Edtech Insiders

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they dive into the latest headlines shaping the future of education technology, from AI tutors and Gallup polls to new VR career pathways and the impact of phone bans in schools. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:03:38] Mashable compares AI tutors from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic[00:10:45] Gallup poll shows confidence in K-12 at all-time low [00:15:48] CZI launches Learning Commons open-source AI infrastructure [00:20:41] CZI + Anthropic partnership expands AI tools for edtech [00:23:31] Kahoot unveils new AI-powered study tools [00:26:26] Phone bans spread in U.S. schools with positive results [00:29:53] Higher ed faces declining international applications and demographic cliff Plus, special guests: [00:36:24] Nick Chen, Founder of PlayMath.org, on educational gaming and product lessons [01:00:40] Jamie Candee, CEO of Edmentum, on career pathways, durable skills, and VR workforce prep 

Send us a textIn this special episode, we spotlight the Global EdTech Prize 2025 with founder Vikas Pota of T4 Education and six inspiring finalists from around the world.

Send us a textJulie Stewart and Scott Stewart, award-winning creators behind global children's shows for Disney, Netflix, and Sesame Workshop, co-founded Nurture with serial entrepreneur Roger Egan, former CEO of RedMart, and learning expert Musa Roshdy, a Minerva University alum and advisor at Transcend Network, to build future-ready skills through immersive play.

Send us a textJean-Claude Brizard is President and CEO of Digital Promise, a global, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on accelerating innovation in education. He is the former Chief Executive of Chicago Public Schools and Superintendent of Rochester, NY. Previously, he spent 21 years with the NYC Department of Education, serving as Regional Superintendent for 100+ schools and Executive Director for 400 secondary schools. He also served as Senior Advisor and Deputy Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading strategies to close racial and economic achievement gaps and supporting charter school growth.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they dive into the biggest stories shaping education technology this week:✨ Episode Highlights:[00:04:32] OpenAI study shows teaching and tutoring are ChatGPT's top global use cases [00:10:50] Parents testify in Congress about risks of unsafe AI chatbots for kids [00:19:38] Google announces “Learn Your Way” and AI video generation for YouTube [00:22:47] Shift from SEO to AEO as answer engines reshape discovery [00:26:39] UK secures $40B in AI investment and Indian edtech funding rebounds post-Byju's[00:29:23] Babbel launches AI voice trainer and McGraw Hill adds AI to ALEKS calculus [00:31:09] Superintendent turnover rises while principals gain influence in EdTech decisionsPlus, special guest: [00:34:29] Christine Cruzvergara, Chief Education Strategy Officer at Handshake, on redefining entry-level jobs in the AI era and launching the Handshake AI Fellowship 

Send us a textNaria Santa Lucia is the General Manager of Elevate at Microsoft, where she leads global education, workforce, and skilling programs that have already reached over 100 million learners. With 20+ years of experience across corporate, nonprofit, and international organizations, she has partnered with the UN, World Bank, and Ministries of Education worldwide to advance AI, cybersecurity, and sustainability skills.

Send us a textDave Messer is a Product Manager on Google's Learning & Education team, leads product for emerging learning initiatives, including Learning Labs and Gemini. A former teacher with masters degrees in software engineering and education, he works with experts and the education community to build products that target real-world challenges for educators and students.

Send us a textAndrew Grauer is the co-founder and CEO of Learneo Inc., a leading productivity and learning platform that includes QuillBot, Course Hero, CliffsNotes, LitCharts, Scribbr, LanguageTool, and Symbolab. He also serves as CEO of QuillBot, an AI-powered writing and communications tool. Andrew launched Course Hero in 2006 while at Cornell University and has since grown Learneo into a global platform recognized as one of Inc.'s Best Led Companies.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and guest co-hosts  Matt Tower of Whiteboard Advisors,  & Kate Eberle Walker, CEO of Presence as they break down the latest headlines in education technology and from Big Tech's AI push to the evolving future of school models. ✨ Episode Highlights:[00:00:00] Kate Eberle Walker on parents' concerns about AI chatbots and student mental health [00:03:20] Apple integrates OpenAI and Gemini into Siri, reshaping the AI race [00:04:15] Global AI shake-up: Microsoft shifts to Anthropic, Baidu gains ground, Google antitrust update [00:14:45] Edtech funding slowdown and investor focus on regulated markets like special education [00:18:07] OpenAI launches certifications for frontline workers; Google gamifies AI literacy with Stanford [00:27:43] First NAEP results post-pandemic show continued learning loss and lack of political focus on academics [00:39:01] Accountability challenges in education: attendance, wellness, and equity in public vs. private models[00:43:46] Debate on Alpha Schools' “two hours of AI per day” model and its implications for learningPlus, special guest: [00:50:17] Chris Walsh, Chief Product and Technology Officer of PBLWorks on scaling project-based learning

