Gary Saunders, Ed.D. a husband and is the father of five wonderful children. He has been an educator in the classroom and as an administrator for over twenty five years. He has spearheaded multiple gifted and talented programs at the school site level. He currently leads a district whose mission is to provide families and students with personalized learning in a flex-based instructional program. His research on makerspaces and design labs has revealed their impact on giftedness, creativity and critical thinking.