Mark Breen's portfolio and build notes.
I'm an education CTO, founder, and hands-on builder using AI tools to turn ideas into working products and district systems. These are the projects, the decisions behind them, and what I'm learning along the way.
20+
years in K–12 technology
15,000+
students supported
800+
customers in a founded and exited business
Selected work
District systems, internal tools, and public products. Most of the repositories are private; the build notes explain the work, how it fits together, and the decisions behind it.
District AI · Limited beta
We're building Edge to help staff work with district information, using reviewed data tools, access tied to district identity, and policy answers with sources they can check.
We host the application and data infrastructure at the district. The first version uses cloud models.
Read the build notes →District connectivity
Our technology team worked with Sun Corridor Network to make eduroam our primary Wi-Fi network. Students and staff can connect at participating schools, colleges, and libraries.
We set up district devices with managed profiles so they can connect automatically without shared Wi-Fi passwords. That helps people get online beyond our buildings, too.
Read the build notes →District identity
I want new colleagues to have what they need on day one. We're changing how verified employee records drive account creation and suspension, with less information for our team to enter by hand.
That work includes multifactor authentication, access based on role, and a dependable process for removing access when someone leaves.
Read the build notes →District workflow · Internal
I built this internal application to help staff prepare board minutes. It brings meeting video, agenda information, and speaker-aware transcription together to produce a structured AI draft.
The draft gives staff a starting point they can check against the meeting. Human review remains part of the workflow.
Read the case study →AI product · Public
I built Aspen to help Arizona ESA families work through purchase questions with handbook references and keep their receipts and documentation together.
It's now free on the web, iPhone, and Android, with daily limits on AI features. Families can save decisions and prepare their records for export.
Visit Aspen ESA →About me
I started in education as a band director because I wanted to help students discover what they could do and grow their confidence. That interest in helping people is still at the center of my work. Today, I lead technology at Vail School District, where our team of about 40 supports more than 15,000 students.
I love experimenting with new technology and staying involved in building. I use AI tools to help turn ideas into applications and workflows, and some of my favorite moments come when someone on our team brings an idea we can try together. I also enjoy helping people grow into leading that work themselves.
Alongside my district leadership work, I founded Rincon Wireless, grew it to more than 800 customers, and eventually exited the business. I also build independent products like Aspen ESA. Create & Iterate Daily is where I share these projects, the decisions behind them, and what I'm learning along the way.
From the build
Writing about what worked, what failed, and what changed after the first version shipped.
The architecture, access rules, and lessons behind Vail Edge: a district-hosted AI application in limited beta, with cloud models in its first version.
Read the notes →Why I changed Aspen ESA from a subscription product to a free community resource, what the trade-off means, and what I want to learn next.
Read the notes →