Send us a textCT Turner is President of GED Testing Service and VP at Pearson's Enterprise Learning and Skills division. A recognized leader in workforce development, he champions equitable economic opportunities for underserved populations. CT supports adult education and workforce initiatives, holding degrees from Indiana University and Wichita State University.

Send us a textIvan Crewkov is the CEO and Co-Founder of Buddy.ai, the leading AI tutor for kids under 12, reaching over 20 million students annually from all over the world. Buddy is not just a chatbot. It's an AI-powered talking animated character in a mobile app teaching English as a foreign language to students all over the world.  Buddy is unique because it operates in a highly regulated environment where most off-the-shelf AIs like Chat GPT can't be used.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down the latest shifts in education technology, from Google's aggressive AI push to early childhood challenges and new federal initiatives.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:04:48] Google's AI surge disrupts Duolingo with gamified language learning in Google Translate[00:12:14] Google's edge in practical AI tools versus the AGI race[00:17:28] Competitive landscape across OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and predictions for Chinese challengers[00:22:14] Presidential AI Challenge invites students to showcase projects nationwide[00:24:01] 70% of parents oppose student data going into AI tools, raising regulatory concerns[00:33:29] AI shifting from “what it is” to “how it enables” daily tasks and learning[00:36:53] Uptake struggles in early childhood education despite universal pre-K expansion[00:38:52] Oak National Academy opens curriculum API and University of Phoenix prepares for IPO[00:40:53] Michael Horn highlights optimism for innovation inside and outside school systemsPlus, special guest:[00:41:15] Karim Meghji, Chief Product Officer of Code.org on the Hour of AI, AI-powered teacher tools, and CS education for all students

Send us a textIn this special episode, we speak with Daphne Li, CEO of Common Sense Privacy, alongside leaders from Prodigy Education, AI for Equity, MagicSchool AI, and ClassDojo—recipients of the Privacy Seal. Together, we explore how the edtech sector is tackling one of its biggest challenges: earning trust through responsible AI and data privacy practices.

Send us a textAbhay Gupta is the Co-Founder and CEO of Frizzle. He was Previously a Product Manager at Coinbase, where he drove $50M of incremental revenue, as well as Tesla, and Meta and helped scale an online e-learning platform to millions in revenue. He holds a Bachelor's in Computer Science and Economics from Vanderbilt University.

Send us a textChong-Hao Fu is the CEO of Leading Educators, a national nonprofit specializing in comprehensive instructional improvement. Over the past 14 years, he's worked to scale exceptional teaching and leadership in some of the country's fastest-improving districts while exploring how emergent technology like AI can bring new possibilities to instruction.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they navigate a week of heavy headlines in education technology—from AI risks and teen safety to global expansion moves by OpenAI and new research from Anthropic.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:02:20] AI panic in the headlines with concerns about teen mental health, suicide, and youth dependency[00:06:33] AI's impact on job opportunities for new college graduates[00:08:00] Comparing AI anxieties with past moral panics about video games, music, and social platforms[00:14:14] Why AI guardrails in school tools may be the edtech industry's biggest value-add[00:18:54] Bill Ackman's New York Alpha School fuels debate over AI-driven education models[00:22:20] The risk of Alpha School becoming the “face” of AI schooling for better or worse[00:25:28] OpenAI expands globally with a new Head of Education in India and a potential UK-wide ChatGPT deal[00:27:26] Anthropic's higher ed report shows educators using AI more to augment than automate 

