Send us Fan Mail Ted Dintersmith is an education advocate, author, and filmmaker who has spent the past 15 years working alongside educators to rethink what learning should look like in the modern world. He has visited more than 200 schools across all 50 states, listening to teachers and students and studying approaches that prepare young people for real life beyond tests. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why school math focuses on skills that AI already does better than humans The disc...
Apr 27, 2026•32 min
Send us Fan Mail Steve Tapp is the CEO of ACT , a leading nonprofit assessment organization best known for the ACT college admissions test. With over 30 years of experience in assessments across education, professional certification, and workforce testing, he previously led PSI Services and Lifelong Learner Holdings, helping scale global assessment platforms. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode How AI is transforming the assessment lifecycle—from test creation to scoring. Why fairness, vali...
Apr 20, 2026•29 min
Send us Fan Mail Chase Rigby is the CEO of Tassel , a platform modernizing graduation experiences for universities worldwide. A former Google PM and Chief Product Officer at Canopy, his career sits at the intersection of education, technology, and product innovation. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why graduation is a key (and overlooked) growth moment How Tassel simplifies complex commencement logistics Where AI improves the student and admin experience How graduation drives alumni en...
Apr 13, 2026•27 min
Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Ben Kornell and guest co-host Matt Tower , as they break down the biggest stories shaping AI, edtech efficacy, cybersecurity, and the future of work in education. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:00:33] Rapid rise of AI-generated “vibe coding” raises concerns about software vulnerabilities and cybersecurity risks [00:02:44] ASU+GSV preview highlights the importance of relationships over deal-making at major edtech gatherings [00:08:26] Anthropic’s Mythos model withheld due t...
Apr 11, 2026•1 hr 1 min
Send us Fan Mail Brandon Cardet-Hernandez is the Founder and CEO of Medley Learning , a platform building AI-powered scaffolding tools for multilingual learners. A former multilingual learner himself, Brandon has served as a teacher, turnaround principal, Boston School Committee member, NYC education advisor, and edtech leader. His work focuses on closing the access gap, not lowering expectations. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why education has an access gap , not just an achievement...
Apr 06, 2026•35 min
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Magdalena H. Gross of Mercor is a Stanford-trained scholar and a leader in AI education. With a unique ability to understand how people think, she helps experts translate deep human knowledge into AI-ready systems. She designs AI curricula and training programs that empower individuals and organizations, while also leading in community arts and muralism. Learn more about her work at www.magdalenagross.com . 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: How human experts actually...
Mar 30, 2026•21 min
Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Ben Kornell and special co-host Steve Shapiro , Founder of Finetune.AI, as they break down the biggest stories shaping AI, workforce disruption, K–12 policy, and the future of higher education. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:05:10] NVIDIA signals the shift from AI experimentation to a full-scale platform “land grab” [00:08:19] Early signs of AI-driven productivity gains point to real workforce disruption [00:13:16] Governments invest in AI retraining, labor upskilling, and...
Mar 27, 2026•1 hr 30 min
Send us Fan Mail Mindy Sjoblom is the Founder and CEO of OnYourMark , a research-backed virtual tutoring organization serving thousands of elementary students nationwide. Catherine Tierney is Head of Product and Program at OnYourMark, bringing deep experience from Match Education, MyCoach, and ThinkCERCA to the design of human-centered, evidence-based learning technology. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode Why AI works best as an insight layer rather than a replacement for human tutors How...
Mar 23, 2026•28 min
Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from OpenAI’s push into interactive learning to new research on AI efficacy, growing AI backlash, and rising cybersecurity threats in K–12 schools. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:05:30] OpenAI launches a new suite of 70+ interactive science and math learning experiences built on cognitive science and visual learning principles [00:12:22] Stanford and SCALE release a meta-analysis o...
Mar 20, 2026•50 min
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Rachel Book is an education leader at Lincoln Learning Solutions with over 20 years of experience in early childhood and student development. Charlie Thayer , Chief Academic Officer, brings 15+ years in online and blended learning, specializing in scalable, instructionally sound solutions. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: The difference between generic AI tools and purpose-built AI for education How AI can extend teacher capacity without replacing human instruction ...
Mar 18, 2026•27 min
Send us Fan Mail Josh Jones is the CEO of QuantHub , an edtech and workforce company advancing data and AI literacy across K–12, higher education, government, and enterprise. A serial entrepreneur and former data science consultant, Josh has spent decades helping organizations adapt to rapid technological change. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why AI education should focus on durable skills, not specific tools How schools can adapt curriculum faster without sacrificing rigor The diffe...
