👋 Meet the Founders
We're Matt and Carissa — a Maryland-based husband-and-wife team passionate about creating opportunities for kids and teens to build, explore, and thrive through technology.
💻 Matt Gardner
Builder, Educator, Technologist
Matt has been obsessed with technology since he taught himself to code at 11 years old. That spark turned into a career spanning Apple (yes, that iPhone), music tech startups, and building developer communities.
He ran RIT48 — a 48-hour startup competition at Rochester Institute of Technology — bringing students, mentors, investors, and judges from around the world together to launch real companies over a weekend. One of his past startups even landed investment from Beyoncé to help artists reshape the music industry.
Today, Matt's passion is helping young people realize that coding isn't just for engineers — it's a creative tool anyone can learn to build their own games, apps, or ideas. He brings the energy, tech chops, and a whole lot of fun to every camp session.
🍎 Carissa Gardner
Educator, Advocate, Leader in Student Success
Carissa brings over a decade of experience in education, specializing in supporting all learners. She currently serves as a Coordinator of Specialized Instruction, and previously held roles as a Director of Access and Achievement and Supervisor of Special Education across Maryland school systems.
Carissa has led major accessibility and achievement initiatives, overseen summer programs for students with disabilities, and worked across all levels of education to ensure inclusive, empowering learning environments. Her leadership ensures that every camper — no matter their background or learning style — feels welcome, supported, and ready to succeed.
From organizing smooth day-to-day logistics to shaping inclusive experiences, Carissa brings heart, structure, and deep educational wisdom to the camp.
🎯 Why We Started Teen Tech Camp
We created Teen Tech Camp to bridge a gap — to make tech education more playful, hands-on, and confidence-building. We believe every kid should feel like they can create with technology, not just consume it.
Whether it's your teen's first line of code or their tenth game mod, our goal is to create a week that's inspiring, challenging, and just plain fun.
We hope to see you at camp!
— Matt & Carissa