Jadd Martinez joined Amergis Educational Staffing in 2003 and has spent the majority of his career in educational staffing. With a focus on consultation and collaboration, Jadd helped Amergis expand from a handful of markets with a singular offering, to a widely diversified, nationwide leader in the K-12 staffing industry. Jadd has a passion for education, and with a young daughter approaching school age, he'll be spending much more time in the classroom!

More than 17 million people globally are living with Cerebral Palsy (CP), making it the most common lifelong physical disability. Yet, it has been historically overlooked and underfunded. Few people are aware of the impact access to early detection can have on patient lives.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Ireland, backed by $12.5 million from notable donors, including John and Patrick Collison, Rachel is combining the worlds of health and tech. CPF will collaborate with universities and healthcare institutions to pilot and implement crucial research areas, paving the way for nationwide advancements in CP care.

In this episode Dr. Berger and Rachel look at:

The critical role of early intervention in improving outcomes for people with brain injuries like CP.

Steps she's taking to increase awareness and support for CP public policy, research, and investments on a global scale.

The Foundation's approach to investing in research to inform implementation.

Rachel Byrne is the Executive Director at the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. She has been working in the field of pediatric rehabilitation and cerebral palsy research for over a decade. Rachel has a background in physical therapy, with a particular interest in neuroplasticity and motor learning. Her early career as a clinician delivering physical therapy services in schools, hospitals and private practice is underpinned by her research interests focused on knowledge translation and the impact on a person’s ability to participate in the community across the lifespan.

At the Foundation, she has continued her research interest in evidence-based practice, knowledge translation, early detection and interventions across the lifespan and population studies for cerebral palsy. Rachel was instrumental in developing the Just Say Hi inclusion curriculum which is now being taught nationally. In the last 12 years she has given multiple presentations at international conferences and managed large multisite research projects.

"A valuable reassessment of America's educational system." —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

What if you didn't have to go to college?

You may have heard that a college degree is the only path to success. But many college graduates end up mired in debt and underemployed, working jobs that don't even require a degree. The good news? Many promising career options exist for those who don't want to or can't attend college.

In Rethinking College, award-winning journalist Karin Klein sets out a new path for our country's students and their families. Klein examines why the traditional college-for-all model has been overhyped and is growing less relevant, then shares practical advice and real-world examples of exactly how others have succeeded without a four-year degree.

Discover many alternative paths, including white-collar apprenticeships, certificate programs, entrepreneurship, creative careers, residential public-service work, and more.

Klein will guide you step-by-step toward a broad range of fulfilling and well-paid careers that don't require a degree—ranging from pilots, costume designers, influencers, writers, computer programmers, corporate headhunters, film editors, and so many more. The breadth of possibilities is wider than you think!

Rethinking College is perfect for:

• Those who are unsure of their next education or career steps.
• Those looking to make a job pivot.
• Parents seeking guidance for their child.
• School counselors who want to offer their students more and better options.

The tools designed by Chirag & Dr. Starner were widely used by the College of Computing as they scaled up their Online Masters in Computer Science and became critical to instruction during the pandemic.

In 2021, Chirag founded Instructify to build a robust commercial offering of these tools, assist institutes of all sizes in transitioning to online education, and leverage advances in artificial intelligence.

Instructify's noted technology, TALIA (Teaching and Learning Intelligent Assistant), helps students manage large courses by answering student queries in preferred discussion boards.

Chirag continues to answer the technology 'bell' with practical solutions. If the past is a predictor of the future...Chirag is just scratching the surface of what's to come. Chirag is an entrepreneur in the truest sense - a thoughtful problem solver who isn't afraid of digging into the unknown to find solutions for all.

Welcome to "On Balance," the podcast where we delve into the world of education, technology, and entrepreneurship through inspiring and insightful conversations. I'm your host, Dr. Rod Berger, and in this episode, we are thrilled to feature the co-founders of Hilight, Claire Smith and Krissy Taft.

Today, we uncover the fascinating journeys of Claire and Krissy as they navigate the challenges and triumphs of being women in the tech industry. Claire shares her experiences overcoming isolation and self-doubt, while Krissy reveals her evolving passion for computer science and her mission to encourage young girls to explore STEM fields. Together, they discuss the subtle barriers that dissuade girls from STEM and the innovative ways they are working to change that narrative.

