Kawai Lai serves as the Vice President of Strategic Innovation at the National Association of Independent Schools, a non-profit serving over 1,800 schools and 730K students across the country and abroad.  In her role, she helps schools reimagine education, build capacity to innovate, and share stories of authentic progress. Prior to a career in education, Kawai spent over a decade in consulting and technology, implementing large scale technology systems with Deloitte, working in different industries including healthcare, biotech, and aerospace.  After Deloitte, she joined the founding team of Education Elements, where she worked with the most forward-thinking districts and charter schools across the country. She incorporates visual thinking into keynotes, books, strategic conversations, and every aspect of her work and loves bringing new ideas to life with visuals.  She has an MBA from Haas, UC Berkeley and a BS in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist University.