Dr. Mark Wagner is CEO and co-founder of ARES Learning, which prepares students with the skill sets and mindsets they need to be successful in the growing space economy - and in humanity’s rapidly approaching multi-planet future. He also serves as President of the Space Prize Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering young women to pursue STEAM education and to explore careers in the space industry. In addition, he teaches space education courses for teachers… and is working toward publishing the first Journal of Space Education.

Dr. Wagner is a former high school English teacher, later serving as an Educational Technology Coordinator at the site, district, and county levels. In 2006 he launched EdTechTeam, a professional development company dedicated to inspiring and empowering educators around the world. At it’s peak, EdTechTeam served 50,000 educators per year through over 100 conference-style events and hundreds of other workshops in dozens of countries. EdTechTeam was recognized as the Google for Education Partner of the Year in 2018. As a former aerospace engineering student and a lifelong space enthusiast (having attended Space Camp twice while growing up), he is thrilled to now apply his educational technology experience in the increasingly important field of space education. 

Mark Wagner has a Ph.D. in Educational Technology and a masters degree in Cross-Cultural Education. He also holds graduate certificates in Space Education and Space Philosophy. He is the author of More Now: A Message from The Future for The Educators of Today (2018) and Space Education: Preparing Students for Humanity’s Multi-Planet Future (2022), which explores both the current reality on Earth and the possibilities for teaching students on the Moon, on Mars, and in deep space habitats.

Outside his work, Mark loves playing hockey, practicing martial arts, and obsessing over his ’62 beetle, which runs on an electric motor and Tesla batteries. He is a certified health coach and biohacking enthusiast, who also enjoys songwriting, spending time in nature, and exploring the world with his friends and family.