Send us a textWhile you spent thousands of hours studying math in high school, odds are you never use any of it. There is math that really matters – it's just not covered in school. Just as Freakonomics made us rethink economics, Aftermath does the same for math. Today's guest, Ted Dintersmith, is a bestselling author, education advocate, and former venture capitalist who believes math has been weaponized—and it's time to set things right. If you're curious about the math you missed, and how it can empower you, you won't want to miss this conversation.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they dive into the biggest headlines shaping the future of education technology, from AI breakthroughs to new models of learning challenges.✨ Episode Highlights: [00:03:23] GPT-5 fallout and Altman's vision for GPT-6[00:08:14] AI risks: AGI fears, scams, misinformation [00:14:37] Post-COVID learning gaps and inequities [00:18:33] Students solving problems with AI [00:21:42] AI updates from Google, Meta, Microsoft, Grammarly [00:25:29] Higher ed: Minerva's rise, enrollment, dropouts [00:27:45] Micro-innovations from Stanford and student startups [00:29:14] Funding shifts: early-stage gains, PE stress, Nintendo schools [00:33:19] Cutting through AI hype cycles [00:39:20] Schools banning phones for student wellness [00:43:04] Big tech vs. local edtech visibility [00:45:07] Blackstone exits $6B Cognita deal [00:46:33] Pearson launches AI Study Prep Plus, special guests: [00:47:43] Brittany Miller, CIO and Executive Director at the Center for Outcomes-Based Contracting, on edtech-school partnerships[01:10:31] Jahque Bryan-Gooden, Founder of My CRE Buddy on culturally responsive teaching with AI[01:20:00] Jim Marggraff, CEO and Founder  of Kibeam Learning on screen-free AI reading and learning tools

Send us a textArun Saigal is the Co-Founder and CEO of Thunkable, the no-code platform where anyone — from students to startups to enterprise teams — can build powerful, native mobile apps. With an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and integrated Gen AI tools, Thunkable empowers creators to go from idea to real, publishable app without writing a single line of code. Arun has an S.B. and M.Eng. in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from MIT and has held various leading roles at technology companies, including Quizlet, Khan Academy, Aspiring Minds, and Google.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin, Ben Kornell, and guest co-host Matt Tower from Whiteboard Advisors for a back-to-school edition of Week in EdTech, covering market shifts, Big Tech's push into education, the GPT-5 rollout, and the rising challenge of deepfake abuse in schools.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:03:40] Back-to-school funding uncertainty and “back-to-basics” mentality[00:06:40] B2C vs. B2B: consumer learning grows while institutions tighten[00:09:31] Big Tech moves from infrastructure to competing in applications[00:13:40] GPT-5 rollout backlash and prioritization of B2C users[00:17:34] Rethinking schools' role: raising the floor vs. raising the ceiling[00:19:52] School choice and flexible student pathways through ESAs[00:20:58] Proposal for an AI user Bill of Rights[00:27:36] Media panic: critiques of AI in education from major outlets[00:34:19] SoftBank executive buys stake in UK university[00:38:10] Workforce training gap: Google and Microsoft invest billions[00:39:12] Google's Gemini leads in image and video generation Plus, special guests:[00:49:18] Evan Harris, President of Pathos Consulting Group, on deepfake abuse in schools and crisis response[00:56:02] Becky Keene, author of AI Optimism, on AI literacy for teachers and classroom integration[01:03:47] Max Spero, Co-Founder and CEO of Pangram Labs, on building future-ready schools with emerging tech

Send us a textDrew Bent leads Education as part of Anthropic's Beneficial Deployments. He also co-founded the tutoring non-profit Schoolhouse.world with Sal Khan. Prior to that, he wrote code at Khan Academy, taught high school math, and has been tutoring students for over a decade. Drew has degrees in physics & CS from MIT, and an education master's from Stanford.