Mar 16, 2026•21 min
Send us Fan Mail Dean Celaj is the Founder and CEO of GoTeacher , a platform helping school districts understand, manage, and enforce student data privacy. Previously, he founded Akademi.al, an education platform used by over 90% of students in Albania during COVID, and was named to Forbes 30 Under 30. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode Why most school districts are technically out of compliance with student data privacy laws How “free” edtech tools create the biggest privacy blind spots W...
Mar 09, 2026•19 min
Send us Fan Mail Join Ben Kornell and guest host Matt Tower as they break down the biggest stories shaping K–12 policy, AI in education, edtech funding, and emerging school models. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:02:55] FBI raids LAUSD headquarters and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s home, raising questions about federal investigations and possible ties to the AllHere scandal [00:06:07] The hosts unpack whether the LAUSD probe is about vendor fraud, immigration tensions, or broader political conflic...
Mar 06, 2026•1 hr 5 min
Send us Fan Mail Greg Hart is the CEO of Coursera , bringing 25+ years of leadership and technology innovation from Amazon, where he helped develop Alexa and expand Prime Video globally. At Coursera, he leads the company’s mission to make learning more engaging, skills-focused, and accessible worldwide. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why skills are becoming the “atomic unit” of modern education. How AI is reshaping learning experiences on Coursera. The role of partnerships with univer...
Mar 02, 2026•27 min
Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Ben Kornell and guest host Peter Stiepleman , host of The Imperfect Leader , as they explore AI in schools, screen-time policy, math reform, higher ed disruption, and the future of assessment integrity. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:00:00] Peter Stiepleman on leading with “ed, not tech” when implementing AI in schools [00:06:33] Seattle-area student walkout over ChatGPT access sparks debate on AI in classrooms [00:08:11] 26 states advance phone bans and K–5 screen-time le...
Feb 27, 2026•1 hr 4 min
Send us Fan Mail Priyank Chodisetti is the Co-founder and CEO of Workback.ai , an AI-powered platform helping edtech organizations achieve accessibility compliance faster and at scale. A repeat founder and former engineering leader at Coursera, Priyank brings firsthand experience navigating the complexity of WCAG standards and ADA requirements. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode Why ADA Title II’s digital expansion is a game-changer for edtech companies How accessibility compliance impacts...
Feb 18, 2026•41 min
Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they unpack a fast-moving week in education. From AI-native curriculum battles and literacy leadership shifts to voucher surges and national AI pilots reshaping special education. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:01:48] ASU+GSV preview and the expanding global EdTech ecosystem [00:06:25] The 2026 EdTech AI Map launches with 240+ companies [00:07:14] Brisk introduces AI-powered curriculum integration [00:09:04] The race to own the AI layer in sc...
Feb 16, 2026•1 hr 26 min
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Kathy Weston is one of the leading national experts on parenting, family life and parental engagement in children's lives. In 2018, she established Tooled Up Education , a holistic bank of evidence-based resources for whole-school communities. Tooled Up supports 166 schools in 8 countries, delivering bespoke CPD for educators as well as 'on tap' resource support for parents. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode Why parental dialogue is one of the strongest protective fac...
Feb 16, 2026•29 min
Send us Fan Mail As CEO of ISTE+ASCD , Richard Culatta focuses on shaping innovative learning leaders. He previously served as Rhode Island's Chief Innovation Officer and was appointed by President Obama to lead the US Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology. His book, Digital for Good, helps create conditions for healthy tech use. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode Why being “AI-ready” is about human skills—not technical ones How AI can deepen learning, not just make ed...
Feb 09, 2026•35 min
Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin, joined by special co-host Mike Palmer , host of Trending in Ed , as they break down the biggest stories shaping AI, K–12 policy, higher education, and the global future of education. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:03:34] SchoolAI study shows teachers using AI for reasoning and inquiry [00:09:58] Denver Public Schools blocks ChatGPT over safety and privacy concerns [00:12:20] SoftBank invests another $30B in OpenAI as ads roll out [00:13:24] Gem...
