Maria Barrera, a Stanford-educated engineer, is the founder and CEO of Clayful, a platform dedicated to providing essential mental health support for the TikTok generation. Today, Barrera’s company creates accessible resources for K-12 students and has already made a profound impact on thousands of students nationwide.

Before launching Clayful, Barrera played a pivotal role in Nearpod’s extraordinary growth trajectory, culminating in the company’s acquisition for $650 million. Her leadership at Nearpod was instrumental in driving user activation and engagement, propelling both B2C and B2B revenues to new heights and showcasing her adeptness at scaling consumer-facing operations.

Barrera’s journey from her Colombian origins, marked by resilience and determination in the face of adversity, underscores her natural aptitude for problem-solving and her commitment to leveraging technology to create tangible, impactful solutions. Barrera earned her BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering at Stanford.

This appearance by Maria Barrera is part of the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders series. You can find more talks at youtube.com/ecorner where we bring founders, investors and industry influencers to center stage and invite them to share what it takes to become a disruptor.