Dr. McComber worked in semiconductor manufacturing, financial services, and academia before co-founding the Spark Photonics Foundation. His experiences across these industries shaped his belief that advanced technology education should be accessible to all students, and he helped launch the Foundation to connect curiosity with opportunity.

With fifteen years of experience teaching sixth grade math and co-developing middle school robotics curriculum, Vanessa brings a deep background in K–12 STEM education. She is passionate about making STEM accessible to all and pivoted from the classroom to the Spark Photonics Foundation to help students discover their place in STEM.

Bob taught high school for eight years and also worked in higher education and youth programming before joining Spark Photonics. He now leads the Foundation’s programming, combining his passion for teaching with a commitment to helping students explore STEM through hands-on, real-world projects.

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Kristen has spent more than eleven years teaching STEM subjects and designing curriculum with a focus on project-based learning. She brings her classroom expertise and creative approach to Spark Photonics Foundation, where she helps shape engaging learning experiences that make complex concepts accessible and inspiring for students.