Grok (verb): to understand intuitively or by empathy.
At Grok Academy, our mission is to educate all learners in transformative computing skills, knowledge and dispositions, empowering them to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the future.
To us, computing encompasses basic digital literacy through to advanced computer science and related disciplines, and the application of these skills across all disciplines.
We believe that a solid computer science understanding is vital whether you want to fight climate change, make the next blockbuster movie or unlock the secrets of the universe.
We've taught thousands of students across Australia to program in classrooms, lecture halls and online, and are now bringing top-notch STEM education into classrooms and homes around the world.
Dr. James Curran is the CEO of Grok Academy, an Australian ed-tech charity with a mission to educate all learners in transformative computing skills, knowledge, and dispositions, empowering them to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the future.
James was a writer on the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies (version 8 and 9) and the Digital Literacy capability (version 9). He consults with curriculum authorities and departments of education around Australia. In 2014, James was named ICT Leader of the Year by the ICT Educators of NSW and the Australian Council for Computers in Education.
James is Director of the National Computer Science School, the largest computer science school outreach program in Australia. Last year, over 22,500 students and teachers participated in the 5-week NCSS Challenge.
Prior to Grok Academy, James completed a PhD in computational linguistics at the University of Edinburgh and was an Associate Professor and Director of the Australian Computing Academy (ACA) at the University of Sydney. James co-founded Grok Learning in 2013, and in 2021, the ACA and Grok Learning combined to form Grok Academy.
Kylie Williams is the new Chief of Operations Officer at Grok Academy Limited.
Lisette Tennant is the Head of Partnerships at Grok Academy.
Martha brings a wealth of experience working in Technology and has held senior strategy, outreach and engagement, and product management roles in cyber security and engineering.
Geoff completed a Bachelor of Information Technology from Queensland University of Technology and has worked in a
number of roles since.
Dr. Karsten Schulz is the Head of Projects and Analytics at Grok Academy.
Previously Head of Content at Grok Learning, Jane has overseen the development of new platform features and online
learning activities for students from early primary through to senior high school and beyond.
Bruce Fuda is Chief Education Officer (Curriculum) at Grok Academy and the Project Lead on the Schools Cyber Security
Challenges Project.
Hailee is an accomplished professional with more than 10 years of progressive experience in executive support, office
administration, accounting and budget management, human resources, and customer/client relations.
Josephine Spongberg is Grok’s Senior Events Manager, overseeing the administration of the NCSS Summer School,
the NCSS Challenge and the Girls’ Programming Network.
Siobhan is an experienced professional with over 15 years of experience in both Higher Education and the Australian Public Service.
Ashima brings over 13 years of experience in the data space spanning a diverse range of challenges, from building custom data pipelines and designing data architectures,
to creating visualisations that communicate complex insights in a simple and understandable way.
Bryn first got into teaching while studying for his Laser Physics PhD at the University of Oxford, working as a college tutor of Physics.
Esther graduated from the University of Wollongong with a PhD in materials engineering, majoring in renewable energy.
Piyumini has a PhD in Business Analytics and a background in consulting, academia, and research.
I am currently a Data Science student at Monash University.
Laura has a Bachelor of Ed (Hons) and Master of Ed (Hons).
Steve is a creative innovator in STEM education, educational leadership, change management, and leading teacher professional development.
Adelle is a secondary teacher in rural South Australia and has been teaching for over ten years.
Adrienne has over 15 years’ experience teaching digital technologies in secondary schools and a prior career in
Information Technology.
As one of the writers of the Australian Curriculum, Digital Technologies, Anna is passionate about supporting teachers to
further develop their skills and understandings of this new curriculum.
Bianca graduated from the University of Sydney in February 2022 with a Master of Education in Digital Technologies.
Dr. Bill Collis is a passionate educator and engineer; and is driven to see other educators, and their students, succeed in today’s hi-tech world.
Caroline is a Lead Educator at Grok Academy who aims to empower teachers to feel confident using technology and
delivering technical content to successfully educate students.
Celinda Corsini has worked in primary, secondary and tertiary education.
Chad really enjoys helping others discover the joy of programming.
Nerd by day, diva by night. Courtney’s two great loves in life are technology and music.
Damien has a passion for Educational Technology, especially in the fields of Robotic,
Electronics and Programming.
Daniel completed a PhD in Education and Bachelor of Software Engineering at the University of Newcastle.
Darin is a former secondary teacher with over 10 years’ experience teaching in regional Queensland schools, as
well as working with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
Deon is a creative educator who has been a coordinator and director of Digital Technologies and ICT programs in Tasmanian schools across most year
levels.
Graduating from the University of New England with a Bachelor of Information Technology/Bachelor of Teaching, Drew spent
his teaching career working across Kindergarten to Year 12 in rural and remote schools in New South Wales.
Dugald is a former Secondary Teacher with over 15 years’ experience teaching Computer Science across both government and
independent schools in New South Wales.
Jen has been a dedicated and passionate teacher and educational leader for over 25 years.
Julie has been involved in Digital Technologies education for over 30 years and is passionate about motivating students to pursue career pathways in this area
through exposing them to engaging learning opportunities.
Kylie is a secondary teacher with over 30 years’ experience in Queensland schools, including digital technologies, STEAM and digital solutions.
I am a passionate computing educator with over 20 years experience teaching computer science across the secondary and tertiary sectors.
Lead Educator at Grok Academy, Lael recently headed up Robotics at Barker College, stewarding the program through substantial growth and culminating in the Barker Redbacks
induction into the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Hall of Fame in 2021.
Lindsay Miller is a Secondary Mathematics and Music Teacher who studied Music and Computer Science at the University of
Sydney and obtained a Masters of Teaching from Western Sydney University.
