Meet the Founder: Fantaysia Polanco 👩🏽‍💻

Hi, I’m Fantaysia Polanco, the founder of TinkerIQ, and I’m on a mission to inspire the next generation of innovators. Growing up, I was always fascinated by how things worked; whether it was taking apart gadgets or dreaming up ideas to make everyday life smarter. This curiosity led me to pursue a degree in Internet of Things (IoT) Engineering at Florida International University (FIU), where I became the  first female graduate of the IoT Masters program. Along the way, I also specialized in cybersecurity and honed my skills in software development, data science, and machine learning.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work in diverse roles, from being a Graduate McNair Scholar, BioRG student researcher, Coding Instructor and Software Engineer at General Motors. But what I’m most passionate about is combining my technical expertise with my desire to teach and empower others. That's why I created TinkerIQ, to give students the chance to explore, learn, and grow in a hands-on environment where they can tinker with technology, learn to code, and bring their ideas to life.

At TinkerIQ, I believe STEM education should be accessible, engaging, and fun 🎉. Whether your child is just starting to explore coding or ready to dive into building IoT devices, my goal is to help them build the skills 🧠, confidence 🌟, and problem-solving mindset 🛠️ they need to succeed in the tech world.

I can’t wait to help your child discover the endless possibilities that technology holds, one project at a time! 💫