INDUSTRY:
Educational Technology
CLIENT:
E.ON, Port of Rotterdam, Science Museum London,
YEAR:
2014 - 2020
EXPERIENCE:
Founder and Creative Director
EdTech Startup
about.
This award-winning EdTech startup specialized in the end-to-end design, manufacturing, and global distribution of specialized STEM tools, most notably the Qmod Energy Block.
The platform pioneered custom solutions that enabled students to harness energy from natural sources, scaling from a bootstrapped venture to a globally recognized brand distributed across North America, Europe, and Africa. Its success in bridging the gap between complex science and accessible learning culminated in a strategic acquisition by the venture division of Europe’s largest utility provider.
challenge.
My research focused on democratizing 21st-century learning by making foundational science accessible to primary school children through hands-on discovery. Challenging the traditional "don't touch" approach to electricity, I designed safe, experiential learning environments that transformed intimidating scientific theories into tangible, play-based education.
Influenced by Sugata Mitra’s SOLE (Self-Organized Learning Environment) methodology, our team developed collaborative workshops and low-cost toolkits for 21st-century skills. Our flagship prototype was a simple, affordable induction circuit that allowed students to harvest small currents from everyday objects. Through this, learners built batteries from waste, sculpted circuits with conductive dough, and designed original objects powered by their own experiments.
results.
The Qmod Ecosystem
The platform was designed as a comprehensive, modular toolkit to bridge the gap between abstract energy concepts and hands-on application for primary education.
The Hardware StacK
The Qmod Energy Block: A safe, durable power interface designed for student experimentation.
Energy Components: A versatile kit including solar panels, hand-generators, RedOx (reduction-oxidation) probes, LEDs, and conductive wiring.
Expansion Tools: Custom breakout boards to bridge basic circuits with advanced microcontrollers.
The Educational Framework
Themed Content: A library of guided activities and curriculum-aligned narratives that turn experiments into stories.
Classroom Integration: Turnkey lesson plans designed specifically for educators to facilitate 21st-century skill development.
Digital & Community Support
Centralized Platform: A dedicated website hosting digital guides, troubleshooting, and community resources.
Makerspace Programming: Custom programs designed for local makerspaces to extend learning beyond the classroom.
Key Venture Highlights:
Global Scale: Engineered and manufactured educational kits for wide-scale distribution to schools and makerspaces across three continents.
Innovation Excellence: Earned numerous industry awards for the design of alternative energy tools that transformed natural environments into active classrooms.
Successful Exit: Successfully bootstrapped the organization for three years before its acquisition by a Tier-1 European utility venture firm.
