Why I Created the Techie Twins — And Why It Couldn't Wait
There's a moment every educator knows. The moment a kid looks up at you and says, "I didn't know I could do that." Not because they lacked the ability. Not because the opportunity wasn't there. But because nobody had ever shown them a version of themselves doing it.
I spent 13 years working in Memphis schools. I watched brilliant kids — curious, creative, capable kids — walk through middle school and high school doors before anyone ever introduced them to STEM in a serious way. By then, some of them had already decided it wasn't for them. Not because it was too hard. Because it never felt like it was about them.
That stayed with me.
The idea that wouldn't let go
I kept coming back to the same question: where are the tech heroes that look like our kids?
Children are introduced to heroes early, and those heroes stay with them. I asked myself — what if the worlds of superheroes and STEM could be combined and introduced to young children before middle school ever got the chance to tell them whether they were "math people" or not? What if kids encountered coding, cybersecurity, and engineering the same way they encountered superheroes — as something exciting, something powerful, something theirs?
That vision became the Techie Twins Adventures.
Two nine-year-old twins living in Echo City — a futuristic city inspired by Memphis, Tennessee. Ariel is a cybersecurity specialist. Tyler is a coding engineer. Together they protect their city from AI-powered threats using real STEM concepts woven into every adventure. They don't just happen to be Black kids who are good at tech. They are the heroes. Fully, unapologetically, at the center of the story.
Because here's the truth: there are not enough books where Black kids are represented in both the STEM world and the superhero world at the same time. I wanted to write books that changed that. Books that a kid in Memphis — or anywhere — could pick up and see themselves not just included, but leading.
Where the characters really came from
Once I committed to the idea, it came together faster than I expected. And that's because the characters were always clear in my mind — and in my heart.
Ariel and Tyler are named after my own children. They're siblings in real life, not twins, but the bond between them was the inspiration. Granny Easter — the twins' wise mentor and the founder of Easter Technologies — is named after my late great-grandmother. These weren't invented people. They came from love.
The world of Echo City had history, culture, music, and a river running through it — because Memphis does too. The twins had powers rooted in real disciplines, a grandmother who built the technology they would one day inherit, and a city worth protecting.
Building the visual brand around them, though, was a different challenge entirely. I couldn't find an illustrator who could bring my vision to life the way I needed. So I turned to AI. And honestly — what better way to tell a STEM story than with a STEM tool? But creating consistent, recognizable versions of Tyler, Ariel, and Granny Easter using AI required patience, trial, and a lot of error. Getting that consistency right took real time. It still does.
What this series is really about
I'm not just a storyteller — I'm a technologist who uses cutting-edge tools to build a children's brand. I'm not just an educator — I'm an entrepreneur actively creating new pathways for how STEM content reaches young minds. I sit at the intersection of technology, education, and creativity, and that intersection is exactly where the Techie Twins Adventures was born.
But I'm a father first. Ariel and Tyler — the real ones — are my greatest inspiration and my greatest motivation. Every book I write, every character I develop, every late night I push through — it's for them. And for every child who picks up one of these books and sees themselves as the hero of their own story.
Yes, it's about STEM. Yes, it's about superheroes. But at its core, the Techie Twins Adventures is about possibility. It's about a kid picking up a book and thinking — for the first time or the hundredth time — I could do something like that.
That's the mission of Pulliam Creative House. Not just to publish stories, but to publish stories that expand what young readers believe is available to them.
Book 1 is live on Amazon now. Book 2 is in final preproduction and will be available very soon. Book 3 is coming in 2026. This is a 30+ book franchise — and this is only the beginning.
If you're a parent, an educator, a librarian, or just someone who believes representation in children's media matters — I'm glad you're here. This journey is just getting started.
Follow the adventure: TikTok: @techie.twins | YouTube: @TechieTwinsUniverse Available now on Amazon — search "Techie Twins Adventures"