You don't need a bigger IT budget. You need a better strategy.

Our Why

Let’s be honest: Most school tech plans are just a collection of "shiny objects" and reactive fixes. It’s frustrating to invest heavily in tools and platforms that never quite deliver the transformation your teachers and students were promised.

We’re here to change that narrative.

Founded by Kristen Pate, M.Ed.—a veteran educator turned Director of Technology—Get InnovatED Strategic Consulting™ (GISC) was born out of a critical gap in the K-12 space. We saw a disconnect between the people managing the tech and the leaders driving the schools. We realized that for technology to actually work, it needs to stop being a "guessing game" and start being a strategic priority.

Based in New Orleans and serving schools globally, we believe technology should be like oxygen for your campus: vital to your mission, but invisible in its execution.

We believe your technology strategy should be just as intentional and well-designed as your curriculum. By putting strategy before the spend, we ensure your tech isn't just a line-item expense, but a powerful engine that allows you to focus on what matters most: your students and your staff.

We don’t focus on the hardware; we focus on the human impact of your digital ecosystem. Whether we’re roadmapping your next three years of spending or mentoring your next tech director, our goal is simple:

Intentional Technology. Educational Impact.

Our Mission

To partner with K-12 leaders in designing strategic technology ecosystems that prioritize educational impact, fiscal sustainability, and leadership stability, transforming school tech from a reactive expense into a proactive engine for growth.

Our Vision

To make intentional technology the standard for every K-12 school, ensuring that innovation always serves the mission of education and never the other way around.

Core Values

Strategy Over Spend: We don’t believe in throwing money at technical problems. We believe in building frameworks that make your existing resources work harder for your mission.
Clarity Over Complexity: If you can’t explain it to your board, you shouldn’t be buying it. We translate "tech-speak" into actionable leadership strategy that yields confident decisions.
Instructional Intentionality: Every tool we recommend is rooted in the classroom. If it doesn't improve the educator experience or student outcomes, it doesn't belong in your ecosystem.
Radical Transparency: We aren’t "yes men." We provide the honest, data-driven insights you need to make difficult decisions, even when they challenge the status quo.
Human-Centered Innovation: Technology is the tool, but people are the mission. We prioritize teacher buy-in and leadership stability over hardware and software.

Meet The Founder
Kristen Pate, M.Ed

Kristen Pate didn’t start her career in a server room; she started it in the classroom. As a veteran educator, she experienced firsthand the frustration of "shiny object" technology—tools that promised transformation but delivered little more than a higher workload for teachers and a fractured budget for leaders.

Driven by a desire to make technology actually work for people, Kristen transitioned into the role of Director of Technology. It was there that she identified the "missing link" in K-12 education: the gap between technical infrastructure and instructional intent. She realized that schools don't just need better hardware—they need better strategy.

Bridging the Gap

In founding Get InnovatED Strategic Consulting™ (GISC), Kristen has dedicated her career to bridging the divide between "fixing devices" and "leading strategy." With her Master of Education and years of executive-level tech leadership, she serves as a translator and a bridge. She speaks the language of the classroom, the boardroom, and the IT office, ensuring that every stakeholder is aligned toward a common goal.

A Mission-Driven Partner

Based in her home city of New Orleans, Kristen brings a "Casual Expert" approach to every partnership. She is known for her direct, jargon-free guidance and her unwavering commitment to fiscal sustainability and human-centered innovation.

For Kristen, the work is personal. Whether she is roadmapping a multi-year budget or mentoring the next generation of EdTech directors, her philosophy remains the same:

Technology is the tool. Education is the mission.