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Our Team

The people behind every MindChampion

Our curriculum was developed by some of the world-leading minds in education, psychology, neuroscience and the theatre. But what makes MindChamps truly special are the people who bring it to life every day – from our founder and advisory team to the educators who nurture your child.

Why we invest in the best

Finding the right early learning centre isn’t just about location or facilities. It’s about the people (educators and teachers) who’ll spend their days with your child during the most formative years of their life.

That’s why we’ve built a team that combines two things most centres can’t offer:

World-leading expertise

Our curriculum is shaped by an advisory team of internationally recognised researchers, educators and creatives. These aren't just consultants whose names appear on a website. They actively guide our programmes, train our educators and ensure everything we do is grounded in the latest research on how children learn.

Educators who genuinely care

Our teachers aren't just qualified; they're personally trained by our advisory team with ongoing training and mentoring by our leadership team. When you walk into a MindChamps centre, you're not just getting a childcare service. You're getting the combined knowledge of some of the best minds in early childhood development - delivered by educators who know your child by name.

Our Founder

Founded on a simple question

What if we could teach children how to learn?

David Chiem

Founder, CEO & Executive Chairman

David Chiem arrived in Australia at nine years old, unable to speak a word of English. He went on to become the first Asian actor in a lead role on mainstream Australian television, a published novelist nominated for Australian literary awards, and eventually, the founder of a global education movement.
But it was his own experience in the school system that sparked MindChamps. David saw firsthand how traditional education focused on what children learn – but rarely taught them how to learn, or helped them develop the confidence and creativity they’d need for life beyond the classroom.
In 1998, he founded MindChamps in Sydney as a research centre with a bold mission: to bring together the best minds in education, psychology, neuroscience and theatre to create a new approach to early learning. One that doesn’t just prepare children for school, but equips them with the mindset and skills to thrive in an uncertain future.
His connection with Professor Allan Snyder, who pioneered the Champion Mindset philosophy of learning, led us to adopt the ‘3-Mind’ philosophy, nurturing the Champion Mind, the Learning Mind, and the Creative Mind, which underpins everything we do at MindChamps.

Brian Caswell

Dean of Research & Programme Development
Brian Caswell is an internationally acclaimed author, researcher, educator and songwriter who has dedicated his career to understanding how children learn best. He has written over 300 books – some of which have won literary awards.
Brian joined MindChamps in 1998 and has led the development of our curriculum ever since – including our S.M.I.L.E.S. Early Learning methodology, which is now used in MindChamps centres worldwide. His work draws on decades of research into early childhood education, the psychology of learning and the neuroscience of how young brains develop.
He’s spoken to over 300,000 people on creativity, literacy and education, and has written extensively on what it takes to raise confident, capable learners. At MindChamps, Brian ensures that every programme we offer is grounded in evidence – and designed to actually work in the real world of curious, energetic children.

World-Class Advisory Team

Guided by world-leading experts

Most early learning centres develop their programmes in-house. We took a different approach. From the beginning, MindChamps has brought together leading researchers
and practitioners from education, psychology, neuroscience and theatre.

Neuroscience

Emeritus Professor Allan Snyder

Chancellor & Chair of Research

Fellow of the Royal Society, founded the Centre for the Mind at University of Sydney. Received the Marconi International Prize in 2001.

Education

Professor Steven Schwartz AM

Senior Fellow

Member of the Order of Australia, former Chairman of ACARA, held professorships at Harvard and Stanford.

Psychology

Professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

Senior Fellow

Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution, author of 12 books including ‘Becoming Brilliant’. Published over 200 research papers.

Theatre & Arts

Dr Scott Hicks

Senior Fellow

Academy Award-nominated director of ‘Shine’. Emmy Award winner and member of Directors Guild of America.

Education

Professor Trevor H. Cairney OAM

Fellow

Order of Australia Medal recipient, authored 9 books and over 200 articles on early learning and language acquisition.

Theatre & Arts

Aubrey Mellor OAM

Senior Fellow

Former Director of NIDA – Australia’s world- renowned drama school. Trained multiple Academy Award winners.

Your Child’s Educators

Trained by the best. Dedicated to your child.

A great curriculum means nothing without great educators to deliver it. That’s why we invest heavily in the people who’ll actually spend their days with your child.

200+ Hours Training

Every educator completes extensive training and accreditation delivered by our world-class advisory team.

Long-Term Relationships

We invest in staff retention because children thrive with familiar, trusted adults who truly know them.

Ongoing Development

Continuous professional development keeps our educators at the forefront of early childhood practice.

Book a Tour at MindChamps

Join a tour to see why MindChamps is perfect for your child. Experience our nurturing environment, innovative curriculum, and dedicated staff, and get your questions answered in person.