Send us a textJulia Stiglitz is the CEO and Co-Founder of Uplimit, an AI learning platform helping companies equip their talent with the skills of tomorrow. She previously was a Partner at GSV Ventures, where she invested and partnered with some of the most innovative entrepreneurs in edtech. Prior to GSV, Julia was one of the first hires at Coursera and led many groundbreaking initiatives, mostly notably as Vice President of Enterprise, where she founded and led Coursera's enterprise business, growing it from concept to over 1400 organizations across the globe.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and guest host Claire Zau of GSV Ventures as they unpack a huge week for AI in education, major edtech mergers, and new funding opportunities.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:00:00] Claire Zau on AI tutor memory, personalization, and data contamination risks[00:01:58] Google Guided Learning Mode vs OpenAI Study Mode – Socratic AI tools compared[00:14:07] Google Classroom integration and the personalization edge from LMS data[00:15:16] Instructure and OpenAI partnership as a counter to Google's advantages[00:25:20] GSV Summit and BETT merge to create the world's largest edtech events network[00:27:35] Acquisition roundup: Curriculum Associates, Top Hat, Alpha School, Torch[00:31:44] VR and AI content creation with Praxis Labs, Torch, and Google Genie 3Plus, special guests:[00:34:04] Derwin Sisnett, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Cambiar Education and CEO of Adaptive Commons on Cambiar Education's Thrive Big Ideas Challenge[00:54:39] Dr. Alan Bekker, Co-Founder and CEO of eSelf AI on scaling AI English tutors in Israel and building guardrails[01:15:22] Andrea Pasinetti, Co-Founder and CEO of Kira on Kira Learning's approach to AI-powered STEM education

Send us a textAmir Nathoo is CEO of Outschool, a marketplace for live online classes for K-12 learners, and an advocate for expanding education access.  Previously, he led product development at Square and co-founded Trigger.io, a platform for creating native mobile apps. Amir holds an MEng in Electrical and Information Sciences from The University of Cambridge and lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.Justin Dent is the founding Executive Director of Outschool.org. Justin was previously the Founder and Executive Director of Ethos, a nonprofit that provided career education to 18,000 low-income, first generation, or minority students annually. An active voice in the dialogue around education equity, Justin's writing has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and he's appeared on Fox Business, CNBC and Cheddar.

Send us a textKaty Knight is President and Executive Director of Siegel Family Endowment, where she leads bold, systems-focused philanthropy at the intersection of technology and society. Since 2017, she has advanced equity, flexible funding, and inquiry-driven grantmaking grounded in the scientific method, and centered on reframing big questions and learning alongside grant investments. Dr. Allison Scott is CEO of the Kapor Foundation, leading work at the intersection of racial justice and technology. She drives research, programs, and advocacy to expand equity in tech and entrepreneurship. A national PI on major CS equity grants, she also co-leads CSforCA, advancing access to K-12 computer science across California.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down a pivotal week in EdTech, from AI breakthroughs to Roblox's education push and the future of personalized learning.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:00:33] Quizlet report shows 85% of students and nearly 90% of teachers using AI, with different adoption patterns.[00:02:24] International Math Olympiad highlights AI's reasoning advances, earning a gold medal and raising assessment questions.[00:11:16] OpenAI agents and AI-native browsers signal a major shift in tech workflows and task automation.[00:16:58] Roblox launches a centralized learning hub featuring educational games from Google, Sesame, and others.[00:20:55] Pearson unveils an AI and XR innovation lab, sparking debate on whether incumbents can truly innovate.[00:29:13] U.S. Department of Education outlines new AI funding priorities for instruction, tutoring, and career navigation.[00:36:12] Preply challenges Duolingo with “Better Duo” campaign, framing human vs. AI tutoring as a key market battle.[00:37:31] McGraw Hill IPO and new funding rounds for Honor Education and Galaxy Education mark a busy week in EdTech finance.Plus, special guests:[00:39:50] Brad Carson, President of Americans for Responsible Innovation on AI policy and its impact on education.[01:04:44] Ryan Trattner, CTO and Co-Founder of StudyFetch on personalized learning tools and their rapid user growth.

Send us a textVijay Thakkar is a visionary entrepreneur, educator, and the CEO & Co-founder of FotonVR. He's transforming the way children learn by bringing immersive Virtual Reality experiences into classrooms around the world. With a deep passion for innovation in education, Vijay has pioneered immersive Virtual Reality solutions designed specifically for school learning. Nisha Panchal is the Head of Global Business Development at fotonVR. With a strong focus on international business development and global expansion, Nisha plays a pivotal role in bringing fotonVR's innovative classroom technology to schools across the world.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Claire Zau, a Partner and AI Lead at GSV Ventures as they explores the latest developments in education technology, from AI agents to teacher co-pilots, talent wars, and shifts in global AI strategies. ✨ Episode Highlights [00:00:00] AI teacher co-pilots evolve into agentic workflows.[00:02:15] OpenAI launches ChatGPT Agent for autonomous tasks.[00:04:24] Meta, Google, and OpenAI escalate AI talent wars.[00:07:38] Privacy guardrails emerge for AI agent actions.[00:10:20] ChatGPT pilots “Study Together” learning mode.[00:14:40] Teens use AI as companions, sparking debate.[00:19:58] AI multiplies both positive and negative behaviors.[00:29:11] Windsurf acquisition saga shows coding disruption.[00:37:18] Teacher AI tools gain value through workflow data.[00:42:48] DeepMind's rise positions Demis Hassabis as key leader.[00:45:32] Google offers free Gemini AI plan to Indian students.[00:49:39] Meta builds massive AI data centers for digital labor. Plus, special guests: [00:52:42] Matthew Gasda, a writer and director, on how educators can rethink writing and grading in the AI era. [01:13:30] Marc Graham, founder of Spark Education AI, on using AI to personalize reading and engage reluctant readers.

