“Our vision is a global population that advances technologically enabled innovation to make the world a better place.”
-Catherine Wood
How
We seek to achieve our mission through a virtuous cycle of education, mentorship, partnership, and funding.
Education
Education
IF builds curricula that educate through the lens of technologically enabled innovation. IF Education curricula are built for every grade level and offered as a complement to the core curriculum or embedded within the core curricula. As part of IF Education, we offer a teacher training program that equips educators with the information necessary to understand, embrace, and teach innovation at the pace of change.
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Mentorship
Mentorship
IF offers a mentorship program for students and teachers to increase psychological capital while encouraging imagination, creativity, and empowerment. IF Mentorship is designed to support the worldwide base of students and teachers to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
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Partnership
Partnership
IF seeks partnership opportunities to accelerate the adoption of education through the lens of innovation. IF Partnership is designed to align with organizations to engage students, teachers, and communities; provide goods and services; and produce and manufacture content.
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Funding
Funding
IF provides funding through grants, scholarships, and special purpose projects that we believe will advance technology, innovation, and education. IF Funding is designed to aid organizations and people in their understanding of innovation and pursuit of education.
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Artificial Intelligence
Computational systems and software that evolve when fed with data should solve problems while automating knowledge work and accelerating the permeation of technology into all industries globally.
Robotics
Advances in software, sensors, and actuators should enable robots to operate alongside humans in all sorts of environments, transforming manufacturing, production, and infrastructure and enhancing productivity while reducing costs.
Genomics
As the cost of sequencing a whole human genome falls precipitously while our understanding of genomics grows exponentially, DNA sequencing and genome-specific therapeutics will see widespread clinical adoption, restructuring health care and enhancing the quality of life
Energy Storage
Declining battery costs should cause an explosion in mobile form factors, increasing the demand for electrical energy, displacing fossil fuels, and provisioning electrical energy more efficiently.
Blockchain Technology
Open-source protocols that enable and verify digital scarcity and proof of ownership should transform business and financial landscapes by offering more transparency and fewer capital and regulatory controls.
More important than ever, people need to understand, embrace, and advance innovation, so they can benefit from and participate in its transformational power.
We believe that a comprehensive approach to education that applies design thinking from early childhood through adulthood is the most effective way to stay on the right side of change.
IF differentiators
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A founder focused solely on disruptive innovation
With over 40 years of experience researching and investing in disruptive innovation, Cathie Wood recognizes that the full magnitude of innovation and the opportunities it creates often are unrecognized or misunderstood. In founding IF, Cathie seeks to power intellects for a changing world. Cathie strives to prepare everyone with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand, embrace, and advance technology, enhancing the quality of life for all.
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Educational leadership dedicated to empowering students
IF’s leaders recognize that educating through the lens of innovation demands a human-centric approach that inspires creativity and cultivates innovation. Our team seeks to build curricula and teacher training models that encourage collaboration and inquiry while inspiring innovative thinking.
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Innovative curricula powered by ARK Invest’s research
ARK Invest researches and invests in disruptive innovation that is likely to change the way the world works. With a belief in transparency and education, ARK has partnered with IF to share ARK’s original research and collaborate with IF’s education leaders.
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THE IF APPROACH
The Innovation Foundation sees immense possibilities in the changes driven by technological innovation. The success of our Founder in anticipating and understanding the economic power of disruptive technology has led us to an approach to education that develops everyone’s capacity to see their own possibilities in an emerging world.
Get InvolvedSolution 1
An educational curriculum powered by research published by ARK Invest, and refined by our team of educators.
Solution 2
A mentorship program founded on the premise that innovation is the great leveler providing equal opportunity to everyone willing to see through the lens of innovation.
Solution 3
An educational platform designed to grow over time providing insight into individual learning styles and delivering personalized instructional experiences.
Our Team
Ramani DeAlwis
Head of Education – Middle School
As an Education Leader, Ramani leads all middle school initiatives for the foundation and oversees the development of curricula and teacher training models.
Ramani DeAlwis
Head of Education – Middle School
As an Education Leader, Ramani leads all middle school initiatives for the foundation and oversees the development of curricula and teacher training models. Prior to IF, Ramani served as the Executive Director for Alpha to Omega in Singapore, an institute for students with learning differences. Before working internationally, Ramani was a teacher and Head of School for an Independent private school in New York City for two decades and a co-founding Head of the Montessori Middle School in Connecticut. During that time, Ramani represented Montessori at the United Nations as an NGO and spearheaded adolescent student initiatives in Argentina, Nepal, Hong Kong, and Uganda. She has been a consultant to schools in Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and New York City. Ramani believes, as Einstein once said, “The formulation of the problem is often more essential than the solution.”
Mary Zeman
Head of Education – Early Childhood
As an Education Leader, Mary leads all early childhood initiatives for the Foundation, overseeing the development of curricula and teacher training models.
Mary Zeman
Head of Education – Early Childhood
As an Education Leader, Mary leads all early childhood initiatives for the Foundation, overseeing the development of curricula and teacher training models. With a focus on meaningful and lasting results, Mary began her educational career teaching and designing curricula in northern Kenya. Since then, she has served schools as an administrator, diversity consultant, and community leader in New York, the Midwest, Colorado, and Montana – including her position as Head of School for thirty years (toddlers through 8th grade) at The Montessori School in Wilton, Connecticut. She has worked internationally as a motivational speaker and in curriculum and professional development. In partnership with the University of Hartford, she is co-founder of The Montessori Training Center of New England, founder of Practical Life Parenting, and is currently working on a book entitled Plum Line: Effective Practices for Living with Intention.
Caitlin Wood
Managing Director
As Co-Managing Director of the Innovation Foundation, in the Office of the Chairman. Caitlin also serves as the Chairman-designate of the Innovation Foundation.
Caitlin Wood
Managing Director
As Co-Managing Director of the Innovation Foundation, in the Office of the Chairman. Caitlin also serves as the Chairman-designate of the Innovation Foundation.
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