About
Devin Canaday is a dynamic individual who has managed to excel in multiple facets of his career. For more than a decade, he worked as a professional engineer for a tier-1 defense contractor. This experience seamlessly couples with over 20 years of experience as an educator. During his tenure within defense, Devin designed, helped manufacture, and served as project manager for a range of hardware programs to support the development of world-leading and cutting-edge radar systems. He has been responsible for developing several “Company First” innovations, and been the recipient of such awards as the Black Engineer of the Year Award’s Modern Day Technology Leader.
Always one to leverage every minute of his day, Devin runs multiple businesses, one of which, The STEMpreneur, won the Minority-Business Achievement Award and was a finalist for the US Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year Award. As a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation, Devin has worked with hundreds of clients ranging from company executives to individual contributors. This skillset as a coach perfectly positions him to help clients through all stages of life navigate through critical career decisions.
Mr. Canaday has a strong passion for STEM education and takes advantage of every opportunity to give back to the next generation. One of his more recent educational efforts were in support of Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering outreach initiatives. The role at JHU saw Devin working with primary school students and teachers, introducing them to the possibilities of STEM careers. Additionally, he facilitated professional development workshops and trainings for teachers targeting both content mastery and classroom management. His team is now working to expand the program into the Richmond, Va region for the upcoming school year.
His initial start in education began with his work as an interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. For nearly 10 years, Devin taught history to patrons through 1st / 3rd person interpretation, tours, storytelling, historical performances, and hosting “Electronic Field Trips”. In his final three years with the organization, Devin worked with teachers from across the country to build their understanding of colonial history and aid with classroom content delivery.
Personally, Devin’s pursuit of academic excellence in the classroom garnered him a free education from the University of Virginia, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and competed on the Varsity Track & Field team. He later continued on to pursue his Master’s in Technical Project Management. The dedication and hard work he put in on the track not only solidified his national ranking while in high school, but resulted in him being named Team Captain for Virginia’s Varsity Men’s Track team.
Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, Devin grew up in a single parent household and served as a role model to his younger siblings. In the Canaday house, a strong belief in God and Jesus Christ was the foundation and church attendance was not an option. With such a foundation, Devin continues to rely on his faith in Christ through every endeavor he takes on.
As evidenced by this quick summary of accolades, Devin is well recognized for his leadership, dedication, innovation, and commitment to training others to excel in life.