Resonant Minds LLC designs ethical AI tools that let educators shape how AI thinks, asks, and responds—so inquiry stays human.
How It Began in a Shared Classroom
We met because we happened to share the same lab classroom. One of us was teaching Political Philosophy, the other 10th Grade Chemistry. Between classes, we started talking about how curiosity, experimentation, and ethics overlap in both science and the humanities.
When The Commoners’ Dilemma—a role-playing game about property, rebellion, and moral reasoning—came to life through early AI experiments, we both saw new possibilities. What began as shared curiosity became collaboration, and Resonant Minds grew from that spark: a commitment to building AI that amplifies human thought and creativity rather than automating it.
Who We Are
Michelle Smith
Political Philosopher, educator, and curriculum designer with over two decades of experience in higher education and K–12 innovation. Michelle runs the Social Sciences Thesis Program and develops creative, inquiry-driven pedagogy rooted in democratic theory and the Black intellectual tradition.
Adell Vann
Chemistry and Maker Space educator with a passion for computational creativity and ethical technology. A self-taught coder and systems thinker, Adell architects the technical side of Resonant Minds, translating classroom insights into responsive AI tools. (Full bio forthcoming.)
What We Build
Enquiry Engine
Enquiry Engine is a teacher’s studio for inquiry design. It allows educators to configure tone, questioning style, and scope—helping AI guide students toward reasoning, reflection, and revision in more intentional ways.
Prototype interface for Enquiry Engine (research pilot 2025–26).
Lantern
A guided student workspace designed to make thinking visible and reflection structured. Lantern supports students as they build reasoning skills within teacher-defined parameters.
Prototype interface for Lantern (student reflection workspace).
Built on our Mosaic-based model architecture. (Specific implementation details are withheld pending patent application.)
Unlike most educational AI tools, Resonant Minds is not a wrap-around for ChatGPT or any commercial large language model. Our prototypes are built on a proprietary architecture designed for transparency, adaptability, and educator control.
Spring 2026 Research Pilot
We’re partnering with educators at Greenwich Country Day School and an independent researcher to study how teachers use Enquiry Engine and Lantern in real classrooms. The pilot will help us refine educator training and guide development of the next generation of student-facing tools.
Our Principles
Teachers are not replaceable; they’re authors of AI behavior.
Students deserve transparency, privacy, and steady scaffolds.
Inquiry is the heart of learning—and the heart of our design.
Friction is essential to growth; AI should challenge, not flatter.
Equity begins in the code; our systems are designed to surface and resist bias.
