Shaping Future Leaders
The Pinewood Scholars Program in Social Entrepreneurship is a transformative initiative for students, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and mindset to tackle pressing global challenges. This program fosters a strong commitment to social innovation, sustainability, and community impact, empowering students to drive meaningful change through entrepreneurial projects and initiatives.
2024-25 Pinewood Scholars
Junior Class: Dhruv Gupta, Avery Hall, Ian Hsiao, Braxton Kimura, Riya Kolappa, Aretha Liu, Kyle Ma, Harper Moss, Alan Skelley, Mailey Wang, Caitlin Yamaguchi, Harry Yang
Senior Class: Lacey Armistead, Jamie Burton, Annabelle Eaton, Zach Galbraith, Katherine Garr, Ruby Hannelly, Alakh Kapadia, Arnav Karandikar, Leo Shang, Michael Shtrom, Christina Tanase, Koh Taradash, Kathleen Xie
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PSP in the News
We’re thrilled to share that our students were recently featured in the Los Altos Town Crier for their work in community investment! The article highlights how Pinewood students are forging real-world connections by partnering with local businesses to provide strategic support and fresh ideas. It’s a powerful example of how our mission-driven curriculum empowers students to make meaningful, lasting impact beyond the classroom.
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PSP Students Explore Innovation and Impact at Playground Global
This spring, our PSP students had the incredible opportunity to visit Playground Global, a venture capital firm that stands out for its commitment to both profitability and social impact. While many VC firms focus solely on financial returns, Playground Global invests in companies that align with the official definition of social entrepreneurship: changing the equilibrium to make the world a better place. From reducing waste in 3D modeling to increasing photosynthesis in plants, each company we learned about is dedicated to making the world a better place. Students got an up-close look at cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the future and addressing global challenges in creative ways.
The highlight of the visit was a surprise tour led by Bruce Leak, General Partner at Playground Global and co-creator of QuickTime. Bruce shared his journey from pioneering roles at Apple and WebTV to leading innovation at Playground, offering students invaluable insights into how technology and entrepreneurship can drive meaningful change. A big thank you to Jerry Hsiao (Ian’s dad) for arranging this inspiring visit!
Guest Speakers
From Inspiration to Innovation
Our PSP students had the unique opportunity to learn from Raja Gopal, a dynamic Silicon Valley entrepreneur and innovation leader, who shared powerful insights on creativity, problem-solving, and the mindset behind successful startups. Drawing from his journey—leading companies through IPOs and acquisitions and co-founding FanKave—Raja walked students through the principles of design thinking and the importance of curiosity, empathy, and experimentation. His engaging presentation challenged students to think differently, explore bold ideas, and understand how innovation can be used for social impact.
Raja is also the founder of Future Creators Lab, which offers a hands-on summer workshop designed to help students bring their ideas to life. The course guides participants through the full product development journey—from identifying a problem to launching a solution—while offering mentorship from experienced tech professionals. It's an ideal opportunity for students interested in design, entrepreneurship, and making meaningful change in the world. Pinewood students are welcome to join! To learn more about the program and Raja’s work, visit Future Creators Lab.
Real-World Insights from the Field of Sales
We were thrilled to welcome Jim Gannon—yes, Mrs. Gannon’s husband!—to speak with our students before he embarks on his next professional adventure. With travel on the horizon, this was a special opportunity to bring his expertise into the classroom one last time before he hits the road.
Jim most recently served as Senior Vice President of Sales at Sysdig, where he led global sales efforts. With over 20 years of experience in enterprise technology sales, he’s helped companies like Sumo Logic, Pure Storage, and VMware grow their brand, revenue, and impact—especially in the cloud, security, and compliance sectors.
During his visit, Jim introduced students to the world of sales and go-to-market strategy, covering topics such as:
- The importance of defining core values to build authentic customer relationships.
- The customer lifecycle—from first contact to long-term retention.
- How market definition and competitive analysis inform business strategy.
- His personal approach to building and leading high-performance sales teams—and how students can apply these principles to their own leadership journeys.
It was an engaging, insightful session that gave students a real-world look into how innovative products are brought to market.