We'll delve into the evolution of their company, Hilight, a powerful tool designed to recognize and amplify the efforts of teachers and school communities. Claire and Krissy also discuss how data and AI can provide valuable insights for school leaders, making a substantial impact on school culture and morale.

With their unique blend of confidence and humility, our guests emphasize the importance of finding one’s voice and maintaining balance as entrepreneurs. Join us as we celebrate their commitment to making a difference, their well-deserved recognitions, and their ongoing journey to support and inspire the next generation. This is an episode you won't want to miss

Timestamps

00:00 Passionate founders of education tech startup Hilight.

05:03 Loves career switch and parallels in industries.

07:30 Technology simplifies innovation, focuses on essential.

12:42 Analyzing challenges, integrating technology, and its magic.

14:29 Aligning core values to school mission's effectiveness.

17:31 Excited about data and potential for AI.

23:44 Chrissy overcame obstacles in tech industry.

25:41 Supporting girls in education and sports strong.

29:48 CEO roles, brand association, finding voice development.

31:40 Overcome pressure with confidence and humility.

34:23 Closing chapter of "On Balance"

Connect with Claire Smith 

Website: https://www.hilightedu.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-margaret-smith/

Connect with Krissy Taft

Website: https://www.hilightedu.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krissy-taft/

Drawing on his background in education advocacy, Vance shares his vision for NAM and how it will benefit clients who want a meaningful role in shaping education policy. NAM is designed to provide education companies with a tailored, data-driven approach to navigating the complexities of state-specific policies. Vance explains how NAM stands out by offering a comprehensive, personalized strategy, ensuring clients can effectively cut through the noise and achieve meaningful results. By leveraging a dedicated team and advanced data insights, NAM aligns client needs with broader national education campaigns, offering strategic guidance and foresight in an ever-evolving market.

Join us as Vance details the unique challenges education companies face today and how NAM's innovative approach can help them thrive. Discover the strategic vision behind NAM and how it sets a new standard for advocacy in the education sector.

Giery, below, aptly describes his initial challenges and the path to personal and professional redemption, culminating in several accolades and inclusion in a newly released book, From Start to Success: 40 Stories of Successful C-Suite Executives. Giery's chapter, An Early Education In Business Drives Success, delivers a raw commentary on the intangibles required to motivate oneself and inspire teams across disciplines. A personal recollection steeped in practical and thought-provoking prose inspires the reader to tackle entrepreneurship with authenticity and vigor. This is truly a special episode through the experiences and stories of a leader who is just getting started.

Get a taste of the interview through Giery's own voice below!

Adam Giery, in his own words: I was prescribed a lifetime diagnosis of underachievement as a child. However, educators and my mother had other plans. This experience and the education system in my community positively altered the trajectory of my life. I now dedicate my energy, profession, and investments to the continued evolution of the education system that has provided much for me.

As a former classroom teacher, I believe in exploring and driving education innovation with practical applications to create an inclusive education ecosystem. Advancing education organizations and policies to impact student growth meaningfully has become my life’s work.

I presently serve as Managing Partner of Strategos Group, accelerating organizations poised to disrupt and transform the field of K-20 education. With a team of former superintendents, educators, and legislators, we advise Fortune 500 companies, private equity, EdTech startups, venture capitalists, and philanthropic organizations on strategic growth initiatives. Our mission is to discover and support organizations committed to delivering exceptional educational outcomes.

I am proud to be an education advocate first and an entrepreneur second. I enjoy big laughs, making wine, and, if I’m lucky, playing a few holes of golf when time allows.

Launched in March 2015 by Joanna, Carolyn Yashari Becher, and Janelle McGlothlin, the company has completed tens of thousands of trips and received $3.9 million in seed funding.

Outschool is an innovative education platform that offers a variety of engaging, small-group classes online. Unlike traditional classes, Outschool classes give kids the unique opportunity to explore their interests in-depth via interactive, live video by experienced, independent educators.

When Outschool was founded in 2015, homeschoolers were the first to discover our classes, but it wasn’t long before kids in conventional schools began supplementing their education with fun and unique, interest-based classes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Outschool became vital to families who wanted to keep kids learning, social, and pursuing their passions.

Today, Outschool offers more than 140,000 live online classes to more than 1,000,000 learners in 183 countries worldwide.

Our first episode is an On Balance special with host and Strategos Senior Advisor Dr. Rod Berger and Autumn Rivera, a sixth-grade science teacher, 2022 Colorado Teacher of the Year, and 2023 Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) Educator of the Year! 

