EPISODE 13: DR SHELLY GRUENIG

Dr. Shelly Gruenig is the Founder and Executive Director of R4 Creating, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of educators and students through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.

She is a speaker, author, STEM entrepreneur, award-winning robotics coach, and homeschool mother. Her passion is to help kids find their people and launch their lives. Her team, R4Robotics, is a 12-time state champion, 5-time regional champion, and has won the prestigious Google Community International Award with VEX robotics.

Dr. Gruenig holds a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation and Park Administration from Western Illinois University, a Master of Education in College Student Personnel from Loyola University Chicago, and a PhD in Workforce Education from Southern Illinois University.

In addition to her work with R4 Creating, Dr. Gruenig co-hosts the STEM Southwest Podcast and a STEM segment on CBS, KRQE. She has also worked with corporate clients, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Sun Microsystems, and the Brunswick Corporation. In 1998-1999, she led the career centers to transition workers at Levi Strauss & Co into new careers and establish businesses leveraging private and public resources.