WHAT I READ: Airplanes, energy economics, books where nothing happens.

I’ve been designing systems to generate thoughtful data for fifteen years, from startups trying to understand the nature of what they’ve built to a major corporation trying to quickly make critical revenue and security decisions at massive scale.

The tension between privacy and the value of data in this work led me to found the Common Data Project in 2007 and publish our moral and practical argument for public access to private data.

In the hopes of enabling deeper online discussions amongst friends, we built a prototype of a new type of discussion platform in 2011. A teacher friend who tried out the prototype thought it might help improve discussions in his classes, and we’ve been working with teachers to improve discussion ever since.

SGM LLC :::: Common Data Project :::: Microsoft :::: Epinions :::: B.A. in Political Science from Yale Unversity :::: LinkedIn

WHAT I READ: Muppets, in-depth sports analysis, tree spade manuals.

Tony brings 9 years of engineering experience to Ponder. As lead engineer, he coordinates everything from building new features to making sure the site doesn’t fall down.

WHAT I READ: Pop-math, "The Economy", psycho-babble.

Mimi has been designing collaboration systems for a decade, first for the workplace and now for the classroom. Throughout that time I've been pursuing answers to the same questions: How can design influence social interplay and group dynamics? How do you "engineer" an environment to enable a group of individuals to achieve more than the sum of its individual members? How do you provide structure and goals while also nurturing the individuality that drives achievement in the first place?

Over the past year, these questions have taken on new-found urgency and relevance in education and it's been an exciting process applying lessons learned from enabling workplace collaboration to today's classroom.

Faculty, NYU-Tisch-ITP :::: Open Source Applications Foundation :::: B.A. in Music from Yale University :::: LinkedIn

In my spare time around working on the Ponder iOS app, I take care of our film needs - I directed our interview series with Ponder teachers as well our many explanatory videos - I even cameo'd doing our voiceovers!

Polsky Films :::: B.A. in Film Studies from Yale University :::: LinkedIn

WHAT I READ: Political theory, American history, Technology

I'm a Technology Integrationist and teacher at Trinity School in New York City. Previously, I was a history teacher at the Emery/Weiner School in Houston, Texas. As a teacher and technology integrator, I have experienced both the power of technology to enhance education as well as the limited offerings for us humanities teachers. Accordingly, when I discovered Ponder, I was thrilled.

Informing my teaching and my work at Ponder is my education in Political Theory at Bowdoin College. There, I learned the value of reading a variety of sources, the importance of taking other people's ideas and opinions seriously, and the vital role a good discussion plays in better understand a reading, oneself, and the world around us. I believe Ponder can be the technological implementation of these values.

Technology Integrationist at Trinity NYC, History Teacher at Emery/Weiner :::: Master's Candidate at Columbia Teacher's College :::: B.A. in Govt. and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College :::: LinkedIn

WHAT I READ: Disruptive artists, 3D printing, popovers.

Geoff Desa was the first professor to use Ponder in his classroom. Over the past year, he's provided invaluable feedback about his usage while evangelizing Ponder to colleagues and administrators. He is an assistant professor of management in the College of Business at San Francisco State University and a member of the Sustainability Group within the College of Business where he teaches Business & Society, Strategic Management, and Social Entrepreneurship.

Geoff's research examines resource mobilization and venture development in the technology and social entrepreneurship sector. He earned his Ph.D. in Business from the University of Washington in Seattle with an emphasis in technology entrepreneurship, strategic management, and public affairs. He is on the board of our sister organization the Common Data Project, a 501(c)(3) social venture committed to democratizing access to data.

SFSU (Asst. Prof.) :::: PhD in Entrepreneurship from University of Washington :::: M.S.E.E. from Stanford University :::: B.S. Georgia Tech :::: LinkedIn