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From Zoom Classrooms to Global Impact: Meet Christy Fils
As part of our April STEM leadership series, we are honored to feature Christy Fils, Senior Vice President of Sales at BoodleBox.
Tell us about your journey. (This encompasses both personal and professional aspects)
My journey has been wide and varied, always grounded in a desire to create positive impact in education and the world through music, arts, science, and mathematics. I built and led Zoom's Education vertical from when the company had just 40 employees in 2015, through helping scale the world online during 2020, while simultaneously founding and leading Women at Zoom, Zoom’s first employee resource group.
During my time leading Women at Zoom, I facilitated writing, reflection, meditation, and community-building sessions to help navigate through the chaos of the pandemic. Consistently in my journal entries, I received the message, "you have to write, you have to sing." When a reorganization occurred in early 2023, it cleared my path to create my first album, synchronistically aligning with my friend and producer having an opening in his schedule to do just that.
This led me to global travels, recording in Peru, healing retreats in Costa Rica and Machu Picchu, Spain, and Morocco along with fashion weeks in Paris and Tokyo.
Fast forward to 2024, I felt called back to education and technology as I witnessed the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI. After evaluating numerous platforms, I experienced an "aha" moment discovering BoodleBox. I immediately recognized it as the next transformative technology to help humans learn with and about GenAI in an equitable, secure environment that expands possibilities and creates massive positive global impact.
Throughout my career, I've remained committed to creating accessible pathways that welcome all voices and perspectives. I've seen firsthand how technology can democratize access to knowledge while maintaining the human connections that make learning meaningful. Each professional transition has reinforced my growth mindset and strengthened my commitment to connecting people with knowledge in ways that amplify everyone's potential.
What pivotal experiences shaped your current path?
As a child, I was drawn to science, math, technology, and the arts. I attended Space Camp and dreamed of becoming an astronaut, though I didn't pursue that path, fearing I couldn't handle the mental challenges of isolation. Ironically, during the 2020 lockdown in London while helping scale the world online, I developed a deep interest in integrative healing that combines Eastern and Western practices—and realized I likely could have passed that astronaut psychological test after all!
Professionally, I've consistently been drawn to transformative platforms at pivotal moments. Many thought I was making a mistake leaving lynda.com (now LinkedIn Learning) right before its acquisition to join a little-known company in an oversaturated market called Zoom. Following the reorganization in 2023, a LinkedIn post I wrote went viral, revealing the deep desire for human connection and just how overtaxed my nervous system had become. This led me to pursue certification in integrated health and to document my healing journey through my upcoming album, "Easier Done than Said."
Unbeknownst to me at the time, BoodleBox was pivoting toward higher education, perfectly aligning with my path and bringing me to my current role as SVP with an incredible team.
A particularly transformative life experience showed me the power of collaborative learning early in my life as I participated in various problem-solving endeavors. Later, encountering AI's potential for education opened my eyes to new possibilities for addressing challenges I had faced myself, wishing I had access to a platform like BoodleBox then. I now thoroughly enjoy bringing in my expertise and playing with possibilities through multimodal chats via BoodleBox on topics like Socrates, Plato, Locke, and
Hobbes intersecting with psychology, math, fashion, and music (currently working on my future Tedx talk and book). These experiences continually inform how I approach creating educational technology that serves diverse learning needs while fostering human connection.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career similar to yours?
Follow your intuition and the subtle whispers from the universe. Trust the process—it can be challenging to see the path ahead while you're on it, but looking back, you'll recognize how divinely aligned the stars and dots were.
Bob Proctor has a lot of amazing teachings - I highly recommend looking up the “Terror Barrier” concept - it was a game changer for me - and one that I live by. As Bob shares, “In order to learn, grow, and be successful, YOU MUST step out of your comfort zone. Everything you desire is on the other side of fear.”
Maintain a service mindset in educational technology. The most impactful innovations come from genuinely wanting to solve problems for others rather than simply creating technology for its own sake. Stay connected to the "why" behind your work, especially when facing challenges.
Always be learning! A growth mindset will take you everywhere you want to go. Be curious, align with mentors, read widely, and allow yourself to explore all facets of life—for we are all multifaceted beings. Understanding both educational pedagogy and technological possibilities will give you unique insights that neither field alone can provide.
I've always led teams from a human-centric place. One of the most effective approaches I implemented was focusing on the power of gratitude for mindset and energetic shifts. I love studying sports leaders precisely for this reason—championship teams and coaches understand the importance of the mental game, having vision, maintaining discipline, and following through to create absolute magic.
As you grow in your career, continuously adapt to changing landscapes while staying true to yourself and your core values. This balance of flexibility and authenticity is essential for meaningful innovation and sustainable leadership.
What drives your desire to contribute and make a difference?
I've felt called to serve since childhood. As a student, I devoured psychology and self-help books—eventually earning my BA in Psychology with an Interpersonal Relations emphasis—to help family and friends through their challenges - and also in doing so, my own. You have to keep believing in yourself - and I love sparking that in others to pursue their passions, dreams, and deeper callings. And it gets to be fun!
I've always identified as a global citizen with a deep belief in education's transformative power. I believe that a child's birthplace and circumstances should never dictate their access to quality education. This conviction drives my work in creating technology that can address educational challenges through collaborative, responsible AI implementation.
The opportunity to connect humans across the globe—to recognize our fundamental similarities while celebrating the unique cultures and gifts that make us special—continues to motivate me. I believe in education as a transformative force for both individuals and society, and I'm committed to creating partnerships that amplify impact for all involved, working together to build more equitable systems that welcome diverse perspectives.
If you could go back and advise your younger self, what would it be?
Stress less! Trust yourself and trust the process. Be true to yourself and your vision, even when others don't yet see what you see. I've learned that authenticity ultimately leads to more meaningful innovation and fulfillment than trying to fit into others' expectations.
Surround yourself with people who amplify rather than diminish your potential—this single choice can completely change your trajectory. I've experienced how the right community can elevate your work and help you overcome obstacles that would be insurmountable alone.
Embrace continuous growth as a leadership approach. The challenges that seem most difficult often contain the most valuable lessons, and your ability to adapt while maintaining your core values will become one of your greatest strengths.
How can GlobalMindED support STEM leaders like yourself in achieving your goals and advancing your aspirations?
GlobalMindED's platform for amplifying underrepresented voices is invaluable in the technology sector, where diverse perspectives are essential for creating truly inclusive solutions. By connecting leaders across different sectors, GlobalMindED can help reveal new approaches to the problems we're working to solve in educational technology.
The organization's commitment to equity aligns perfectly with my vision for how technology should democratize access to knowledge. Through GlobalMindED's network, I hope to forge partnerships that amplify our collective impact, bringing together diverse stakeholders to create more equitable educational systems.
As we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI in education, having a community of like-minded yet diverse leaders becomes even more crucial. GlobalMindED can facilitate connections that help ensure these powerful technologies serve all learners equitably, regardless of background or circumstance.
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