Feb 06, 2026•1 hr 32 min
Send us Fan Mail Shangyup Kim is the CEO of ZEP QUIZ , the metaverse-based gamified K-12 learning platform. Built AI-driven tools that help teachers motivate students at scale and is expanding across Asia and the U.S. As a former ZEPETO leader, focusing on gamification, futuristic change, and education. Formerly built two Series B companies. Jangwoo Bae is the business developer of ZEP QUIZ, a former English teacher and school administrator in Thailand during COVID-19. Recognized the need for ed...
Feb 02, 2026•36 min
Send us Fan Mail John Gamba is Entrepreneur in Residence at Catalyst @ Penn GSE , where he mentors education entrepreneurs and leads the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition. Over 17 years, the competition has awarded $2M to ventures that have gone on to raise more than $200M in follow-on funding, with a strong focus on equity and research-to-practice impact. The 2026 Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition is now open for applications. The application is simple and du...
Jan 23, 2026•52 min
Send us Fan Mail Nicole Jarbo is the CEO of 4.0 Schools , one of the nation’s leading platforms for early-stage education founders. A former KIPP teacher, Teach For America Corps member, and fintech founder, Nicole brings deep experience across classrooms, startups, philanthropy, and systems-level education change. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Pitch Playground . 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why education is facing an “imagination crisis” — and why technology alo...
Jan 19, 2026•44 min
Send us Fan Mail Dora Palfi is the Co-founder and CEO of imagi , an edtech company reimagining computer science education through creative coding and AI. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Dora has a background in neuroscience, human-computer interaction, and technology, and is a passionate advocate for equitable access to future-ready skills. Special note: Free access to the Lovable × imagi collaboration has been extended through March 31, giving educators and students more time to explore professio...
Jan 19, 2026•42 min
Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they kick off 2026 with a wide-ranging Week in EdTech conversation covering tech backlash, AI in education, market consolidation, consumer learning tools, and major voices shaping the future of teaching and learning. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:00:00] Growing tech backlash around screen time, phone bans, and distrust of edtech. [00:03:55] PowerSchool layoffs reflect private equity pressure and profitability focus. [00:06:30] Layoffs highli...
Jan 16, 2026•1 hr 13 min
Send us Fan Mail Jamie Rosenberg is the Founder and Executive Chairman of ClassWallet , a fintech platform modernizing how public education funds are distributed to schools and families. A longtime social impact entrepreneur, he previously founded AdoptAClassroom.org and has spent over two decades focused on getting dollars closer to students. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode Why education funding breakdowns are often about infrastructure, not intent How ClassWallet replaced reimbursemen...
Jan 12, 2026•52 min
Send us Fan Mail Henry Motte de la Motte is the Founder and CEO of EDGE Tutor , a global tutor outsourcing company supporting over 50 leading education and training organizations. Under his leadership, EDGE Tutor has scaled to 1,000+ teachers across 30+ countries, delivering millions of live tutoring sessions with a focus on quality, reliability, and human-centered learning. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why tutor reliability matters more than most EdTech's realize How outsourcing en...
Jan 05, 2026•50 min
Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of our year-end reflections, Alex speaks with educators, founders, investors, and platform leaders about what 2026 may bring for AI and learning at scale. 🎙️ Featuring insights from: Shantanu Sinha , VP & GM, Google for Education Katie Kurtz , Managing Director & Global Head of Youth & Learning, YouTube Amit Patel , Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Owl Ventures Jomayra Herrera , Partner, Reach Capital Jean-Claude Brizard , President & CEO, Digital Pr...
Dec 31, 2025•1 hr 35 min
Send us Fan Mail Nolan Bushnell is the founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese and is widely known as the father of the video game industry. Dr. Leah Hanes is the CEO of ExoDexa , co-author of the ExoDexa Manifesto, and leads the Two Bit Circus Foundation, where she has impacted over 460,000 students through game-based and project-based learning. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why traditional schooling fails students who don’t learn at the “right” pace How game design principles like flo...
Dec 29, 2025•36 min
Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Alex Sarlin, Ben Kornell, Michael Horn and Dhawal Shah as they break down major moves in online learning, AI, and higher education shaping the end of 2025. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:00:00] Coursera and Udemy announce a $2.5B all-stock merger forming a 175M-learner platform [00:00:30] Michael Horn on Coursera’s growing leverage over university partners [00:02:08] Ben Kornell explores Coursera’s potential to become a global university [00:05:40] Dhawal Shah explains the...
Dec 26, 2025•1 hr 12 min
