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Inspiring Young Minds: Luke St. Amand on Hands-On STEM Learning Experiences · Exceptional Educators Podcast by FrenalyticsEDU

• 0:00
  Nisha Srinivasa: Welcome to the Exceptional Educators podcast by Frenytics edu, where we are celebrating the voices, stories, and innovation shaping the future of special education. I'm your cohost, Nisha Srinivasa.
• 0:12
  Matt Giovanniello: And I'm Nacho Vadello, CEO and cofounder of At Phrenalytics, we put special education and English language learners front and center. Our award winning Phrenalytics EDU platform helps streamline progress monitoring, improve communication and compliance, and offer truly personalized learning to your students of all abilities.
• 0:30
  Nisha Srinivasa: Each episode of our podcast features candid conversations with district and school leaders, classroom changemakers, EdTech founders, and industry executives, all dedicated to transforming learning for each student, especially our learners with unique abilities. With a focus on extraordinary educators and the exceptional students they serve, we explore the latest in special education, accessible technology, and inclusive leadership. In this episode, Exceptional Educators is exceptionally thrilled to welcome Luke St. Amend as our first guest, an innovator and cofounder at Lektech, a startup leading the charge in providing hands on STEM education. Luke's passion for his work and connection to the world of education is transforming the way that students and educators interact with groundbreaking technology.
• 1:18
  It's great to have you with us today, Luke.
• 1:20
  Luke St. Amand: Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it. I'm so excited.
• 1:23
  Nisha Srinivasa: Just to start us off, I am an educator myself, and something that's often asked in the world of education, a question that really floats around is, what is your why? So that's something that really grounds our work as an educator. So what is your why, and how did your journey to the world of education and innovation and education start?
• 1:43
  Luke St. Amand: I actually kind of ties into what Shoreline's does. So I thought in high school that I was gonna be a special education teacher. I'd worked a lot with, like, Unified Sports and Special Olympics and absolutely loved it to a point where, like, we had to do a capstone project and it was, like, a internship where you could do, like, whole written assignments. So I did an internship and I volunteered during the summer to work with the special education department at our middle school. So, obviously, with special education during, you know, the summer, they get ahead for the the following year and and come in for a couple weeks.
• 2:18
  So I was able to help out and be able to work with the teachers directly, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. But to be fully transparent and so, I think teachers are just saints, just so patient. And for me, just after a couple weeks, I was like, I love this and I just don't think this would be the best fit for me for for the rest of my life. And I love doing it and I wanna be part of it any way I possibly can. But I was gonna try something else and ultimately would have gotten to a path of studying engineering and becoming an engineer at Amazon and now come full circle all the way back to education and where I, you know, myself, I think I'm supposed to be and working with LekTech and trying to inspire the next generation of engineers with our STEM electric vehicle kits and curriculum as well.
• 3:03
  Matt Giovanniello: That's fantastic to hear, Luke, and a little bit of a small world story as well. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a teacher as well. I think when I was in elementary school, I looked up to my parents, my grandparents who were teachers, including my aunt, who's a long time special education teacher. As each grade progressed, I wanted to be a teacher in that grade. And then at the end of elementary school, that dream temporarily died off and I wanted to go into what I told my parents to be computers.
• 3:24
  And now I have found the nice little intersection education and technology, and it sounds like you found yourself in a very similar spot. I mean, just before you went full time on LedTech, you started at Amazon. So tell us a little bit about how your experience at Amazon was, what lessons you might have learned in building your company, and what ultimately inspired you to jump ship and go full time.
• 3:44
  Luke St. Amand: Becoming an engineer at Amazon was not in the cards I thought for for quite a while. I got extraordinarily lucky. So I was thinking I was gonna go into, like, banking into finance and and and do that whole thing, and I really like math. But, yeah, I always struggled with science growing up. Like, I was always intimidated by it.
• 4:02
  It was probably, like, the class that put the most amount of effort in, but got the worst results. Like, I always just got the worst grades in in science and just kind of lost that confidence and and thought, like, STEM wasn't for me. Actually, it all changed during COVID. So I was home for the summer. Everyone's playing video games.
