Who is May

Hi, I’m May — a professional engineer, nonprofit leader, daycare owner, and mom to three wild and curious kids. I started this website as a way to learn (and teach) others how to prepare kids for the future. For years, I have been trying to figure out how do we raise kids who are curious, capable, kind, and resilient enough to thrive in an ever-changing world. I still don’t have a concrete answer as the answer is complex and there is a lot of calculus to do, but there are a few pillars we can lean on, the basics if you will. That’s what this blog is working to educate on and share.

Raising Innovative Kids was born from the intersection of two passions: building systems that solve real-world problems, and raising children who can navigate — and shape — the future.

With a multidisciplinary background in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering, I’ve spent over a decade solving complex challenges in both government and nonprofit spaces. My work with organizations like UDOT and the Molecular Hydrogen Institute has taught me the power of innovative thinking — and how critical it is for the next generation to inherit that mindset. Working as an engineer taught me to solve complex problems. Becoming a mother taught me that raising children is one of the most meaningful—and challenging—problems I’ll ever work on.

This website explores the ideas, research, and everyday experiences that have shaped my parenting philosophy. You’ll find articles on creativity, confidence, play, learning, emotional resilience, STEM, and practical ways to help children become thoughtful problem-solvers.

I opened an in-home daycare in February 2025. I also am the founder of Working Moms Connection, which was a nonprofit supporting women in leadership who are balancing career and caregiving. I believe raising resilient, creative kids starts in community, not just conversation. Every day, I get to practice what I preach, nurturing young minds through play, structure, kindness, and curiosity.

This site is my personal project — a space to explore parenting, creativity, and childhood development through both research and real life. I believe adaptability, innovation, and emotional resilience are more important than ever. After all, the world our children inherit will almost certainly look different from the one we grew up in. Rather than preparing them for one specific future, I want to help them develop the curiosity, resilience, and adaptability to thrive in whatever future unfolds.

This is part resource hub, part storytelling, and part personal experiment. I don’t have all the answers, but I believe in asking better questions — and I believe we don’t just raise children… we raise the future.

If you’ve also found yourself wondering how to prepare children for a future none of us can fully predict, I hope you’ll find ideas here that encourage you.

For more of my writing on family, community, health, learning, work, spirituality, and living intentionally, visit MaysWork.com, where I explore the bigger question that connects all of my work: How do we intentionally build lives, families, and communities where people can flourish?

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A Few More Things About Me

• I’m a gym fanatic and love lifting, running, and yoga.
• I’m a systems thinker who also loves soft blankets, naps, and cheesy quotes.
• I’m most energized by deep conversations over tea or walks.
• I stay up too late reading or writing, then regret it at 6 AM.
• I never knew how much I’d love motherhood — or how deeply it would challenge and change me.
• My kids are my greatest teachers.
• My husband is my best friend, and I’m forever grateful for him.
• I hate being cold, but I’ll tolerate snow for the occasional sledding day.

It’s nice to “meet” you. I’m so glad you’re here.

– May

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