Liberty Naud
Founder and CEO of SMaRT Education, Desert Robotics, and The Awesome Foundation
Age: 34
Liberty Naud is “über” excited about life these days.
Naud joined the Army when she was 17 and was honorably discharged in 2004, moving to Indio with her son, then 4, when she was 23 years old to be closer to family.
In 2008, she walked into an elementary school computer lab to find all the kids playing solitaire. It was a defining moment in her life. Naud volunteered to run an after-school science-and-tech camp teaching kids how to build and program robots.
“I never realized how much their experiences would impact me,” says Naud, who took those experiences and founded SMaRT Education, Desert Robotics, and The Awesome Foundation.
With fellow science-loving mom Maria Wren, the two serve more than 3,700 kids in 10 counties in collaboration with school districts, the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and more.
“I adore it when I hear kids say, ‘Miss Liberty made math fun!’” Naud says. “Kids who used to avoid the ‘f-word’ (fractions) are calculating the arc and angle to make their robotics turn. If a child can build and program a robot, they know they can do anything.”
VIDEO: Liberty Naud will surprise you with what people don't know about her.