• 4:19
  And I was like, I can't do this for for months on end. And my buddy was a an engineer, software engineer intern at Snapchat. So he he was like, hey. Do you wanna learn to code? I was like, why not?
• 4:31
  Yeah. I'm doing nothing else for the nighttime. So I I might as well learn to code. And, yeah, I spent a couple hours. We he had just deployed an app on the iOS store and he was like, I'll teach you a little bit of Swift.
• 4:43
  And it was literally just like a button and you click it and it says like, you are a clown. It was so it was so corny and and yeah. But I was like, this is super cool. I I really enjoyed it. So I spent the rest of the summer kinda teaching myself coding.
• 4:57
  And then I was able to add another major at my school in data analytics. And was was getting more exposed to to coding that way. Yeah, actually, Amazon was the only tech company I applied to. So I'm still thinking of doing finance and stuff. And got lucky.
• 5:10
  I was able to to land the internship and ultimately went out to Seattle and was just an amazing team and was able to go full time and and was put on to, like, one of the best data science engineering teams. I was, like, the youngest by ten years, the only one without a master's or PhD. So definitely some imposter syndrome, but it was the best experience ever. And it was super formidable to to what I'm doing now and couldn't have asked for a best experience better experience coming out of college. And ultimately, what made me leave even though, like, was somehow getting promoted pretty quickly and and doing actually decent.
• 5:43
  But my best friend Jared, we met in college. She was actually riding electric skateboard down the trail at our school. And I had grown up watching a famous YouTube blogger. His name is Casey Neistat. And Casey used to ride his electric skateboard around New York City and just took these awesome daily vlogs and and these videos.
• 6:02
  And that's what inspired me to come to New York. And I don't know what else to me at the time. Like, Jared was watching him when he was young too. And Jared wanted that electric skateboard. So he actually he wanted to buy one, but didn't have enough money for it because it used to cost, like, $2,000 back then and decided to build one himself.
• 6:17
  And he's very mechanically inclined. So at 15, he was able to hack one together after just a bunch of tries. And ultimately, got a successful one and posted about some pictures online that people started asking that he'd buy it. And then skip forward a few years, he was able to make a business out of it. And yeah.
• 6:34
  He ultimately, in 2021, those were, like, adults. Those were high performance skateboards. But his his nephew was turning eight, Brian, and his sister was finally, like, okay with him giving him a skateboard for for Christmas. So those ones you you built, but he thought he'd wanna go outside and just ride it Christmas morning. But ultimately, he gave it to him and put together, and he actually wanted to take it all apart and learn all about it.
• 6:59
  So Jared and Brian spent hours just learning about, you know, how the battery works, the drive train, the gears, how it all functions for a few hours. And at the end of it, his sister was like, hey. Do I need to slap you? Like, you should do this for kids. Like, this is how you taught yourself mechanical engineering, electrical engineering.
• 7:17
  And he's like, yeah. It's actually a really cool idea. Because ultimately, like, for him and and myself, like, going through school, like, it was always really tough and and maybe you guys relate to this and that audience too. Like, always asking yourselves how can you use this in the real world. And especially with with STEM too, like, it's it's a little bit tough because there's a lot of a lot of cool hands on things even nowadays.
• 7:37
  But back when, you know, we were going through school, like, a lot of it stays in the class or, you know, stays on a shelf. And, like, having that that barrier was really challenging for us, and we're trying to change that with this. So, yeah, we have these electric skateboards, electric scooters, and Jared ultimately, like, as his best friend, I was just helping him out when he had this idea where I could, but I was still an engineer at Amazon. And, yeah, and it was until 2023, he just you know, we sat down. He's like, I think this is gonna be pretty big and, like, I wanna convince you to to leave.
• 8:06
  And, ultimately, it didn't take too much convincing for me to leave because, you know, there's no salary on the other end, but, like, how how many opportunities can I do this for my best friend try to, like, aspire next generation of engineers? And, yeah, it was it was an easy leap to make. And now, yeah, it's been a bit of ton of fun. So so I was super glad I did.
• 8:24
  Nisha Srinivasa: That's amazing. And it's really interesting to hear you talk about the way you sort of fused your personal passion and connection to your friendship with something that you're trying to figure out, you know, in term- in terms of your next steps and like how you want to bridge those two together. And so I was a little bit curious about what are the skills that specifically let you step into that entrepreneurial space? I know you had this idea. Sounds like you were very passionate about it.
