Rebecca Henderson, Founder and CEO
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My Story
Career & Job Description
What I Love
Challenges
My Advice
My Story
I didn't follow what most would think of of as a typical path. After exploring a few interests in high school and still finding myself unsure of career path to follow, I decided to go straight into the workforce. I acquired a position with Franklin Life Insurance Company (now American General) as a Billing Clerk. My main responsibility was to process customer payments. Some were entered by hand, others through a process involving technology devices. Everything about that process intrigued me and later inspired me to enroll in computer science courses at a local college.
While attending college, I was able to attain an internship with a local company as an assistant to their software developer. My job duties included hardware support of all networked computers and peripherals, maintenance of network servers, and software development. This experience helped me gain valuable knowledge in how business and technology come together to streamline business processes.
After graduation, I pursued and obtained a role in Information Technology with a large school district. Some of my main responsibilities included expanding, maintaining, and securing the network (spanning 25 schools and three support buildings), managing and leading the technology team, creating and supporting technology focused professional development, etc. Through this role, I gained valuable insight on how education and technology come together to support curriculum and the learning process. Also through his role, my passion for education began to develop.
Several years later I made the hard decision to leave the school district to work with a local company that created safe online learning communities for schools. It seemed like a win win as it married my love for technology and education. My job duties included leading the software development and systems support teams. Through this experience, I was able to work closely with the owner thus learning about entrepreneurship and business administration. Unfortunately, while I loved my work, I found myself more involved in the technology side and had less interaction with the educational entities we served.
It was then that I made the decision to start my own company - SMARTpath Education Services. Focusing on my love for education and technology, SMARTpath's initial service was training educators to utilize technology tools to create and support innovative classrooms. Through several years of operation, our services have expanded to include additional educational training and consulting services, team building activities, leadership development, application development, and technology support in both the corporate and education sector.
While attending college, I was able to attain an internship with a local company as an assistant to their software developer. My job duties included hardware support of all networked computers and peripherals, maintenance of network servers, and software development. This experience helped me gain valuable knowledge in how business and technology come together to streamline business processes.
After graduation, I pursued and obtained a role in Information Technology with a large school district. Some of my main responsibilities included expanding, maintaining, and securing the network (spanning 25 schools and three support buildings), managing and leading the technology team, creating and supporting technology focused professional development, etc. Through this role, I gained valuable insight on how education and technology come together to support curriculum and the learning process. Also through his role, my passion for education began to develop.
Several years later I made the hard decision to leave the school district to work with a local company that created safe online learning communities for schools. It seemed like a win win as it married my love for technology and education. My job duties included leading the software development and systems support teams. Through this experience, I was able to work closely with the owner thus learning about entrepreneurship and business administration. Unfortunately, while I loved my work, I found myself more involved in the technology side and had less interaction with the educational entities we served.
It was then that I made the decision to start my own company - SMARTpath Education Services. Focusing on my love for education and technology, SMARTpath's initial service was training educators to utilize technology tools to create and support innovative classrooms. Through several years of operation, our services have expanded to include additional educational training and consulting services, team building activities, leadership development, application development, and technology support in both the corporate and education sector.
Career & Job Description
Job DescriptionRebecca is the founder and CEO of SMARTpath Education | Escape Bloomington, Springfield & Peoria. As an entrepreneur, she is the top executive, but wears many hats throughout the day. She is ultimately responsible for the growth, stability, direction and daily operation of the business.
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MajorComputer Science
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Salary & Industry Outlook |
CollegeUniversity of Illinois Springfield
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What I Love
What I Love
- Independence and flexible workday options.
- Opportunity to make business ideas and visions become reality.
- Help the local economy through innovation and employment
Challenges
Challenges
- Hiring Employees
- Unpredictability and Uncertainty
- Risks
My Advice
My Advice
- Find a Mentor
- It might sound scary, but this step is so important. As an entrepreneur, you must develop a network, not only of customers but as peers and mentors. The business world is filled with people who would like to pass along the knowledge, lessons and insights they've gathered on their way to success. Don't be afraid to approach local business owners and ask them to mentor you. But don't stop there. Continue this process throughout your life as an entrepreneur.
- Embrace Failure
- What we learn from our failures allows us to adapt, change, refocus, and grow. Don't be afraid to fail. Everyone does. Use those experiences as your education.
- Work Elsewhere First
- As you read in my story, it was the many roles I held at other companies that provided me with the foundation to start my own business. Through these roles I also learned how to handle difficult situations, how to work with people, and what great customer service looks like, among other things. These experiences will provide you with the knowledge you need to be successful in your own business.