After a career in the US Navy working on a nuclear sub, our founder returned to college and was surprised by the lack of soft skills in his college peers. Working together as a team, communicating, problem solving and a host of other soft skills were essential to safe operation of the submarine. Gavin was stationed off the coast of New Zealand and KAPA means team in Maori, the language of New Zealand’s indiginous people. JA means yes in many languages
Gavin oversees JAKAPA’s assessment system software. He manages the development of the user experience, and leads efforts to develop integrations that make the software more user-friendly. He has experience in organizational leadership, teaching, and developing curriculum and assessments. He has over 7 years of management experience in the US Navy and education sector and five years of experience as an instructor and professional development provider. He has successfully designed and executed multiple proofs-of-concept in the education technology space and has conducted extensive customer discovery and feasibility research in the education technology space.
Lisa oversees the development of JAKAPA’s skills challenges. Her doctoral cognate area focused on adult motivation and engagement, and she is an expert at designing curriculum and professional learning. Her strategic counsel on program improvement, communication, and evaluation has been sought internationally. She has experience building statewide learning curriculums in Ohio, including an intensive pedagogical institute for career switchers earning teaching licenses and a formative instructional practices series to improve instruction and assessment practices. Dr. Riegel holds dual bachelor's degrees in English and Secondary Education, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from The Ohio State University. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and she has authored three books.
Keara oversees operations and finances for JAKAPA. She manages contracts, supervises the team of software development, and develops efficiencies in systems operations and processes. She has a B.S. in chemical engineering and an MBA. She worked for 9 years in product development, production operations, and product support for customers. She manages projects from design to released production and then oversees ongoing product support. She has worked extensively on accounting, sales, marketing, procurement, and technical teams and led oversight and budgeting of several million dollar development projects.
