Coming Soon
MENTOR BIOS
Michael Spencer
Michael Spencer was born and raised on a family run cattle ranch in Willow Creek, Montana. He attended Montana State University in Bozeman and graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Design (Architecture) Summa Cum Laude. During his last semester at MSU and following graduation he helped launch, Habihut , a start-up company based in Bozeman that designs and manufactures rapidly deployable disaster relief housing and entrepreneurial water infrastructure for developing countries. The company currently has projects in Kenya, Haiti, and the USA and was recently highlighted in the New York Times for their groundbreaking work in low cost, small scale housing.
In the fall of 2010, Spencer founded Studio [Re], Inc. a design firm focused on [re]thinking the way in which the built environment is designed and constructed. The firm is currently working in partnership with architects, educators, and plant scientists to develop and implement a number of large scale projects in Tanzania and Kenya that strategically explore the intersection of social, economic, and environmental sustainability in the developing world. Part of that work includes the new growing homes initiative, a Kenya based, socially entrepreneurial business aimed at introducing highly affordable homes to the third world market that are produced from 90%+ rapidly renewable, locally sourced, carbon sequestering materials.
In the spring of 2011, Spencer, with fellow [Re] designer Tymer Tilton and MSU engineering student PJ Kolnik won a competition to design the proposed Bozeman Ice Tower, a multi-use outdoor events center for concerts, climbing, lodging and the venue for the 2013 Ice climbing world cup. The Studio [Re] team is now working with the project organizers to complete the design and develop the business plan for the two million dollar project. When not working in the Kenyan or Bozeman offices of Studio [Re] Spencer can be found flying on rescue missions for the Gallatin County Heli/Alpine Search and Rescue Team where he serves as an EMT or at home on the family ranch fixing fence and cutting hay.
Christian Long - Educator, Designer, Thinker -www.thethirdteacher.com/
Christian Long is an educator, designer, school planner, technology expert, passionate advocate for innovative learning communities, and educational futurist. Christian serves as Vice President for Cannon Design, supporting their K-12 and Higher Education practices, while also co-developing the firm’s The Third Teacher platform. Christian founded Be Playful, a collaborative global design agency focused on the intersection between school planning/design, emerging technology, professional development, and future trending. Additionally, he is the founder/co-developer of Prototype Design Camp an innovative national design program for young creatives. Christian speaks nationally and internationally on topics ranging from emerging trends in education, 21st century technology, and innovation in school planning / design. He is also co-authoring a book with Chris Lehmann, founder of Philadelphia’s Science Leadership Academy. Christian currently serves as a national juror on the American Institute of Architects annual school architecture awards program as well as for the global Design for Change program that empowers children to design solutions for the worldʼs greatest problems. He also served on CEFPI’s (Council for Educational Facility Planners International) World Conference 2010 / San Jose (CA) planning team, the national CEFPI Innovation planning team, and the CEFPI Southern Region planning team. He previously served as President/CEO of DesignShare, a global research and consulting practice dedicated to the school architecture/planning industry, and was the Director of Research for Learning Environments for Huckabee, a K-12 architecture firm in Texas. Christian holds a masterʼs degree in education, with a concentration in school design, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he was also a member of Bostonʼs Codman Academy planning team serving under founder Meg Campbell. Beyond his work in the school design industry, he spent 15 years as an educator, coach, program director, and experiential education leader in the US, as well as an educator in Tokyo, Japan and on the Navajo Reservation (New Mexico). He also authored and directed an innovative architecture, design, and planning program for urban high school students in Washington D.C. and was a volunteer educator at the National Building Museum. Christian is also a Principal in The Third Teacher, which began as a research project, became a book, functions as a design tool, and serves as the impetus for an emerging group within the architecture firm, Cannon Design and a global network of innovative thought leaders, exploring the relationship between environment and learning.
The Third Teacher + is an education design consultancy within Cannon Design that helps learning communities better serve 21st century learners. With an eye on the future of learning, the multidisciplinary team + network collaborates with these communities to formulate systemic strategies for pedagogical, curricular, and environmental change. To perpetuate these changes, we design the physical environment – “the third teacher” – that houses and facilitates the new ecology of learning.
