About TinkRworks
TinkRworks is a provider of exceptional K-8 STEAM curriculum designed to transform learners to innovators with STEAM Project-based Learning. Our innovative STEAM projects prepare future-ready learners and problem solvers through hands-on, standards-rich STEAM activities that augment core instruction.
Our Approach
TinkRworks is a provider of exceptional K-8 STEAM curriculum designed to transform learners to innovators with STEAM Project-based Learning. By providing an inspired STEAM solution that is hands-on, engaging, impactful, and easy-to-implement, TinkRworks programming is carefully designed to instill five key capabilities in participants:
- Foster a love of creating
- Enhance problem-solving skills
- Reinforce and expand on concepts and ideas taught in school
- Provide delight and inspire curiosity
- Encourage self-expression
To transform learners into innovators and create opportunities for all children to envision themselves as future STEAM leaders by empowering educators to confidently and effectively deliver STEAM education to their students.
TinkRworks is committed to the advancement of equitable policies and practices so all students, especially those from underserved communities, are prepared to achieve success in a rapidly changing world. Helping students imagine themselves as important community contributors within – and far beyond – classroom walls is our shared responsibility.
Our Five Core Beliefs
STEAM is Essential
Effective Teaching is Key
Failure Can Be Productive
Social & Emotional Learning Matters
The Future Needs Problem Solvers
The Leadership Team
Chad A. Stevens, Ph.D. | Chief Executive Officer
Through his distinguished career in EdTech, Dr. Chad A. Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of TinkRworks, has left a significant mark on educators and students. Most recently Dr. Stevens served as the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at ParentSquare, a school-home communication platform. Prior to this he led the K-12 Education teams at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and CDW-G. During his career he has shown a unique ability to blend business strategy and education insight to drive long-term sustainable growth.
His roots in education run deep, with 14 years of service in various roles within Clear Creek ISD (Texas) — including Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Instructional Technology, and Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Stevens is a proud alum of Tarleton State University, where he earned his B.S., holds a M.S. in Educational Management from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, and Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University. Outside of the office you’ll find Chad at a baseball field watching or coaching. His other passion is enjoying or smoking his own Texas BBQ.
Dr. Anu Mahajan | Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer
Dr. Anu Mahajan is the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of TinkRworks, an organization focused on providing exceptional and enriching STEAM programs for our children that allow them to reinforce and augment foundational concepts taught by our wonderful and dedicated school teachers. Academically, Dr. Mahajan has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and an M.B.A. Prior to TinkRworks, Dr. Mahajan led innovation teams at Owens Corning and served in senior executive roles in a couple of different healthcare companies. Dr. Mahajan also spent several years in the world of management consulting, including time with McKinsey & Company where he focused on serving high-tech clients and also clients who used “big data analytics” to make decisions. Outside of work, Dr. Mahajan LOVES (triple underlined) to spend time with his wife and two kids, most notably on Sunday mornings watching Formula 1 grand-prix races and cheering on Scuderia Ferra.
Gil Levendel | Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Gil is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of TinkRworks. As a child, Gil loved building. He often stacked wood blocks into tall, complex structures (which his older sister would invariably topple, probably on purpose). He also built all sorts of self-designed contraptions using Lego Technics parts, often sending instant photos of his models to Lego for their review and then hoping for their inclusion into a future Lego set. One day while he was playing with his Legos, his older sister came home from school with an assignment that required help. As their dad and she worked together, Gil observed their interaction and immediately became interested in the subject matter—computer programming.
Jeff Bonebrake | Director of Sales
Jeff is a former high school history teacher and successful baseball and basketball coach with his MA in American History and an MBA. After 10 years as a sales leader and manager in Ed Tech, he joined the TinkRworks team to support educators by providing easy-to-implement STEM/STEAM resources. Outside of the office, Jeff loves to watch sports, especially college football, and cheer on his favorite teams from the stands during football season (Roll Tide!). He also enjoys coaching his son in youth sports and spending time with his family.
Ketki Shah | Associate Director of Operations
From childhood, Ketki’s father instilled the importance of learning and the right to education for social and economic growth. This, along with volunteering at schools and being a mom, inspired her to bring STEAM education to students at an early age. Her experience in engineering, managing, and passion for education is what led her to TinkRworks. She enjoys supporting STEAM learning and believes in TinkRworks vision to transform learners into innovators. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking with her kids, and exploring different cuisines in Chicago.
Brian Sorich | Product Development Manager
Brian’s passion for tinkering started when he was a kid in his family’s workshop. After earning degrees in Physics and Materials Engineering, he found his way back to the shop where he collaborated with family and friends on projects and continued to build on his experience with new tools and technology. What started as tinkering evolved into a love for product development and design. His goal is to make TinkRworks projects and curriculum approachable, impactful, and accessible to all students and educators. Outside of the shop Brian enjoys golf, tennis, and experimenting in the kitchen.
Bethany Henderson | Marketing Manager
Bethany received her bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management from Indiana University and has a background in art history, museum studies, and photography. After 8 years in marketing communications for various organizations, she joined the TinkRworks team for the opportunity to support educators and young learners. As an art lover, her favorite part of STEAM is the “A” and her favorite STEAM innovator (and Ninja Turtle) is Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci. Outside of the office, you’ll find her biking along the lakefront or making pottery.
History of TinkRworks
In 2016, Anu Mahjan and Gil Levendel, both engineers, founded TinkRworks in Hinsdale, Illinois. Their goal was to support a local summer science camp and inspire the next generation of innovators. After a successful camp implementation, they developed ideas for projects for K-8 students based on real-world applications of STEAM. Working with Chicago area educators, they crafted learning experiences that reinforced critical science, math, and computer science standards. Teachers quickly adopted TinkRworks’ STEAM curriculum at local elementary and middle schools as part of their afterschool and summer programs.
Today, TinkRworks is the preferred STEM partner for hundreds of educators across the United States. It is a key component in the STEM strategy for large and small districts. Schools admire the ease with which teachers can integrate TinkRworks into their science classrooms, STEM labs, and media centers. And TinkRworks continues to be used for enrichment after school, summer school, and by STEM clubs.
TinkRworks In the News
Learn about the latest TinkRworks news on our STEAM Made Simple Blog.
TinkRworks Careers
Thank you for your interest in TinkRworks. We are hiring! Please visit our careers page for more information.
Our Approach
OUR APPROACH
Built on project-based learning theory
Target CCSS, NGSS, and CSTA learning objectives
Engineered to engage students in unprecedented ways
Briana Tyler | Product Fulfillment Lead
In the News
In the News
What Our Partners Are Saying
"TinkRworks shows that STEM Is for everyone. Even students who don’t speak in English became leaders in the classroom as they experiment, and problem solve with coding. Same thing with students who struggle in general. TinkRworks provides a way for everyone to engage."
"I’ve spent so many years working with different programs, but nothing has made as much sense to our students or meant so much to me. Plus, students learn about the nut and bolts of building something and get to connect the hardware to the software."
"I think it’s great that a TinkRworks classroom is not a quiet classroom. To me, this is a huge success. Inquiry-based and project-based learning are all about the conversations and fun students have. An effective classroom is about work the students are doing together and independently – and how they talk about the work."
Learn More
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We’re here to help answer your questions about our curriculum, implementation, and pricing.