Learn about Autumn's unique teaching approach and her students' special project that saved a local lake and turned it into a state park!

Kathleen has held senior positions with the National Audubon Society, the Environmental Law Institute, and two U.S. Olympic Organizing Committees. She has also worked for Garth Associates in New York City and the Beveridge & Diamond law firm, where she developed a white-collar environmental crime defense practice. Kathleen was editor-in-chief of the University of California at Davis Law Review, and clerked for the Honorable John Pratt at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She also worked with the U.S. Delegation at the United Nations Conference on Women.

During her tenure as Chief Wildlife Counsel for the National Audubon Society, Kathleen directed several programs, including its international trade, migratory species, and biodiversity policy initiatives. While with National Audubon, Kathleen was Environmental Representative on the United States Delegation Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). She was also responsible for bringing the first citizen complaint before the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, the tri-national agency formed to oversee North American environmental issues.

Kathleen Rogers has received numerous awards. She was named one of 2010’s top working mothers by Working Mother magazine. She has also been featured as Power Player of the Week on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. Most recently, Kathleen was awarded the Luminary award by Womensphere and the Urban Zen Foundation, given to women who are inspirations in their fields. Kathleen is an official voting member of Greenpeace and a board member of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Under Kathleen's leadership, Earth Day Network has developed a significant role in advancing the new green economy and has emerged as a dynamic year-round policy and activist organization. Earth Day Network now reaches into 192 countries, embraces new constituencies - including youth and people of color - and integrates civic participation into each of Earth Day Network’s programs and activities.

Sayer also worked as an intelligence officer and a product manager founded an EdTech company (with Catalin) and built a mini-golf course in Cambodia. Tom graduated from Cambridge University with first-class honors in maths and psychology and has an MBA and MA (Education) from Stanford. He has won the Lamor prize at Cambridge, the Queen’s medal at Sandhurst, the Intelligence top student award, and was a Siebel Scholar at the GSB. He loves running and rugby and lives with his wife and two children outside New York City.‍

Favorite Children’s Book: Little Blue Truck

With more than 25 years of entrepreneurial experience, Victor has a proven track record of building and leading teams to a shared vision and has worked with numerous financial and consumer brands, including Wells Fargo Bank, American Express, Nike, LEGO, Indian Motorcycle, and Jamba Juice. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from the University of Southern California.

During his University years in NY, Friedman worked weekends with special ed children planning programs, which made him want to go from the business world to being a teacher. After teaching for several years after college, he decided to move to Israel, which, being a start-up nation, led him to combine his love of the classroom and education with his business skills and start a company in the education and web conferencing integration space. 

During that time, Dov's product was able to enable millions of teachers and students globally, especially during the pandemic, to easily and seamlessly manage their web conferencing from the LMS, which helped ease the online learning process for them. 

(fun fact- our product was one of the first partners with Zoom, and we used to talk to Eric directly when Zoom had less than 30 employees)

After almost 10 years, last year, he decided to move on to Sibme as their VP of partnerships and sales. 

At Sibme our software enables remote professional development, based on video and AI evidence to improve teaching and coaching skills. 

Our platform enables districts of all sizes to scale their coaching, not only via our AI based software, but also by utilizing our platform with our virtual coaching services. 

Sibme has 100'000's of  users, 100's of customers and is in school districts of all sizes across the country. 

Dov lives in Israel, with his wife Dr. Abby Kra-Friedman, who is a certified nurse midwife, and head of undergraduate women's health nursing- at the Henrietta Szold Hadassah School of Nursing at the faculty of medicine at Hebrew University, and his 6 children. 

Dov loves seeing and touring the country, traveling for pleasure and work, coaching and playing baseball, as well as anything that has to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  

Pavkovic has her master’s in clinical psychology and has trained in both psychotherapy and coaching. She has lived in nine different countries and is a sought-after public speaker, thought leader, and media expert who has spoken at conferences like TEDx in Singapore, Human After All in New York City, and HUMANITECH, the first virtual digital wellness conference that she both organized and moderated.

HMH recently released its Educator Confidence Report which showed teachers rated their confidence in the profession at a 42 out of 100 (slightly up from its lowest point in 2022). Part two of the report showed that teachers’ basic needs remain unmet, and they’re looking for more well-being support to get them through the school year.