Send us a textTammy Wincup has served for over 25 years as a business executive at the intersection of technology and education. Tammy is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Securly, the leading digital safety and wellness company serving over 22,000 K-12 schools globally to keep students safe, secure, and ready to learn. Before Securly, Tammy was a partner at Rethink Education, an impact venture fund investing in global education technology. For almost a decade, Tammy was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at EVERFI, a leading education technology company. She also served as the President of Revolution Foods and the Founding President of Protocol, a media company covering the intersection of technology and policy.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI showdowns to immersive learning pilots and funding updates.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:02:00] OpenAI announces $28M K-12 AI training initiative with AFT, UFT, and Microsoft[00:04:34] Gallup-Walton poll reveals 68% of teachers lack AI training despite high usage[00:07:11] OpenAI takes a bottom-up approach as teachers criticize Google's AI rollout[00:23:41] Meta forms Superintelligence Labs, aggressively hiring AI talent across the industry[00:36:17] Senate blocks AI regulation ban, states retain power to legislate AI in education[00:37:31] Higher Ground Education files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, prompting edtech funding debate[00:42:05] Honor Education raises $38M to enhance asynchronous social learning[00:42:45] Teaching Lab merges with Relay Graduate School of Education to scale AI-aligned PDPlus, special guests:[00:44:17] Josh Reibel, CEO of Dreamscape Learn and Dr. Jennifer Cruz, Superintendent of the Pendergast Elementary School District discuss VR and immersive learning with Dreamscape Learn[01:46:15] Eduaide.Ai founders Thomas Thompson and Thomas Hummel on empowering teacherpreneurs with AI

Send us a textIn this special episode, we speak with the founder of Edthena and five outstanding educators who were honored as 2025 Teacher Leader Impact Award winners. Each guest shares how they're shaping the future of professional learning, using technology in smart and supportive ways, and leading from the classroom and beyond.

Send us a textSam Whitaker is the Senior Director of Social Impact and Institutional Development at StudyFetch, an all-encompassing AI learning platform for students. His primary focuses are bringing advanced AI education to underserved communities around the world and developing safe and responsible K-12 AI solutions.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell with guest Jacob Kantor as they explore a transformative Week-in-Edtech, from Google's AI-powered classroom revolution to major political shifts affecting schools nationwide.Episode Highlights:[00:03:17] Google launches 50 AI tools for educators through Classroom and Gemini[00:05:47] Startup funding threatened as Google expands free AI features[00:13:41] Google solidifies K-12 dominance, pushing out AI competitors[00:24:51] OpenAI and Microsoft fund new AI training hub for 400,000 teachers[00:33:22] Survey finds 60% of teachers using AI, saving nearly 6 hours per week [00:36:22] Federal government freezes $6B in school funding, including EL programs[00:38:17] ICE raids linked to 30% rise in school absences among Latino students[00:43:32] Families turning to private edtech as school trust declines[00:46:49] ISTE highlights include Amplify, Brisk, Quizziz rebrand, Meta's school mode[00:50:34] Edtech Insiders WhatsApp group emerges as top source for breaking newsPlus, special guests:[00:51:36] Matt Dalio, Founder of Endless Studios on teaching real-world skills through student-designed video games[00:53:56] Anne Trumbore, author of The Teacher in the Machine, on AI, learning platforms, and the future of teaching