• 8:51
  And so what was the sort of bridge that let you actually get there?
• 8:55
  Luke St. Amand: Yeah. But I think there there's definitely some skills, and I'll I'll touch on that, that I was able to get from from Amazon. But I think it, like, it was even deeper down. So, like, my grandfather or we call, like, my Pepe, is from Quebec. And, like, we have this story.
• 9:10
  It's probably myth, but yeah. Like, he, like, he left Canada. He was dirt poor, bringing us on this farm town. I was able to actually see the house he grew up in and stuff. He he came down to The US just in his rain boots and the clothes on his back.
• 9:23
  And ultimately, was able to start a sheetrocking company and employ 200 employees at one point. And yeah, I think like that has always been a really big inspiration for me. Like, not just from like a skills perspective, but just like the passion of it and like inspiration and that was really important. And on the skill side of things from like Amazon that was super helpful and and still to this day, like, what I rely on is a couple things. So like one, Amazon has like a culture of it's the most productive place I've ever been a part of.
• 9:53
  And a big part of that is, like, being able to, like, self-service and just you know, there's gonna be tons of problems and and things you don't know the answer to. Like, we were both of us were engineers, so knew nothing about the educational space. And it's completely different once you you step into it. There's a lot to learn. But, like, we just have this attitude.
• 10:10
  Like, we can figure it out. Like, oh, if we just keep persisting and just keep trying to figure things out, like, you'll ultimately get to an answer or at least something to try. And if it doesn't work, you just keep going. So that was really big when I was at Amazon. And I think another part of it too is just a lot of working with a lot of stakeholders and and being able to, like, deliver pretty important projects.
• 10:31
  Like, I was put on to director level, CEO level projects, like, right when I started, which is very atypical. And and got to work on project that my manager's manager literally said, like, this is something people don't get to work on their entire career. You should not be working on this. Like, this is something someone way higher should be, but we have nobody else. So I trust you to figure it out.
• 10:53
  So, like, just having the attitude of this can be figured out and why not you, and I think that's definitely transferred over to to what we do here at LifeTitan too.
• 11:01
  Matt Giovanniello: It's funny you bring some of those traits up, Luke, because as I'm sure you know too, Nisha, both in the ed tech and the startup founder space, as well as in schools day in and day out, those are the same traits that you need to be successful in a thriving school environment too. You need to be a self starter. You need to be doing things that you're not familiar or come to rule with. Sometimes somebody doesn't even tell you to do it, and yet it is your responsibility nonetheless. And you need to really take charge and have that can do attitude.
• 11:24
  So it's awesome to hear that those skills permeated not only within your job at Amazon, but you were able to take them on the road with you. Yeah. In SelectTech, those skills are are certainly ones that are necessary for success. They won't guarantee it, of course, but you need them at the very minimum in order to increase your odds.
• 11:39
  Luke St. Amand: As an educator, definitely as an engineer, that is you know, persist through problems and just, you know, figure things out. Like, I think that's that's a parallel between both of them that that definitely exists.
• 11:50
  Matt Giovanniello: Let's switch gears a little bit. I am dying to know a little bit more about your SharkTech experience. And so as a precursor to that, hit us with your elevator pitch. As long as you want that to be for LekTech, and then we'll transfer you to some Shark Tank questions.
• 12:03
  Luke St. Amand: I mean, yeah, that's great. I think
• 12:06
  Matt Giovanniello: I'll put you on the spot.
• 12:07
  Luke St. Amand: Once again, it's trying to pinch because it's like a minute and a half, and it'd Jared are, like, making fun of each other that we're losing hair and stuff like that. It'll be better when you actually watch the episode. But, yeah, in terms of leg tech and what we're trying to do, like, it's what we wish we had when we were becoming engineers. Like, I was kind of referencing before. Like, we always had that problem of that non applicability to the real world.
• 12:27
  Like, you get handed a piece of paper or do an assignment. You just know, like, this is probably never gonna be used again. And that's building electric skateboards and learning all the components around it is the exact answer to that. So, like, you see electric skateboards, electric scooters out and around, and and students do the same. And it's like, oh, I can actually build that now.
