Mike Lawrence
Education Leader
Mike Lawrence has impacted education as a teacher, administrator, technology coordinator and non-profit leader for three decades. He was recently named one of the Top 100 Influencers in EdTech by EdTech Digest.
He is Director of Information & Technology at ABC Unified in LA County and previously served as CEO of CUE, a nonprofit educational organization, driving 500% growth for over a dozen years. In this position, he expanded the organization to be global in its impact while improving teacher and student learning in California and Nevada. He also volunteered as Director of the California Student Media Festival for 9 years; the nation’s oldest such event. He continues to support the nonprofit as a board officer. He was also an officer on the ISTE Board of Directors during a critical transitional time for the org. During his term, the board transformed itself into a leaner, more nimble board and oversaw a CEO transition.
He was named an Apple Distinguished Educator in '03 and co-founded the Google Certified Innovator program in '06. In ‘09-’10, he founded Leading Edge Certification. He was named a Minecraft Global Mentor and earned his Certified Association Executive status. He has received honors from: CUE (Gold Disk, 2010), National School Boards Association (20 to Watch in Ed Tech, '12), ISTE (Making IT Happen, ‘13), EdTech Digest (Founder/CEO, ’14). He also received Webby, Davey, Edublog, W3and the Int'l Academy of Web Television awards for co-executive producing the Infinite Thinking Machine web TV show from ‘06-’16.
Most recently, he was an Education Leadership Executive at Jamf, leading strategic learning and development initiatives worldwide. Prior to this, he was Senior Director of Educator Engagement at PowerSchool, overseeing customer advocacy for 45M students in 80+ countries. He contributed to PowerSchool's recognition as the 2019 CODiE Marketing Team of the Year and his team was recognized as a finalist for both Most Engaged and Most Passionate Community in '20.
He's an internationally sought-after keynote speaker, a licensed youth soccer coach, and musical theater performer. His wife is a teacher and their son is about to begin his teaching credential program. Their daughter has no shortage of personality.