Francie’s background is grounded in the classroom, as she taught students from kindergarten all the way through college. Her experience in the classroom, along with her current role at HMH, gives her a unique perspective on the state of teacher burnout.

As Chief Learning Officer at Begin, Jody is responsible for leading HOMER’s team of learning design experts to craft an innovative, playful learning curriculum and provide data-driven insights for parents. With over a decade of experience in the children’s media and early learning space, Jody has overseen the development of countless award-winning, play-to-learn products and experiences... She has worked with some of the world’s best-known ed-tech, children’s media, and toy companies, including roles at LeapFrog, VTech, KidKraft, and Mattel, where she has continually advocated the importance of learning through play.

About Begin

• Begin is a platform of hands-on and digital products for families and children ages 2-10.
• Begin is the only early learning solution that addresses all core skills that will prepare young kids to succeed and provides guidance to parents along the way.
• Begin champions kids as individuals first, supporting them as they discover their passions, build new skills, and deepen their love of learning.
• Begin also empowers parents to nurture crucial skills during key developmental stages and acts as a partner to parents every step of the way.

Begin's work Sesame Workshop

• Sesame and Begin developed research-backed digital resources designed to sit at the intersection of the skills children need to thrive and the skills that parents care most about.
• This expansion marks the second of three phases of the partnership, adding to Learn with Sesame Street’s robust suite of developmentally appropriate content for children 2+ years of age.
• This expansion deepens young children’s learning experiences by focusing on social skills like friendship and social problem-solving, emotional literacy, and emotion skills such as identifying, naming, and managing big feelings.
• The program offering is unique in that it serves the whole family through content and tools for children, parents, and other family members and caregivers –– providing each with personalized support to navigate social and emotional development in this critical stage of children's lives.
• The app update includes:
• 30 ad-free interactive videos, stories, games, and songs for children that feature beloved Sesame characters. Elmo and Abby dive into topics like identifying emotions, managing, and regulating feelings and navigating social spaces.
• Begin’s Grown-Up Guide provides child calming strategies, tactics to help children understand empathy and tools to encourage self-expression.

Ben joined the New England Innovation Academy (NEIA) from The International Montessori School of Beijing in Beijing, China. Prior to that, he was the Dean of Students and Director of Leadership Education at the Webb Schools in California, worked in residential life at Bowdoin College, and earlier in his career, worked in admission at the Thacher School in California. Ben received his M.A. in Higher and Post-Secondary Education from Teachers College-Columbia University in New York and completed Graduate Coursework in Cross-Cultural Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation at the School for International Training in Vermont.

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS)

Nina Rees is the president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. Prior to joining the National Alliance, Nina spent 20 years shaping education policy in the public and private sectors. She served as the first Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education. Before moving to the Education Department, Nina worked in the White House as Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy to the Vice President of the United States. A native of Iran who immigrated to America at the age of 14, Nina earned her undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech and a master’s degree at George Mason University. She now lives in McLean, Virginia, with her husband and daughter.

Daybreak Health partners with school districts to provide personalized mental health support to empower each student to be successful—in school and life. As the leading school-based teletherapy provider, Daybreak’s programs are designed to give students access to high-quality, affordable, and culturally competent care to meet their unique needs. Our evidence-based model treats students to a place of concrete improvement to drive academic outcomes like better grades, higher attendance, and behavioral improvements. To learn more about Daybreak’s school-based mental health programs, visit daybreakhealth.com. Daybreak currently partners with over 60 districts across the U.S., with clinicians specializing across 26 different mental health conditions and 13 modalities of care, speak 8 languages, 74% report as BIPOC, and 14% as members of the LGTBQ+ community. Daybreak continues to make noise in the business world as well, being named by Business Insider as one of the 25 most promising Edtech startups of 2023.

For over two decades, Ana has focused on helping students discover practical solutions to promote purposeful learning. Her prescriptive solutions encourage better executive functioning skills, effectively address the culture of teen perfectionism, and provide real-life advice on how to navigate social media and technology overwhelm in an always-on digital world. Her sensible perspective is real, relevant, and adored by parents, educators, and students around the world.

