Meet Dr. Airek Mathews

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Airek Mathews and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Airek, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Having a healthy dose of curiosity mixed with a strong willingness to invest in myself. I’ve always been driven by a desire to understand how things work, connect, and be optimized. This has led me down paths I never planned for but ended up thriving in. At some point, I realized that it was essential to give myself the space to grow; however, that came after often holding myself back for many years.

I stopped waiting for “perfect timing” or “ideal conditions” and started saying yes to new opportunities, even the slightly terrifying ones. Being open meant learning to trust that even if I didn’t have all the answers, I had the ability to figure things out. I continually challenged myself to keep moving forward whether it was taking on a project that I knew would be challenging or a collaboration I felt under-qualified for, leaning into those moments taught me how to build capacity, adapt, and regularly think outside the box.

With that being said, I’ve learned how to squeeze the absolute most out of the resources I have. Not everything starts with a big budget or a massive network, sometimes it starts with a free tool, a friend who believes in you, and a wild idea. Resourcefulness became my superpower. When you‘ re willing to skill up to make magic with your own hands, you start to see possibilities in different ways.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I build a variety of products that range from things you can touch to things you can experience online. I have spent my entire life finding joy and a sense of peace in building……“things”. Those things used to center on Legos and K’NEX (who remembers those?) as a child…to now where I design systems, build online courses, and build my own crafts.

My journey has certainly taken a few twist and turns, but every challenge was a growth opportunity, every set-back was a chance to re-strategize, and the really hard times made me pause, rest, and get back up when I was ready. There was a point in my life where I found myself needing to expand my skillset to forge a future for myself. As a lifelong learner, I took up that challenge and transitioned into Instructional Design with a focus on Education Technology (EdTech for short). As an Instructional Designer, I have built a career designing and building learning experiences that have an impact, designing educational systems, evaluate learning technologies, and train instructors on the best practices in teaching and learning. This field has sparked a curiosity in technology for me and I always find myself wanted to learn something new.

In my spare time, I consult on the development of virtual reality simulations and instructional design products, and have my own maker space for developing light based crafts. Has the journey been straight forward? Most certainly not, we can only hope for a straight forward path. Was it hard? Yes, I’ve faced many of the “-ism’s”, both direct and indirect but I never let them stop me from achieving my success.

What has kept me going has been my desire to support my community and my family. Ultimately, I use my work to try and leave a positive and lasting impact on the world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Day 1: Lets revisit out Inner Child

Universal Studio is a great adventure that is the right mix of adult entertainment where you can let your inner child roam free. Super Nintendo land is definitely on the itinerary. After our adventure, I can think of anything better to do than to grab some Korean BBQ.

Day 2: A Touch of Culture

The Getty Villa is a great location to see art, feel the ocean breeze and great views. Its a nice place to go for a calm experience. I typically roam the halls for a few hours. Afterward, who can resist a stop at Santa Monica Pier and if we time it just right we can watch the sunset from the beach. For dinner, street tacos. Everyone has a spot and we are definitely visiting one of them for dinner.

Day 3: Heading South

I cant resist an opportunity to go to the Long Beach Aquarium. There is always a new exhibit that is fascinating to learn more about. After the aquarium I like to hop over to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center is a great hike and clifftop views and the LIGHTHOUSE! For the evening, dinner and drinks in the evening. Shabu Shabu anyone?

Day 4: Nature

I love to visit the San Gabriel Mountains, on this day we head north east for a day of outside adventure and being one with nature. This is always a day trip that starts at the top of the mountain at Crystal Lake and comes down. We will explore the different trails and stopping points enjoying a sunny day.

Day 5: Rest

That was a super active week! Rest is always an important factor to keep in mind to not over exert yourself. A relaxing day at the beach is just what this vacation needs. We all know a visit to Southern California isn’t complete without a beach day. I have my secret location. Its time to back up the grill, cooler and relax on the beach for the last day of our amazing week.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people to thank that have supported my journey. There are those who are in my direct circle that support me everyday, those that played a role in my development in one way or another, then you have the random people who enter and exit your life, sometimes making a lasting impact. Family, friends, colleagues, and everyone in between, they know who the are and I appreciate every one of them.

With that being said I do have to specifically shout out my mother, grandmother, and aunt, the three most influential women in my life. During my journey, I have seen their resilience to provide for their families. Without them, I would not be the person that I am today.

Website: https://lightmanzers.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/airekm

Other: https://xr.ms-edtechcreations.com/