcount on the team, I lead the 0->1 initiative to create a technical architecture, curriculum pipeline, and international launch operations. As the team and program grew globally, I wore many hats on the team and functioned as technical and product lead.
Pillars of Work
To manage a program of this scale, I divided the work into three core areas:- Infrastructure & Architecture: Designing a "guardrailed" sandbox environment where students could use real AWS data tools without technical overhead or security risks.
- The Content Engine: Establishing a scalable pipeline to turn complex AWS services into "fun" interactive units (e.g., Koalas in the Cloud).
- Global Operations: Managing the high-stakes lifecycle from Beta to General Availability (GA) across the US, UK, Australia, and Canada.
Architecture & Infrastructure
The Challenge: Build a secure, "guardrailed" sandbox where students could use real AWS tools without the risk of accidental costs or security breaches.
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Learning Design
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