Aaron is a national leader in the education, out-of-school time (OST) and youth development fields. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), which works to ensure all young people in America, but especially the most vulnerable, can access and afford a high-quality summer learning experience every year. Aaron oversees NSLA’s support to their network of 15,000 program partners and leaders in the areas of Program Quality, Partnerships, Policy, Public Awareness and Leadership Development. Prior to NSLA, he served as President of the After-School All-Stars National Network, a non-profit organization providing free afterschool and summer programs to 90,000 low-income students in more than 450 Title I schools in 20 major cities across the U.S. Previously, he founded and directed Hoops & Leaders, an award-winning, grassroots youth mentoring and leadership program for low-income boys in New York City. He is a member of the American Camp Association National Board and a graduate of Tufts University, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and the Coro Fellowship and Leadership Greater Washington. He resides in Washington DC with his wife Lauren and two children.

Through her collaboration with the brilliant Allison Zmuda, Heidi has become fascinated by the possibilities storyboarding offers to streamline curriculum and increase student-facing engagement. Jacobs and Berger dive into her latest book, with Zmuda, entitled 'Streamlining Curriculum: Using the Storyboard Approach to Frame Compelling Learning Journeys.'

Jacobs has consulted with groups ranging from international, national, state, and provincial education departments, professional organizations such as ASCD, NAESP, Learning Forward, the European Council of International Schools, the Near East School Association, the College Board, ADK International Sino-Canadian Schools in China, New Zealand’s Learning Network, the Kennedy Center, the Peace Corps World Wise Schools, Carnegie Hall, Australia’s EduTech, and the United Nations Council on Teaching about the UN, the Near East School Association, the International Baccalaureate, the NY State Higher Education Commission, the CCSSO workgroup on Global Competencies, and AASA’s Collaborative Project focused on innovation. In 2014 she received the MAIS International Educator Award in Seville, Spain.

Driven by research that shows a child's first eight years form a critical foundation for success in school and in life, Teaching Strategies has been an advocate for the early education community for over 40 years. Today, Teaching Strategies connects teachers, children, and families to inspired teaching and learning experiences, informative data, stronger family partnerships, and professional learning through the leading early learning platform and resources. Its products, including the most widely-used curriculum and assessment solutions, The Creative Curriculum® and GOLD®, are found in over 250,000 classrooms and more than 80 countries around the world and reach over 4 million children each year.

To learn why thousands of early childhood programs and many states and countries choose to partner with Teaching Strategies to help ensure children's success in school and in life, visit teachingstrategies.com and follow on Twitter@TeachStrategies.

About Andrew Kahn:

Andrew Kahn, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist specializing in working with people who think and learn differently. In his role as associate director of behavior change and expertise, Dr. Kahn focuses on ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, general learning and behavioral challenges, and learning and social-emotional functioning. 

For nearly 20 years, Dr. Kahn worked within the public school system providing training, evaluations, direct consultation, and therapeutic support to students, their families, and staff. He has worked closely with underserved communities struggling with the impact of poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to educational support. Additionally, he supported school committees to develop policies on mental health, suicide prevention, and access to learning interventions. 

Before joining Understood, Dr. Kahn served as a clinician, a clinical director of a community mental health agency, and a presenter for Summit Professional Education on ADHD, autism, and anxiety for nearly 10 years. He was also an appointee to the Maine Advisory Committee for School Psychology and educator at the University of Maine.

Dr. Kahn identifies as a person with learning and thinking differences. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Syracuse University and both master’s and doctoral degrees from Nova Southeastern University.

Learn more about Understood.

Davis is an accomplished education leader with a wealth of experience in the field. As Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) from March 2020 to July 2023, he made significant contributions to one of the largest school systems in the country.

Under Davis’ leadership, HCPS experienced remarkable improvements, including a rise in the district’s state academic ranking from 35th to 19th, the highest in its history. He successfully guided the district through the COVID-19 pandemic and overcame a deficit of more than $150 million. 

He also played a crucial role in reducing the number of underperforming schools, improving the graduation rate from 87% to 89%, the highest in the district’s history. 

One of his greatest accomplishments was reducing 28 historically “D” and “F” schools to only five over his 39-month tenure. 

Davis’ achievements extend beyond Hillsborough County. During his tenure as Superintendent of Schools for Clay County, he led efforts that resulted in significant academic progress, including an impressive jump in the district’s statewide academic ranking from 20th to 7th. He also oversaw a notable increase in the graduation rate from 84% to 93%, narrowing the achievement gap in the process.

Before his time in Clay County, Davis was the Chief of Schools for the Duval County Public School System, the country’s 20th largest school district. He served Duval County Schools for eighteen years, beginning as a teacher before becoming an Assistant Principal, Principal, Executive Director of Turnaround, Middle School Cluster Chief, and then Region Superintendent.