Send us a textMatt Miller is the CEO and Co-Founder of OKO Labs, an innovative EdTech company developing human-centric, pro-social AI to power collaborative learning in K-12 classrooms. With a background as CTO and VP of Labs at Amplify Education and VP of Product at Flatiron School, Matt brings deep technical expertise and a passion for leveraging technology to solve real-world educational challenges. Holding BS and MS degrees in Computer Science and Intelligent Systems from Columbia University, Matt co-founded OKO in 2020 to address the critical need for scalable, engaging, and equitable small-group learning solutions, starting with a focus on math intervention. He leads OKO's mission to foster not only academic growth but also essential skills like teamwork and communication, driven by a commitment to evidence-based practices and rigorous R&D. 

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell for a thought-provoking summer edition of Week in Edtech, featuring headline debates on AI in education, a rare look into PBS KIDS' funding crisis, and grassroots innovation in ocean learning from Ecuador.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:03:16] MIT study raises alarms about AI's impact on student thinking[00:07:42] AI cheating scandal hits national debate championships[00:12:33] Teachers vent frustration as AI disrupts classroom dynamics[00:14:45] Educators face a crossroads: ban AI or embrace it as a teaching toolPlus, special guests:[00:19:09] Sarah DeWitt, SVP & General Manager of PBS KIDS, on funding cuts, educational media, and AI experiments in public broadcasting[00:41:38] José Francisco Ochoa Ordóñez, Co-founder of Academia del Oceano, on democratizing ocean education through hybrid EdTech in Latin America

Send us a textJerome Pesenti is the founder of Sizzle AI, an AI-for-learning company whose mission is to make learning amazing for everyone. Jerome has worked in AI for the past 25 years, including as VP of AI at Meta, co-CEO of BenevolentAI, VP at IBM Watson, and co-founder of Vivisimo (sold to IBM).

Send us a textFor this Week in EdTech Part 2, Alex Sarlin interviews two visionary founders tackling early education and classroom AI from the ground up—with a focus on teacher support, inclusive innovation, and practical AI implementation.[00:02:12] Yesi Sevilla, CEO of CHALK on why early education must start with supporting teachers[00:30:55] Ed Buckley and Marlee Strawn, Co-founders of Scholar Education on how AI-powered dog bots support students and teachers

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Matt Tower as they explore the evolving edtech landscape—from rising AI use to old-school solutions for modern challenges.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:00:20] Banning AI boosts student engagement and brings back handwritten assessments[00:03:23] Gallup finds AI use in the workplace has doubled in two years[00:06:15] OpenAI's college push sparks backlash over trust and cheating concerns[00:09:30] Professors turn to blue books and flipped classrooms to fight AI plagiarism[00:13:20] Meta's $15B investment in Scale AI reshapes the AI training data market[00:21:40] Poor sleep linked to tech use and lower student performance, says new data[00:29:01] Study finds most students rely on parents for post-high school plans—and parents don't know the options➡️ Go to Part 2 to listen to the guest interviews this week

Send us a textEric Swanson currently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Practice and Instructional Products at Renaissance Learning. In this capacity, he works with educators, technologists, and researchers to build best-in-class practice products and experiences that improve academic outcomes for students and educators. Working with the Renaissance Next, myON, Accelerated Reader, Lalilo, and Freckle teams, as well as our Math and Literacy product portfolios and new product ventures, Eric ensures the practice and instruction product strategy, roadmaps, and Go- to-Market activities fit within Renaissance and with our customers' needs.Storey Sitwala is Senior Director of Product Management at Renaissance. Throughout her career, she has focused on the challenge of how to scale insight-driven best practices for educators. She has spearheaded and developed innovative solutions across education nonprofits, school systems, and within the education technology sector, leveraging her expertise in information science, data visualization, psychology, and user experience design.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs to high-stakes funding rounds and institutional shifts in AI strategy.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:02:45] OpenAI's $10B Annual Run Rate: ChatGPT drives unprecedented growth[00:05:12] Anthropic CEO criticizes proposed 10-year ban on state AI regulation[00:08:04] Google.org Accelerator: New cohort tackling generative AI for good[00:10:17] News Sites Struggle as Google AI Summarizes Content[00:13:33] Zuckerberg's Meta Bets Big: $14B stake in Scale AI and ‘Superintelligence' team[00:17:02] Microsoft's Plan to Rank AI Models by Safety[00:19:20] Apple Research Paper Questions AI's Reasoning Power[00:21:46] Harvard Gets Backing in DEI Lawsuit from Ivies, Alumni[00:24:09] Education Secretary Suggests Harvard May Regain Federal Grants[00:26:48] Ohio State Requires AI Fluency Across All Students[00:30:20] IXL Learning Acquires MyTutor to Expand Global Tutoring Reach[00:32:55] CodeHS Acquires Tynker to Bolster K-12 CS Content[00:35:30] Grammarly Secures $1B in Non-Dilutive Funding for M&APlus, special guests:[00:38:12] Rod Danan, Founder of Prentus, on bridging bootcamps to careers with community and coaching[00:46:10] Lars-Petter Kjos, Co-founder and CPO of We Are Learning, on building generative AI tools for educators to create custom video content at scale