• 12:45
  And I can, like, take that pride and have that connection. And that has been a ton of fun. We've seen a lot of awesome results there. But the the really cool part about it too is, like, that's where we say, like, the learning starts. So you're able to build electric skateboard, electric scooter, and we have a lot of vehicles as well.
• 13:01
  And there's a lot of really cool tech components of it. But now even we're getting to that part part of it is like once you build it, you actually are gonna use it in curriculum. So we have lessons that go along with it. So you're actually using it in, you know, Newton's second law, electromagnetism, conversion of energy, scaling, like, potential, kinetic, all that cool stuff using the vehicles and experiments. So you're actually able to, like, take it outside or, like, bring it up a ramp and use it to learn these concepts because I don't know about you guys, but, like, for me, I totally forgot all of Newton's laws.
• 13:31
  I don't know. I had to teach myself again when I was, like, going through the curriculum. I was like, oh, yeah. That's that's what it is. And, yeah, I was just trying to change that because you'll be able to have that experience and also, like, that connection of something you built.
• 13:42
  It's a lot of fun, and it's it's hands on, and it's something you hopefully won't forget because it's on a piece of paper.
• 13:49
  Matt Giovanniello: This feels like project based learning on steroids to me. Okay. The the most interesting of pieces in a STEM related curriculum that students at the perfect middle school age are interested in doing, bringing it to life, and learning about all of these physics pieces at a really early age along the way. I think it's it's awesome, and I'm so glad to see this come to life.
• 14:06
  Luke St. Amand: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Everyone it's it's awesome feedback to get, like, oh, this is what, yeah. Everyone's like, oh, I wish we had this when we were younger and stuff like this.
• 14:13
  And like having teachers come up and be like, I definitely want this in my classroom, but also like for my son, daughter, deputy, it's like, it's it's amazing to hear. It's our modern or what we say, like, electrifying the classroom. So our modern approach to hands on and and PBL and and just getting kids excited to learn engineering and science and and all that cool stuff.
• 14:34
  Nisha Srinivasa: I think it's amazing as an educator. It's exactly something that I would have wanted to have in my classroom space. I know so many of my former students who I could just see being so excited at the opportunity to connect with something that they do actually regularly outside of school, and that really has so much like intrinsic value and importance to them. And as many times as possible, there's a lot of conversations in education about how do we connect students to real world things? How do we connect with their interests?
• 15:03
  What can we do as educators to infuse those opportunities for students? And so to hear you have something that really does that intrinsically is so amazing. And sort of pivot back a little bit to Shark Tank. I'm a big Shark Tank fan myself too. And so I'm really curious how how did you actually find that opportunity?
• 15:21
  Did it come to you? Did you seek it out? And what made you decide to actually move forward with it?
• 15:26
  Luke St. Amand: Actually, Jared was the first component of it. So he he we spent a whole year in a school out on Long Island to be able to, like, get feedback on a skateboard and stuff. Because we just didn't want it to be a toy. We wanted it to actually be an educational product. And we ended up doing a beta testing.
• 15:42
  So we sent it to 30 parents and kids, and they were able to put it together and give us feedback and stuff like that. And yeah, every single time we'd kind of show it, like, more than 50% was like, oh, you need to get like, be on Shark Tank. Like, this is a perfect product for Shark Tank. So Jared was like, finally listened to him and and, yeah, he ended up applying. And there's tens of thousands of applications every season, so it's like a really, really low percentage chance, but he ended up having, like, they have producers that kinda come through and and one picked it out.
• 16:10
  So was really lucky to to kinda have that initial, you know, interest in it. And then he spent a couple months, like, going back and forth for the producers and, like, crafting the pitch. And basically, like, it just needs to get to a point where, like, the people that run the show are, this is gonna be great and a good fit. And ultimately, it didn't work out the first time. So on season fifteen, it was kind of like a not a yes, not a no.
• 16:33
  It was just like, this is kind of too early because there was no revenue. It was just a product and some beta testing. Obviously a great story, like him starting company as 15 and all that cool stuff. But he's like they're like, yeah. It's too early.