In addition to his accomplishments, Davis has been recognized for his contributions to education. He was named Superintendent of the Year by the Florida Association for Career and Technical Education and received the Allen Temple A.M.E. Church Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Award. Davis' commitment to community engagement during the pandemic earned him the Whitney M. Young Service Award. He is also a member of Chiefs for Change, a distinguished network of district and state education leaders.

Join us as we explore the profound influence of trauma, from its manifestation in students to the challenges it presents for educators. Together, we will uncover the importance of assessment, professional development, and empathy in creating a supportive environment for our young learners. So, get ready to gain valuable insights and perspectives on trauma in schools on this episode of On Balance with Kristin Greco.

Key Moments

[00:05:05] Understanding how trauma in youth has evolved over time.

[00:07:18] How has trauma impacted the classroom as a collective?

[00:12:58] COVID brought mental health to the forefront, and there are insufficient resources for schools.

[00:15:32] PAR customers partner for data and dialogue, and to cope.

[00:18:11] The importance of maintaining leadership, responsibility, and staying informed.

[00:21:25] Professional development, support, listening, empathy, workload challenges.

Connect with Kristin Greco, MBA

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-greco-4bb4396/

Website: https://www.parinc.com/

Resource Mentioned

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: https://www.nctsn.org/⁠

Connect with Dr. Rod Berger

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodbergerpsyd/

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Learn more about Strategos Group: https://www.strategosgroup.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/strategos-group-public-affairs/

🚨 Subscribe to the Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strategospodcastnetwork

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PODCASTS

🎧 Capital Class with Adam Giery: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast

🎧 On the Clock with Todd Dallas Lamb: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast-on-the-clock

🎧 Swimming Upstream with Tom Luna: https://swimming-upstream.captivate.fm/listen

🎧 On Balance with Dr. Rod Berger: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast-on-balance

🎧 To the Point with Jim Horne and Doug Mesecar: https://to-the-point.captivate.fm/

Produced by Old Soul: https://bit.ly/3KuYfrD

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#educationmanagement #educationleadership #education

About Chip Paucek and 2U

2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), described by Forbes Magazine as the “nation’s leading provider of software for universities” delivering digital higher education at scale.Paucek's innovative work at 2U has earned him many accolades, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2012, the Goldman Sachs 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs Award in 2013, and multiple Highest Rated CEO awards from Glassdoor. In 2017, Paucek was named among America's best chief executives by Institutional Investor magazine, ranking third among mid-cap technology, media, and telecom companies. He is a leading voice and speaker on entrepreneurship and the global education and technology landscape. Paucek also sits on 2U’s Board of Directors.Paucek has been involved in education ventures since the early 1990s. Prior to 2U, Paucek served as CEO of Smarterville, Inc., the parent company of Hooked on Phonics. Paucek began his entrepreneurial career in 1993 when he co-founded his first company, Cerebellum Corporation, which produced the award-winning educational television program and video series Standard Deviants. He led Cerebellum as Co-CEO until 2003. In 2004, Paucek took a break from the business world to serve as deputy campaign manager for the successful re-election of United States Senator Barbara Mikulski.Paucek holds a B.A. from The George Washington University and an M.B.A. from the 2U-powered MBA@UNC program at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. As a native of South Florida, he is an avid Miami Dolphins fan. Paucek lives in Annapolis, MD, with his wife Gabbi and two sons Noah and Henry.

About. J.D.

A respected educator, scholar, and policy expert, Dr. LaRock NFTE's President and Chief Executive Officer.

He came to NFTE from the Commonwealth Corporation, Massachusetts’ public-private state authority focused on workforce development and regional economic development. As president and CEO of Commonwealth, Dr. LaRock chaired Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Commission on Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning, producing a blueprint for innovative work-based learning models that garnered significant investment from major foundations.  Previously he served as a senior education advisor to the late U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, leading work on the renewal of the federal Higher Education Act, as well as passage of a law that provided $20 billion in new Pell Grants to college students. As education policy director for former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, he helped author a K-12 education law that enabled turnarounds in low-performing school districts and helped the state win $250 million through the U.S. Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” program.