Send us a textDr. Mike McKenna is the Senior Advisor at Tuck Advisors and also serves as the Chief Academic Officer for one of the largest school districts in Pennsylvania.  With deep expertise in curriculum development, special education, and teaching and learning, Mike brings a proven track record of building inclusive, high-impact academic programs. In addition to his work in K-12 education, Mike has extensive experience in higher education and has also served as an advisory board member for multiple edtech startups and non-profits.  At Tuck Advisors, Mike applies his diverse expertise to support education-focused M&A.

Send us a textJuan Zavala joined New Markets Venture Partners in 2019 and is a Partner. He is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing new investment opportunities as well as supporting existing portfolio companies and firm operations. He serves as a Board Director for Brains and Motion Education, Nexford University, and CreatorUp, and as a Board Observer for App Academy, BetterLesson, Censia, Climb Credit, Concentric Educational Solutions, Datapeople, Motimatic, and Regent Education. He is also actively involved with Mantra Health and Acceleration Academies. 

Send us a textDr. Margaret Honey joined the Scratch Foundation as the organization's President & CEO in January 2024. She is widely recognized for her work using digital technologies to support children's learning and brings decades of non-profit leadership experience and expertise to the Scratch Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Honey led the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) for 15 years, where she leveraged the museum as a platform for innovation in STEM education and developed NYSCI's distinctive Design-Make-Play approach to STEM learning. A graduate of Hampshire College with a doctorate in developmental psychology from Columbia University, Margaret Honey has helped to shape the best thinking about learning and technology with special attention to ensuring that all young people have access to high-quality creative learning opportunities.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs to new VC investments and edtech reports.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:02:10] Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn says AI is more scalable than teachers, sparking debate on the future of educators[00:10:45] Google I/O 2025 introduces Gemini 2.5, Project Astra, and real-time AI translation with broad implications for edtech[00:18:30] OpenAI launches Codex, a cloud-based AI assistant transforming coding education and developer workflowsPlus, special guests:[00:33:40] Senan Khawaja, Co-founder & CEO at Kollegio, on using AI to reimagine and personalize the college admissions process[00:51:04] Rebecca Taber Staehelin & Connor Diemand-Yauman, Co-Founders & Co-CEOs of Merit America on bridging the skills gap with affordable tech career pathways

Send us a textDavid Bleicher is the Co-Founder and CEO of Jotit, a company on a mission to bring handwriting back to the forefront of education in the digital age. By blending proven learning methods with advanced technologies, Jotit enhances student outcomes and executive functioning in the classroom.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI in classrooms to workforce shifts and EdTech innovation across the globe.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:03:16] Ezra Klein podcast brings AI and education to mainstream conversation[00:07:20] Alex and Ben compare and critique GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and other AI tools[00:09:28] Utah emerges as a leading hub for EdTech startups and innovation[00:12:21] New AI bundles help educators explore tools like Superhuman and Perplexity[00:13:19] Surge in media coverage on cheating, lawsuits, and educator use of AI[00:16:17] Lawsuit filed against professor for using AI-generated content in class[00:18:00] Concerns grow about students using AI tools to bypass cognitive learning[00:23:10] Direct-to-student AI sparks debate about academic integrity and design[00:25:20] Google plans to roll out Gemini to students under 13[00:29:41] AI enables hands-on science learning like virtual frog dissections[00:33:43] AI compared to electricity as foundational infrastructure for the future[00:36:09] Rising youth unemployment signals early impact of AI-driven disruption[00:38:57] Major firms lay off workers while shifting strategy toward AI adoption[00:40:34] EdTech must define and prepare students for new AI-native job rolesPlus, special guest:[00:41:22] Sam Chaudhary, Co-founder & CEO of ClassDojo on tutoring, gamified learning, and community building