Social Innovation
Our class had the privilege of hosting Gareth Macnaughton, Director of Innovation at EIT Urban Mobility. He shared insights on how the European Union fosters innovation, highlighting Barcelona as a hub for modern urban planning and discussing the challenges in sectors like energy, mobility, and health. Students were especially engaged by real-world examples of EIT-supported startups, such as Lilium Aviation’s electric vertical jet and Climeworks’ carbon capture technology. His talk provided an inspiring look at how systemic change happens through collaboration and innovation. We’re grateful for his time and expertise!
Exploring AI and Entrepreneurship
PSP had the privilege of hosting Howie Xu, a new Pinewood parent, as a guest speaker, thanks to an introduction by Ms. Zepp. The discussion was enriched by the cross-curricular involvement of Ms. Tran’s computer science class, allowing students to explore the intersection of technology, venture capital, and social entrepreneurship. Mr. Xu, currently the Chief AI Officer at Gen, has an extensive background in AI, cybersecurity, and startup innovation. He previously served as Senior VP of AI at Palo Alto Networks, founded VMware’s networking division, and worked at Greylock Partners, mentoring startups. Students were highly engaged, asking insightful questions about artificial intelligence, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. It was an inspiring session, and we look forward to more opportunities like this in the future!
TipBrightly
Elle Rustique, PhD, Founder & CEO of TipBrightly, visited our PSP class and delivered an inspiring talk on her journey as an entrepreneur. She shared her mother’s experience as a hotel cleaner and the critical role that tips played in their household shaped her understanding of financial insecurity and appreciation for service workers. This personal connection became the foundation for TipBrightly, a company that facilitates cashless digital tipping to ensure that hospitality workers receive the gratuities they rely on. Elle walked students through the human-centered design process, emphasizing the importance of creating products that directly address user needs. She also explained how her company refined its Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and navigated challenges like fundraising, scaling, and aligning vision with mission.
Beyond the technical aspects of entrepreneurship, Elle offered invaluable advice on the mindset required to build and sustain a startup. She encouraged students to embrace failure as a learning opportunity, prioritize networking, and remain adaptable in an ever-changing business landscape. Her insights on perseverance, leadership, and the power of appreciation left a lasting impact on the class, providing students with a real-world perspective on social entrepreneurship. Her journey served as a powerful example of how lived experiences can inspire innovative solutions to real-world problems, motivating students to think deeply about the social impact of their own projects.
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Events
Teacher Networking Lunch: Creative Collaboration
Our Teacher Networking Lunch was a dynamic and productive gathering designed to support students as they take their projects to the next level. With each student having made significant strides in their work, the lunch provided an opportunity for cross-curricular collaboration, where teachers from various disciplines could offer insights, connections, and expertise to help refine and expand project ideas. The patio was buzzing with conversations about potential community partnerships, creative problem-solving strategies, and ways to integrate different subject areas into student-driven initiatives. Teachers were excited to see the depth of student work and brainstorm ways to support their continued growth, reinforcing the idea that real-world learning thrives when disciplines intersect.
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Field Trips
Bridging Possibilities: Exploring Magical Bridge Playground & Insights with CEO Olenka Steciw Villarreal
Our PSP class recently visited Magical Bridge Playground in Palo Alto, a groundbreaking example of inclusive design in public spaces. By comparing this innovative playground with a nearby traditional one, students saw firsthand how standard designs often fail to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. This hands-on experience deepened their understanding of accessibility, equity, and the impact of thoughtful design.
A highlight of the trip was meeting Olenka Steciw Villarreal, Founder and CEO of Magical Bridge Foundation. She shared the inspiring story behind the playground’s creation—how traditional playgrounds failed to accommodate her daughter’s unique needs, prompting her to recognize an overlooked gap and design an innovative, inclusive solution. Her visionary designs are now being implemented in communities worldwide, setting a new standard for accessibility in public play spaces. This visit was a powerful lesson in design thinking, showing students how identifying hidden needs can lead to transformative change.
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Want to Know More?
Explore our past newsletters to get a feel for program experiences, speakers, and projects • Follow our latest adventures on Instagram!
Questions about the program? Have a fabulous speaker to recommend, or an impactful organization that our class should visit? Please contact Michelle Gannon at mgannon@pinewood.edu.