For much of the past decade, Dr. LaRock has worked as a teacher, scholar, and university administrator focused on experiential learning, entrepreneurship, and the future of work. As chief of staff to the president of Northeastern University, he served on the leadership team that completed the institution’s transformation from a commuter college to a top-ranked global research university. He has also served as Professor of the Practice of Law and Policy at Northeastern and as a Fellow with the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunities program.

Dr. LaRock grew up in Queens, New York, in a family of public school educators, and is a  proud graduate of the city’s public schools. He went on to earn his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate at Harvard University and his law degree at Georgetown University. He currently resides in Massachusetts with his wife Christina, a sign language interpreter, and their daughter Callie.

Doug has worked in Silicon Valley since 1982 - starting with HP selling the first PC, followed by 12 years at 3Com, and 12 years at Cisco, massively scaling those companies. In his last role at Cisco, he became the CEO of Webex post the acquisition of Webex by Cisco.

Doug has run SaaS companies ever since. He’s worked for many famous leaders - Marc Benioff, John Chambers, Lars Delgaard - and learned many lessons about what it takes to grow and scale high-performing teams. 

Kelsey is a member of Boston Consulting Group's Public Sector and People & Organization practices as well as a member of the firm’s education leadership team in the US. Kelsey serves as the Dallas office lead, as well as leading the Pride@BCG network for the US. Kelsey focuses primarily on the education, employment, and welfare sector, covering topics including strategy, change management, performance management, consumer insight, and organization design and transformation.

Her client work has included supporting the development and implementation of a comprehensive early childhood education strategy—from birth to third grade—for one of the largest urban school districts in the US. She also supported the transformation of a community college to align programs to the workforce needs of the community and increase student success and developed a case for change and long-range strategic planning to guide a state legislature with deep dives on education, health care, and economic development in rural communities.

Kelsey is active in the Dallas community, and is on the board of Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL), and Lumin Education, a Dallas-based charter school network.

Ashley Naranjo, M.Ed.

Education and Outreach Strategist, Office of the Under Secretary for Education, Smithsonian Institution

Naranjo is a museum educator specializing in the use of digital resources for teaching and learning. She currently manages distance learning initiatives and education partnerships for the Smithsonian. Portfolio highlights have included: the Smithsonian Quests digital badging program, Smithsonian Online Education Conferences, Smithsonian Learning Lab nationwide teacher professional development, Teachers of the Year programming at the Smithsonian, “Explore with Smithsonian Experts” video series, and Smithsonian print publication guides. 

Learning Lab link here: https://learninglab.si.edu/

National Education Summit information can be found here: https://www.si.edu/educators/smithsonian-national-education-summit-2023

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-naranjo/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/smithsonian-education/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleymnaranjo?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naranjoa

  Social Media Accounts:

Facebook - @SmithsonianEducation

Twitter - @SmithsonianEdu

LinkedIn - @SmithsonianEducation

Based on his accomplishments in education and technology, Advait was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Education in 2016, as a finalist for Los Angeles Business Journal’'s CTO of the Year in 2017, as a finalist for Ernst & Young's prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Greater Los Angeles in 2018, and for Los Angeles Business Journal’s 20 in Their 20s in 2019.

Before co-founding GoGuardian, Advait worked at Google as an engineer, combining innovation with the power of scale and helping to launch key products, such as Google Pay (formerly Google Wallet). Advait holds a B.S. in Computer Science from UCLA.

Follow Advait on LinkedIn

While working at many STEM corporations (IBM, Boeing, Pratt and Whitney, Sandia National Laboratories), Hunter saw that it was always difficult to find qualified Americans for open STEM jobs. He discovered this was because the United States ranked 25th in the world in science. He realized that this was not sustainable for our economy, national defense, and children’s future. This is when he decided to augment his BS & MS in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech with an MBA from UNC Chapel Hill to provide the necessary foundation to build a company that would improve our economy, national defense, and our children’s future by revolutionizing STEM education. This was the genesis of Plasma Games.

In 2014, she received a Leonardo Award for "Crossing Borders" and was given the Soraya Salti Award by JA Worldwide in 2017 for her achievements in Europe. In 2019, her alma mater, the University of Alberta in Canada, awarded her an Honorary Doctorate.  

Caroline also became the Global Head of Regional Growth and Development for JA Worldwide in 2016 and joined as COO in February 2020. Caroline has spoken at numerous conferences and events, including the World Economic Forum, the OECD, and the Global Education & Skills Forum and is a frequent panelist and moderator.