Luke is an experienced educator in South Australian Schools, teaching for over 12 years in a range of year levels
and curriculum areas.
Until recently, Mark has been a specialist computer science and design teacher having created and taught programmes for both QCAA Digital Solutions
and International Baccalaureate Computer Science syllabuses.
Marnie is inspired to show students how to create with technology, instead of just consume and is passionate about
developing Grok lessons that engage and excite students through rich, real-world tasks.
Meridith is an experienced teacher who has experience teaching students K-10 and she is an experienced facilitator
of adult workshops, with experience working in both school and corporate environments.
Nathan Alison taught Digital Technologies and senior computing courses in Victorian secondary schools for 11 years, as
well as 5 years as coordinator and developer of professional learning and resources in the state’s subject association,
Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria.
Owen Brasier is a Lead Educator at Grok Academy.
Paula is the former Digital Technologies Curriculum Manager, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, and is a
co-writer of the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum and the ICT general capability.
Rachel Minns is an innovative early years teacher passionate about integrating purposeful and
age-appropriate use of technology in the classroom.
Rob is a former secondary teacher with over 17 years experience in regional Western Australia, running the gamut of
computing subjects from Year 7 Digital Media through to Year 12 Computer Science.
Sally completed a Masters of Education (Digital Technologies) in 2022, and is passionate about supporting classroom teachers
to learn more about digital technologies.
Sanjin Dedic is a robotics engineer and an educator with over 10 years of teaching experience in the field of Digital
Technologies.
Sarah is an experienced STEM Educator, having taught all kinds of students from primary to University level.
Sharon completed her Bachelor of Computer and Information Science as a mature-age student whilst working full-time,
initially as a qualified electrician building irrigation systems and then as a Helpdesk Support Technician at an
independent school in Adelaide.
Sue Carter is an experienced K-6 educator and has worked in NT Education for over 36 years.
Sujatha is a Lead Educator at Grok Academy. Previously, she was a lecturer at the University of Sydney, designing and
teaching units in the Master of Education (Digital Technologies) program.
Toni Falusi is an experienced K-10 educator who has a passion for empowering teachers and students to be innovative and engaged with their learning.
Seasoned System Administrator with over 20 years of experience on the IT Infrastructure field equally divided between
Italy and Australia.
Ben got into software via robotics, and still enjoys making things blink, whirr, and move with code.
Danny is a software engineer with a background in music and audio engineering.
Dave is a lead software engineer with a background in design and sociology.
Elisa is a lead UX designer with a background in interface design and behavioural science.
With background in Aerospace, Civil and Oil and Gas sectors, Iulian is a Software Test Engineer with experience in Retail, Cryptocurrency and Finance domains
Isaac wrote his first ever piece of code as part of the NCSS Challenge on Grok in 2013.
As a senior software engineer, Julian has a passion for building and creating.
Kristina came to Grok after working in the IT industry for 10 years.
Latesh Garg has extensive 11 years of working experience in IT industry.
With a background in law, she embarked on a dynamic career journey as a Software Engineer.
Nicky is a senior user experience designer who has spent the last 8 years making the world a less frustrating place.
Paul has a broad range of professional experience that includes primary school teaching, finance, and IT.
Penny Player is an Associate Enginner at Grok Academy that transfered from the education team.
Peter is a lead software engine with a focus on systems and operations.
Sachin is a professional with a diverse background in technology, finance, and management.
Taco is a seasoned Systems Engineer with over 20 years of experience in a variety of industries in Australia and The Netherlands.
Thania is a senior product designer, mentor, tutor, and career specialist.
Tim is a seasoned engineering leader with over 20 years of experience creating and managing technology products and teams.
Dia is a people leader with a passion all things People and HR - she has held various
management roles in the Fin-Tech, Construction Tech, Global Luxury Fashion, Media &
Professional services etc.
Violeta Apostolovski is our Head of Sales and Marketing.
Gavin Wallace is Head of Finance at Grok Academy.
Ainslie is currently a Computer Science and Aerospace Engineering student at UNSW.
Christie graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Advanced Science and a Bachelor of Arts.
Craig Carroll is the graphic designer at Grok Academy. He has a Bachelor of Education (Visual Arts).
Krystelle is a Business School graduate from Monash University in Melbourne.
Jessica has over 8 years’ experience in HR in the not-for-profit sector, working across disability, homelessness,
mental health, and social enterprise, and has been fortunate enough to travel throughout Australia to rural and
remote and indigenous communities in her work
With almost two decades of experience in graphic, digital and UI/UX design, Joe has worked in a variety of
in-house roles, creating children’s products, games, UI/UX for wearable technology and education resources.
Liam is currently an undergraduate student at UNSW studying Computer Science.
Mark Ankucic is a passionate, problem-solving marketer.
Melanie is passionate about bringing out the best in people. This passion has led her to work for more than ten years across Public Relations and Marketing in public and private institutions.
Ryan is an experienced sales professional and former digital technologies teacher. He holds a Master of Education and has over 20 years of teaching and leadership experience in South Australia.
Saritha completed her Computer Science degree at the University of Sydney.
Toast is a current Software Engineering student at Macquarie University.
Ange takes a human centred approach to project delivery and has worked across entertainment, creative agency / marketing and not for profit space.
Anne loves project delivery and helping teams succeed.
Eric has a background in project delivery across industries including automotive, semiconductor, non-profit, and SaaS, and has experience developing ground-up processes and documentation within PMBOK and Scrum frameworks.
Indu is a Project Management professional with over 11 years of experience.
Mehdi is a seasoned project manager with over 9 years’ experience managing projects in various industries including but not limited to Cybersecurity, Healthcare ,
IT Operations and Petrochemicals.