Trusting the Mess: Katrina Stevens on Breakthrough by Design

What does it take to spark innovation, not just in Silicon Valley, but around the world? For Katrina Stevens, President and CEO of The Tech Interactive, the answer starts with curiosity, play, and a willingness to “trust the mess.”

Recently, Katrina joined Deloitte’s Breakthrough by Design podcast to share her journey and her philosophy on learning, leadership, and creativity. It’s a chance to hear directly from the first educator and the first woman to lead The Tech, and to learn more about the values shaping her leadership.

Learning Through Messy Experimentation

One of Katrina’s core beliefs is that progress doesn’t come from having everything perfectly planned. Instead, it comes from experimentation.

“Breakthrough really means trusting the mess, sitting in that discomfort, and pushing through it till you get to a breakthrough.”

At The Tech, this approach shows up everywhere: from exhibits that invite visitors to prototype and play, to The Tech Challenge, where students spend months testing, failing, and refining their ideas before proudly showcasing them.

Play Unlocks Creativity

Katrina also emphasized how play rewires the brain and quiets the inner critic, making room for new ideas:

“Play allows the brain to not be locked in. It quiets the inner critic and opens up possibilities you might never have thought about before.”

Whether it’s cardboard and fasteners in Tech Studio or the latest AI tools, she encourages learners (and staff!) to explore with both high-tech and low-tech tools. For Katrina, it’s not about the materials, it’s about the freedom to imagine and create.

A Path Shaped by Curiosity

Katrina’s career has taken her on an exciting journey from the classroom to government to tech and global impact. She has been a teacher, principal, edtech entrepreneur, and served in the Obama Administration’s Office of Educational Technology, where she led the Future Ready Schools movement and helped shape the National Education Technology Plan. Later, at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, she oversaw a $200 million portfolio of grants focused on improving learning for students facing the greatest challenges.

Each step, she says, came from curiosity: “I would see another part of the ecosystem and want to understand it and see if I could improve it.” Her curiosity now drives her leadership at The Tech, where she’s committed to inspiring the innovator in everyone, whether in Silicon Valley, Kenya, or beyond.

“We’re all innovators. The key is helping people see themselves that way.”

For Katrina, leading The Tech isn’t just about running a science and technology center. It’s about creating spaces where people of all ages can discover that they, too, are innovators.