As I celebrated my 40th birthday last summer, I found myself in a reflective mood, thinking about our journey at Labster. It’s been an incredible voyage from the early days when Labster was just a dream shared between Dr. Mads Bonde and me.
We wanted to create a learning experience that would make science education dramatically more immersive, engaging, and accessible to students from all walks of life. Looking back, it's astounding to see how far we've come - evolving into a company that now includes the Labster award-winning immersive science simulation platform and UbiSim VR platform for nursing, with a global passionate mission-driven team that reaches millions of students at thousands of institutions each year.
I noticed how my role at Labster had transformed over the past 12 years, with the last 5 as CEO. I started as a self-taught geek and technology innovator, but as we grew, my daily tasks shifted. I began to miss the hands-on innovation that had always been my passion. During those quiet moments of my vacation, working on multiple AI protoypes, I felt a deep yearning to return to my roots – to the core of what had originally sparked the creation of Labster.
I shared these thoughts with Mads, my fellow co-founder and chairman of Labster's board. Together, we envisioned a new plan. It was clear to both of us: I would return to my first love of innovation, focusing on developing AI and Personalized Adaptive Learning technology for Labster. I'm thrilled to get hands-on to do the work that supports students' unique learning needs and empowers their teachers to tailor their strategies for even greater impact. It was clear that this also meant handing over the CEO reins to someone with the expertise and passion for guiding a company like ours to greater heights.
We found the perfect person to take on the CEO role in Shawn Boom. Shawn is a seasoned edtech executive who shares our spirit of servant leadership and commitment to making learning more equitable and accessible. With his impressive background in Ed Tech at Vanco, Blackboard, and the Active Network, I am confident that Shawn is the right person to steer the ship forward and further accelerate the mission here at Labster.
As I shift my focus back to product innovation, I am excited about what the future holds. I’ll continue to be an active member of the Board of Directors, ensuring that the vision and mission of Labster are always at the forefront. This change is more than just a shift in roles; it’s a reaffirmation of our commitment to advancing equal access to high-quality education. I am incredibly excited for Shawn to lead us all. With his guidance and my renewed focus on innovation, I believe Labster is charting a course for even greater success and impact. Thank you all for being part of our journey. The future shines bright, and I am confidently looking forward to the day, within the next decade or so, when a Nobel laureate cites their early, transformative experiences with our immersive learning platforms as the spark for their world-changing achievements.
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