• 16:45
  But reach back out next season. So then I joined the team and we we had some revenue. We made some improvements to the products. I made a curriculum. We actually are gonna be using tools and cool stuff.
• 16:56
  So reach back out, ignored us for months, and then finally, hey, like send us some updated, you know, info and then we gave them that info. And ultimately, it was kinda along the same process. And it took months. It took a lot of back and forth and crafting it and ultimately just like trying to be as personal as possible. We have it's a it's a cool product and and being able to inspire, you know, kids to do stag is something that a lot of people believe in that mission and that's really cool.
• 17:24
  And then also it's reality TV at at the same time. So it has to be, like, entertaining and and, you know, for Jerry and us, like, we're we're very logical, like, straight to the point. So, like, us turning up our personality, like, to the max, you know, times 10, that took some some practice to do. But, yeah, I I like to say myself was, like, I was the reason why we you know, he didn't get it for season fifteen. I joined the team.
• 17:47
  We got it for season sixteen. So if you see Jared, you gotta tell him that too.
• 17:52
  Matt Giovanniello: I was going to say I'm hearing a big difference, and it's the cofounding team. So, Jared, is a big thank
• 17:57
  Luke St. Amand: you to give you, but
• 17:58
  Matt Giovanniello: a huge congratulations. That's incredibly exciting. As you pointed out, for it to go on for sixteen years, they've seen hundreds of thousands of applications by this point. The fact that you're able to stand out was phenomenal. I do need to know, as a fellow Long Island native myself, what school on Long Island were you working with?
• 18:11
  Luke St. Amand: So we met at LIU, Long Island University. That's the the college we went to. Then a local school, it's called Minneola High School. So
• 18:20
  Matt Giovanniello: My god. With superintendent Niegler. Yes.
• 18:22
  Luke St. Amand: Yes. Doctor Niegler. He's the
• 18:24
  Matt Giovanniello: he's the best. What a small world.
• 18:26
  Luke St. Amand: Yes. Yes. Him and Whitney have been huge support. They believed in in what we're doing. They gave us.
• 18:31
  They had started this new program at their school. They purchased, like, the gym that was, like, across from the high school and made it, like, a modern classroom. It's, like, called Synergy. And basically, it just had, like there just was nontraditional classrooms. And, yeah, we were able to like be there for a year and and be able to like work with students and also like have our office there and stuff like that.
• 18:50
  So they've believed in us from the start. Life tech probably wouldn't be a thing without many a lot.
• 18:55
  Matt Giovanniello: That's amazing. I'm so glad they gave a they they took a chance on you. I know they love taking on early startup ideas, and it's amazing to see what the successes they could become.
• 19:03
  Nisha Srinivasa: How do you feel like that experience that you had on Shark Tank shaped the way that you continue to innovate in your role? I know you're talking a lot about product testing and development, and I'm wondering how that experience specifically has been really impactful on your work.
• 19:19
  Luke St. Amand: I think first one, just thinking from the sharks, like, we're getting live feedback on what they think. It's like, actually, a little known fact is mister Wonderful was part of an educational company. That was, like, where one of his, like, first big successes was. But then in, like, season five, he actually, like, really doesn't like working with educational companies anymore. So we were really nervous about that.
• 19:39
  But, no, it was awesome. Like, we got a lot of great feedback, and I don't know why he's he doesn't like it. I think it's absolutely amazing to to be in this space. And, yeah, I think that was cool just to to get that live feedback when you even have the chance to, like, be able to talk to such amazing and successful business people. And then two, I think, like, the experience of just being able to share a story of Lektec.
• 19:59
  And I think, like, a lot of people are able to relate with, like, being bored in science and having it be intimidating and stuff like that. So, yeah, sharing our our approach to the solution to it is is awesome. And we'll be able get a lot of exposure and and feedback, especially after tonight once it airs and see if, like, we're we're, know, on the the right track and see if everyone else kind of agrees too. Because it's been in a lot of schools and a lot of educational places, but this will be a really cool way to see, like, if it also fits at, like, homeschools and, you know, within just the home itself and just for as, like, a Christmas gift. And, yeah, I think it's gonna be the the main part I think we'll learn is actually, you know, after when we see see the the feedback of it.
