Ellen Whittier
Co-Founder
Setting up the Whittier Educational Foundation and the TechFutures program came as an unexpected opportunity to me, and I am indeed so very lucky to have the possibility of working with so many wonderful young students and a great staff. From the early stages of thinking through the concept to developing the curriculum, TechFutures has been the most rewarding experience of my life. Having worked on many start-ups before, there is nothing like the joy of working with so many intelligent, talented, and exuberant young adults, each so unique and gifted in their own right. There is never a day without surprises and astonishment of how capable our young students are. It is wonderful to watch them discover their creative abilities and take on responsibility and leadership in class and on the many projects we have at TechFutures. Once a student enters our doors, they become transformed, and emerge confident of their capabilities and demonstrate a maturity that often startles their parents.
I began my education at UC Berkeley, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science and French. I later received a M.A. in Linguistics at the University of Michigan, and a M.B.A. at U.C. Berkeley. During my early career I taught English as a Second Language in the Bay Area to foreign students and immigrants and I hold a community college teaching credential. I returned to school at UC Berkeley to study business administration, and worked for over 15 years setting up new technology businesses in software, scientific instrumentation and biotechnology, most with an international scope. In 1999, my husband Ron and I launched TechFutures.
In my leisure time, I love to study languages (speaking fluent French and Italian), play the cello, sail, play tennis, hike and play with our dog Dusty, a frequent visitor to TechFutures.
Ellen Whittier
E-mail: ellen@techfutures.org