Send us a textThis is a very special episode featuring our sponsor, Starbridge. Justin Wenig, Founder and CEO of Starbridge, joins us to discuss how school spending creates barriers to EdTech innovation. Justin previously co-founded Coursedog, scaling it to over 300 institutions and a nine-figure exit. With Starbridge, he's now helping EdTech businesses navigate public sector procurement using AI to identify and close their best-fit leads.

Send us a textMacKenzie Price is a Stanford grad, mom of two, and the Co-Founder of 2 Hour Learning - a revolutionary learning platform that harnesses the power of AI to give kids a 1:1 personalized learning experience. Her students excel in academics while spending most of their day learning life skills that set them up for future success. She founded the first Alpha School ten years ago in Austin, Texas and now has eight schools, with others opening in the fall.

Send us a textJoin hosts Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs and policy shakeups to new funding rounds and workforce shifts shaping the future of learning.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:00:00] Silicon Valley debates the rise of “AI Slop” and the impact of vibe coding.[00:03:36] Columbia student suspended for AI cheating tool raises $5.3M to commercialize it.[00:04:56] Anthropic's Drew Bent explains why code literacy now means editing AI-generated code.[00:08:09] 200 CEOs and Code.org push for mandatory AI classes in high school.[00:11:13] Federal government's role in AI education policy under debate.[00:14:04] Duolingo plans to replace contract workers with AI, triggering backlash.[00:20:42] Higher ed faces political attacks; Harvard and Columbia push back.[00:23:32] K-12 faces teacher shortages and $4.5B in proposed federal funding cuts.[00:35:21] Google's AI Overviews cut search click-through rates by 34.5%.Plus, special guests:[00:36:08] Brian Malkin, Co-Founder & CEO of Rang, on rewards programs to improve K-12 attendance.[00:50:29] John Marshall, CEO of BrainFreeze, on AI safety and transparency in schools.[01:12:31] Scott Nadzan, Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategic Communications at Panopto, on AI-generated video and the Elai acquisition.

Send us a textMike Yates is a Senior Designer at Teach for America's Reinvention Lab, with over a decade of experience at the intersection of technology and learning. A former classroom teacher and founding member of Alpha School, he now leads the Lab's AI initiatives, creating workshops, coaching educators, and prototyping innovative AI solutions. Mike has built partnerships with organizations like Playlab AI, Google, and Snapchat, and remains dedicated to helping educators navigate the future of learning through practical, human-centered approaches.

Send us a textJoin host Alex Sarlin alongside special guest co-hosts Ben Wallerstein and Anna Kimsey Edwards, Co-Founders of Whiteboard Advisors, as they break down:[00:03:00] Trump's AI Executive Order launches cross-agency education task force[00:05:00] 27 states already advancing AI education policy[00:07:00] Workforce EO targets 1M AI-related apprenticeships[00:10:00] Accreditation EO pushes competition and student outcomes[00:14:00] “Beyond Degrees” report urges non-degree pathways[00:21:00] Edtech funding hits record low in Q1 and Q2, says HolonIQ[00:23:00] ESSER cliff and political uncertainty stall school spending[00:28:00] Falling enrollment squeezes K-12 budgets nationwide[00:30:00] Duolingo adds 150 AI-generated cross-language courses[00:30:45] Google Audio Overview now available in 50 languages[00:31:00] Panorama acquires AI writing tool Class Companion, Kollegio raises seed round for AI college advising[00:32:30] Anthropic forecasts AI-only employees within a year[00:36:00] Israel announces national rollout of AI tutors in schoolsPlus, special guests:[00:36:45] Anna Iarotska, CEO & Co-founder of Robo Wunderkind, unveils the first K–5 AI Literacy Curriculum[00:50:55] Julia Dixon, Founder & CEO of ESAI, reflects on her Shark Tank debut and democratizing admissions advising[01:02:00] Tigran Sloyan, Co-Founder & CEO of CodeSignal, shares how TED Talks are becoming interactive learning journeys