• 20:40
  Matt Giovanniello: Absolutely. And in reflecting further back on the Shark Tank pitching experience that back and forth with the sharks, to the extent they're able to share with us, give us an insight or two of what you took away from that beyond the feedback, good and bad, maybe that you got grilled on. We won't spoil it too much. But that you might be able to take away either for other listeners or as you're channeling it back into your work post Shark Tank production. What's what are some takeaways from your time on set?
• 21:02
  Luke St. Amand: I think a lot of it was taken away from even, like, before. It was just, you know, how to craft something that's you gotta you gotta be interesting to people that are watching. And like you gotta obviously, it's a cool mission, a cool product, but like they need something to believe in and get behind. And that was, you know, something we struggle with like in terms of prep. Because we're just focused on like business, the numbers, getting prepared for like all the the zinger questions and and, you know, anything that could stump us on.
• 21:29
  But, like, we weren't even focusing on really, like, what is that connection that not only, like, the sharks have, but at home we'll be able to too. And, you know, kind of recrafted everything that we were thinking and, you know, really honed in on that. And I think that was a really big success. I think, like, everyone got it and and understood what we were trying to do and and it was they really liked the prides and and what we were doing. And I think I think it was really good.
• 21:52
  I think the pitch is good. It's it's hilarious too. So the first minute and a half is, like, a couple things that we didn't even, like, plan or, like, script that you, like, have. And I'm I'm super I haven't seen it at all either. Like, Jerry and I, this will be the first time we see it.
• 22:07
  So I'm I'm really interested, like, what they keep in and stuff. But in a picture, this was this is the one tidbit I'll give is because I posted it. And you if you look really, really closely, it's like Jared and I are sitting next to each other, and there is a white little piece of something right next to me. And it's actually the students are throwing paper planes and balls. And one of 11 students, young Jared and young Luke, he throws it so perfectly.
• 22:33
  It hits me in the side of the head like the best throw ever. And it just hits the side of my head and bounces off and I'm like laughing while I'm talking. So that's one tidbit I'll share for the rest of you guys. You gotta see for yourself.
• 22:45
  Nisha Srinivasa: I love hearing that. That sounds like exactly like a story plucked from my classroom. So that's amazing. Speaking about students, I'm curious as somebody that has had a lot of students that are really interested in the entrepreneurial space and in doing that in the future, what advice would you have for any students or anybody really who's looking to get into that space of innovation and education, that crossover?
• 23:08
  Luke St. Amand: Great question. I I first would say that I am not special at all. Like, I am not super smart. Like, Jared's far smarter than I am, and I will give him those brownie points whenever, even though it might
• 23:21
  Matt Giovanniello: Why that hard to believe? It
• 23:24
  Luke St. Amand: it definitely inflates his ego, don't tell him that often, but I'll admit it. He's he's far smarter than I am. And, yeah, I've never been, like, exceptionally amazing at really anything. Like, I've been I just love learning. I'd be curious about a lot of things and try to do art.
• 23:38
  And I think, like, that has been really helpful. It's, like, it doesn't take someone that is just, like, a genius, like Elon Musk or anything like that. Like, just totally normal. And I think the biggest thing is, like, the the traits that you have as a person is, like, the more important part is being able to persist through problems. There's going to be so much ambiguity, like, things you just don't know the answer to.
• 24:00
  At the same time, it's it's also business. There's a finite amount of resources and time that you have in the day, but also as a business. And, you know, that's kind of in the back of your mind while you're doing a lot of things. So how do you kinda combat that and also focus on the things you want to be working on? And and improving the product, but also getting it out there.
• 24:18
  So it's just a lot to juggle. And, you know, you kinda have to just be prepared for that. And and part of it's not anything you can be prepared for before in terms of the experiences you've had. You just have to kinda throw yourself in there. You'll be able to adapt and get used to it.
• 24:31
  It's definitely not an easy thing. But it you know, if it wasn't a challenge, like, what is the fun of it too? So and and anybody would wanna do it. So it's it's kinda special to able to make that leap and and have that confidence that you're able to be able to think about a bunch of different things and and solve a lot of problems and be able to just keep trying and keep persisting through it all. And I think a big thing that I forgot to mention is is being, like, passionate about what you're doing.
