For Kiera Shadd, walking into Oak Studio Teen Tech Center at Mainframe Studios wasn’t exactly planned. The Waukee High School senior found her way there through a friend, Kelsey, who knew Emmett Phillips, the Teen Tech Center’s Career Pathways Facilitator. 

“She introduced me to Emmett and Derek, and was just like, ‘Hey, this is here if you want to hang out,’” Kiera recalls. Derek Frank is the Teen Tech Center Coordinator.  

But from the moment she arrived, something clicked. 

“I think it was the energy of everyone in the room and all of the access to what there is here,” she says. “Knowing that I could have a quiet place to sit and work was also a really good thing.” 

Building Skills Through Project Invent 

One of the biggest draws for Kiera was Project Invent, a national STEM organization that Oak Studio partners with through its Career Pathways program. She was selected to participate in the 8-month cohort, which is then followed by an internship placement in a matching field. Through Career Pathways, teens work in groups to design and build a device that addresses a need in their community, then showcases it at a culminating Demo Day event. Kiera’s group worked on a water filter device designed to address water quality issues in Iowa. 

Through that process, she’s grown in ways that go well beyond her Pathways group. 

“Through that whole class, I’ve learned different ways to pitch who I am to people, speaking skills, money management…Just a lot of things that I need for the future,” she says, noting that these skills are increasingly helpful as she prepares to go to college. 

For Kiera, who is interested in illustration and product design, the Teen Tech Center has been a natural fit. She’s been able to design a logo for her team’s Project Invent project, working with iPads and computers for illustration, and to bring ideas to life using the 3D printer and laser cutter. 

“Yes, 100 percent,” she says of finding tools there that match her interests. “We’re literally learning about how to make this product. We’re designing the product… and we have access to all the illustration tools and the different platforms they have on there.” 

That work paid off in a big way. In May 2026, Kiera and her Career Pathways teammates traveled to San Francisco for Demo Day 2026, where they won the Explorer Award for their pitch and invention prototype addressing water quality issues in Iowa. 

Performing as a Paid Artist 

Kiera’s time at the Teen Tech Center has opened doors beyond the studio, too. Thanks to the connections she’s made, she was able to perform as a singer at one of Mainframe Studio’s First Friday events and was paid for the gig. 

“I was able to talk to different performers and artists about my technique and how it went and other possible singing opportunities, which is really cool for me because I like that I can incorporate music and fine arts at the same time here,” she says. 

A Community of Like-Minded Creatives 

As Kiera looks ahead to college and her internship at the Des Moines Art Center through the Pathways program, she says one of the most meaningful parts of her experience has simply been the people she’s met. 

“Pathways and the Teen Tech Center have provided me really good opportunities, and have introduced me to people that I didn’t know existed in this area, which I’m really grateful for,” she says. “Now I have friends that are like-minded, smart people willing to learn and make stuff. I think that’s a cool thing.” 

The Next Chapter 

Kiera’s hard work through Oak Studio and Career Pathways has paid off. She has recently been selected for the highly competitive United Negro College Fund, worth $40,000 over four years. She plans to study art at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. 

Oak Studio Teen Tech Center is changing the lives of central Iowa youth every day. To contribute to these important services, click here to donate.