About Us
The Origins of Innovation Grove
A chance meeting at a UIUC event led to an invitation to an ID8 event leading to the eventual partnership between ID8 and F8 Studio to create Innovation Grove. Driven by the desire to revamp the education system, this partnership was grounded in the same principles and mission: to make learning fun again. STEM concepts can be found in art, design, and history, but these professions are rarely introduced in STEM focused education. Why not expand these subjects to all fields?
With ID8's large network in the Champaign area and F8 Studio's creative vision, Innovation Grove was born.
ID8 Lab
Dr. Chen and Dr. Yao are the founders of ID8 Lab Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting local innovators that inspire social change through regular community networking and ideation events.
To learn more about the founders and the mission of ID8 follow the link below.
https://www.id8lab.us/F8 Studio LLC
Dr. Sutkus is the founder of F8 Studio LLC, a recently established startup focused on creating cognitively beneficial games for kids.
Grounded in neuroscience, the games are designed to be fun and tailored for various developmental levels.
Academy Director
Loretta Sutkus, Ph.D.
Dr. Sutkus is the program designer, director and main instructor of Innovation Grove. She is a firm believer that learning should be hands-on, interactive and engaging.
Dr. Sutkus earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UIUC in May 2025, was a research assistant for a chronic pain laboratory at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, earned her B.S. in Psychology from Illinois Institute of Technology and served as a summer camp counselor and instructor for 5+ years.
Full guest speaker and instructor bios will be released soon!