• 24:57
  I think that's wildly important. Like, if you don't fully believe in, the the solution you're providing and the problem you're trying to solve and, yeah, just the overall mission of what you're trying to accomplish. Like, there's gonna be so many hard things that it's just gonna be really tough to be able to, like, get through that and still believe in it and still love what you're doing. So just being really passionate as a person, but also passionate about, like, the idea, that's that's also nice.
• 25:22
  Nisha Srinivasa: I would love to know. Do you see LekTech and the products that you guys are developing? How do you continue to see that growing to scale, to continue to impact the world of education and STEM?
• 25:34
  Luke St. Amand: The next four for LekTech will be, honestly, I don't even know. I think it's it's gonna be we're we're definitely we're launching a new our electric scooter or something like that. So LEGTech stands stands for electric technology. So just anything has to do with electric technology, we want to be able to And so maybe it's more electric vehicles. Like, we we wanna do a bike next year and launch that.
• 25:55
  But also, like, even getting into other components of it. So, you know, wind energy and solar energy and being able to to use, like, I haven't touched too much on, like, the hardware side of things, but there's a lot of cool stuff you can see in real time, voltage and current, and there's you know, you can learn Watt's law and Ohm's law and deal the code on it. So there's just a ton of that stuff. And, like, another hardware part of it too is, like, we're gonna be adding AI and a camera to it, so you'll able to actually see, like, object detection, object avoidance, and teach that. So there's so many cool hardware components of it.
• 26:24
  And also, we go along with it, like, all the lessons that we can think of to be able to to enhance that even more. So I think anything that's a new bunch of technology, we wanna be able to get into and modernize how it's taught and and get it out there. So I think the next year is gonna be super exciting with what we're able to develop for sure.
• 26:40
  Nisha Srinivasa: I'm I am floored to hear all of those ideas for one. It sounds incredible. Just just the combination of passion, innovation, and connection to continuing technology that's developing. I could just see the way that it can continue to transform and modernize the experience of education for students in the classroom. So, really big kudos to you.
• 27:01
  That's really impressive and I
• 27:02
  Luke St. Amand: can't take credit for it. It's mostly cheering. I just just held out.
• 27:05
  Matt Giovanniello: Yeah. I don't believe that. So to wrap up today's conversation, Luke, I want to pose a question that we pose to all of our guests, which is, what does being an exceptional educator mean to you?
• 27:17
  Luke St. Amand: It's a great question. I think the biggest thing is how even myself, I was able to teach we put our city college city college in New York this past semester and worked with their STEM institute. So taught every Tuesday night for two and a half hours with a class of 25. That was, like, my first experience, like, really being able to teach a classroom. And it's it's hard.
• 27:36
  It is super tough to be able to do. Even with a cool product, like, what we have and, yeah, the kids are able to build. In every single class, every built it, they want to go ride it. We spent, like, forty five minutes in the beginning class going to ride. I don't know if that was because they didn't wanna hear me teach or they really just love to be able to to ride the skateboard and get better at it.
• 27:55
  It could be both. But even with that, like, in having them buy and then engage for, like, it's not easy. And I praise and absolutely love all the teachers that are able to do it and do it phenomenally well. I think, like, the big distinctive factor for me too was just being able to, like, connect and relate with the students. And it's it's a little bit easier, like, when I'm able to teach the pride, and it's the pride they're using and stuff like that.
• 28:17
  So it's completely different. But I think that can be true across other platforms. And that's, like, what really stands out in exceptional teacher is, like, being able to understand, like, the students and and what they like and what they enjoy and and want to learn about and being able to, like, deliver that in a really cool way.
• 28:32
  Matt Giovanniello: You summed it up perfectly. Luke, thank you so much for joining us on today's episode. It was fantastic to have you here on the Exceptional Educators podcast. Congratulations again on Shark Tank for those who are interested in watching. 08:00, Friday, February seventh, ABC.
• 28:45
  Be there or be square.
• 28:46
  Luke St. Amand: Luke, thank you. Thank you so much, Matt. Thank you so much, Nishat. I really appreciate it.
• 28:51
  Nisha Srinivasa: Thank you so much for being here. We are so honored to be able to talk today.