Creonow is designed by Emmersive to provide the ideal career launchpad for institute Students. We are driven by our passion of workforce development through vocational education, to do our part in facilitating a more highly-skilled and experienced workforce to revitalize the skilled trades, applied sciences, and modern technologies.
Rather than offering our members just another online platform to look for their next job, we have chosen to focus on nurturing entire careers as well. Creonow is a supportive Career and Technical Education community that is growing under the stewardship of our partners — leading institutes and industry veterans. Creonow offers a spotlight that shines on all those that are well-prepared and ready to step into it. We leverage the reach of digital portfolios and other integrated engagement tools to bring Institutes, Students, and Employers together on one comprehensive platform.
Join us in shaping the future of workforce development through vocational education. For the Career and Technical Education community, Creonow is more than a springboard for careers — it’s a pathway to mutual success.
Advisors play a crucial role in the professional development of Creonow by providing guidance, expertise, and support. Their experience and knowledge help the Creonow Team navigate complex decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and seize opportunities. Advisors offer an external perspective, which can be invaluable for gaining clarity and making informed choices. They also serve as mentors, helping to build confidence and skills, while their networks can open doors to new possibilities. Ultimately, the strategic insights and encouragement from advisors have significantly enhanced Creonow's success and growth in various endeavors.
Josh Baron is the President and Founder of Baron's EdTech Consulting, providing strategy advising to higher education, edtech companies and K-12 schools. Prior to starting up his own company, Josh served as the Senior Program Officer responsible for the Digital Learning Infrastructure (DLI) initiative which was launched last year as part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s postsecondary success strategy within the U.S. Programs. The initiative built on the Foundation’s prior work in digital learning but with particular attention to understanding how digital learning infrastructure might be used as a lever for addressing systemic inequities in opportunity and outcomes for students.
Beth Davis is a dynamic leader with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of technology, education, and workforce development. She has a proven record of bringing technology products to market, having previously launched and scaled a postsecondary solution for predicting and remediating academic risk with the PAR Framework (now part of EAB). She also served as Vice President and General Manager of Macromedia, Inc. (now Adobe Systems), where she managed their entire suite of market-leading solutions, including Flash and Dreamweaver. Beth excels in driving data-driven decision-making and fostering impactful partnerships. She has successfully managed multi-million dollar initiatives at organizations including the nonprofit SkillUp Coalition and Ellucian and has secured funding from sources including IBM, Salesforce, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Charles Koch Foundation. Beth is passionate about advancing equity and innovation in the edtech sector.
Dr. Edward Leach serves as the Executive Director of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), a consortium of community and technical colleges that share a philosophical commitment to support excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership.
Prior to his tenure at NISOD, Dr. Leach served as the Vice President of Services and Programs for the League for Innovation in the Community College (League). Dr. Leach directed the League’s STEMtech Conference, first offered in 2010, and directed the Conference on Information Technology from 1999 until 2010. In addition, Dr. Leach served as a Co-Principal Investigator for Build It Scale Up, a five-year, $2,500,000 National Science Foundation grant designed to scale up a curriculum in which students participate in complex engineering challenges using underwater robotics. Dr. Leach also served in Co-Principal Investigator roles for Alliance+, a five-year, $10 million Internet-in-Education program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, as well as Preparing Tomorrow’s Teacher to Use Technology, a Department of Education grant that familiarized over 1,000 community college faculty and 7,000 preservice teachers with internet-based learning objects.
Dr. Leach is the author of Technology: Connecting Students to Their Community Colleges; Community and Technical Colleges, Information Technology, and Revolutionary Times; Brother-to-Brother: Enhancing the Intellectual and Personal Growth of African American Males; Preparing K-12 Teachers in the Use of Technology: Community Colleges Address the Digital Divide (a chapter for the book Access in the Information Age: Community Colleges Bridging the Digital Divide); and A Collection of Practices From the League’s Conference on Information Technology.
Dr. Leach earned a Ph.D. in Educational Administration with a concentration in Community College Leadership from The University of Texas in Austin, an M.Ed., in Health Education from Miami University, a B.S. in Physical Education from Eastern Kentucky University, and an A.S. in Liberal Arts and General Studies from Genesee Community College.
Dr. Leach is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), a designation that identifies association professionals who have completed the higher education, work experience, and professional development studies identified as essential to the Chief Staff Executive role.
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on the Creonow platform are pivotal for ensuring high-quality, reliable content and Career guidance across various domains. Their expertise helps CTE students navigate complex topics with confidence, providing accurate, in-depth insights that enhance learning and decision-making. By leveraging the knowledge of these seasoned professionals, Creonow fosters a robust, informed community, promoting excellence and innovation across industries. The availability of SMEs not only boosts user trust but also drives engagement, making Creonow a valuable resource for CTE students seeking authoritative advice and knowledge.
As the founder and CEO of Biotech Primer in 2001, Stacey Hawkins has since established the company as a leading global provider of biotechnology training, catering to professionals in the life sciences industry. Through overseeing the development and implementation of diverse on-demand and live courses, she has garnered industry-wide recognition and built enduring partnerships with key stakeholders worldwide. Stacey is a highly accomplished and results-driven professional with an extensive background in science education and a proven track record of implementing innovative curricula design and building client relationships.
