Kristin Bennett

Dr. Kristin Bennett is the founder of ILLUMII, a multidisciplinary practice that brings together experts in a variety of disciplines to support children, teens, and families for life and learning.

In addition to being the group practice director, she serves as a licensed educational diagnostician, is a certified parent coach, and an educational consultant. Dr. Bennett views children as capable and worth listening to and believes that if parents and schools took this view, teaching, learning and parenting would look much different. She has published and spoken regionally, nationally, and internationally about learning and cognitive science and is known for her practical presentations that leave participants with strategies they can use that day. When she isn’t working with other children and families, she enjoys spending time with her husband Drew, an elementary school teacher, and their four children ranging in ages from 13 - 21 years old.

Education & Experience

• University of Florida, BA Political Science
• Wake Forest University, MAEd Secondary Education
• Oxford University, Post Master’s in Behavioral Neuroscience
• University of North Carolina-Greensboro, PhD Educational Psychology and Measurement

Dr. Bennett became a Nationally Certified Educational Diagnostician after years of experience as an educator. She started her career teaching eighth grade science, math, and social studies in an inclusive school environment. She earned her Master’s degree at Wake Forest University where she focused her thesis on giftedness and exceptional children. After graduating from Wake Forest she enrolled in a post-master’s certificate program at Oxford University which focused on the intersection of nature, biology, and neuroscience. She later earned a doctorate focused on Curriculum, Measurement, and Evaluation with a focus on cognition and motivation. She interned in an ADHD clinic and helped design assessments for the College Board.

She returned to full-time teaching at the college level, teaching Educational Psychology, Teaching Students with Special Needs, and various Methodology courses to pre-service teachers at Wake Forest University. During her time at WFU, she also designed a new course, Learning and Cognitive Science, that became part of the neuroscience minor. Most recently, she served as the Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy at Summit School, a role that required her to oversee all school-based assessment.