Caroline is a dual citizen (Canada and Belgium) and is based in Brussels.

education-to-employment platform providers, with 355,000 students across 140 countries,

thousands of full-time diploma students, and hundreds of corporate customers.

OpenClassrooms is a private, B-Corp-certified distance-learning organization registered with

the Board of Education in Paris, France, accredited as a higher education institution by the

French state.

Pierre met Mathieu Nebra, the co-founder of the company, in 2001; both were teenagers then,

curious about coding and computers. In 2013, after years of promoting online education and

several pivots, they created OpenClassrooms, headquartered in Paris, France. They later

founded OpenClassrooms Inc, a registered apprenticeship provider approved by the US DOL

and a postsecondary educational institution.

OpenClassrooms is making education accessible to all by delivering fully online work-based

learning programs and internationally recognized degrees. With a unique approach based on

mastery learning, hands-on projects, and individualized mentoring, the platform promotes

employability for all, specifically in today’s and tomorrow’s most sought-after jobs and

competencies, like tech, data, IT, business, etc.

Among numerous other distinctions, Pierre Dubuc was featured among the “30 under 30” by

Forbes magazine and selected in the 2020 Young Leaders program of the French-American

Foundation.

About Johnny:

Johnny Key joined Strategos Group in March 2023. He served as secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education from 2019 to 2023 and as commissioner of the department from 2015 to 2019, overseeing the state’s 237 school districts and 18 charter school systems.

Under Key’s leadership, the department developed a vision to transform Arkansas into a national leader of student-focused education. Arkansas became a national leader in computer science and literacy education.

Johnny was also Vice President for University Relations at the University of Arkansas System from 2014 to 2015. Key also served as a state senator in Arkansas from 2009 to 2014, holding leadership positions, including minority leader and chair of the Senate Education Committee, among others. Johnny was a state representative from 2003 to 2008.

We discussed the significance of early learning and why parents should understand its importance.

“What we know from the brain research over the last 40 years of brain research is that the first three years are really critical for establishing communication, cooperation, how to focus on a task … it’s the downpayment for the k12 system—all the learning that happens.” – Madeleine Thakur, President and CEO of The Children’s Movement Florida.

About Madeleine:

She oversees all of The Movement’s outreach and communications efforts, including the business engagement initiative Bosses for Babies, and leads state-level #policy efforts aimed at increasing investment in high-quality early learning, health care for children, and parent support.

A #Miami native and one of five children, she is a proud graduate of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Chicago and a diploma from Sciences Po in Paris.

Learn more about Madeleine and The Children's Movement here.

About Dr. Mike Magee

Dr. Mike Magee is the President of Minerva University. Prior to joining Minerva, he was founding CEO of Chiefs for Change, a non-profit organization supporting leaders of many of the nation’s largest and most innovative K-12 public education systems. Previously, Magee co-founded and was CEO of Rhode Island Mayoral Academies (RIMA). As CEO of RIMA, he built a statewide network of regional, racially and economically diverse public schools while successfully advocating for sweeping changes to state education policy.

Before starting RIMA, Magee taught American literature and philosophy for a decade at Haverford College, Wheaton College, and the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2004, his book, Emancipating Pragmatism, won the Elizabeth Agee Prize in American Studies. He is a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow, and for the past several years has moderated seminars for both the Pahara Institute and the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Magee holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s in political science and English from the College of the Holy Cross.

About Anand

Anand Padmanabhan is a global technology leader and a creative, strategic, and entrepreneurial chief information officer. He has led several organizations through digital transformation efforts, conceptualizing strategies and delivering platforms that align technology with academic and business objectives.

Prior to coming to Fordham, he was the founding chief technology and information officer for Whittle School & Studios, a global institution for students ages 3 to 18, where he led an initiative to support a multi-site, multinational K-12 education system in China and the U.S. He has been a CIO at multiple universities around the world, and has led strategies for statewide and university-wide initiatives on various aspects of using technology in teaching and learning, data security, high-performance computing, data analytics, and building student-centered technology ecosystems.

Anand has an M.B.A. from NYU Stern School of Business, an M.S. in computer engineering from Louisiana State University, and a B.E. in electronics and telecom engineering from Madras University. He has received numerous national and international honors for his work and on behalf of the teams he has led, including two CIO 100 awards (one in the U.S. and one in India), the 2017 Cloud Leadership Award, and Campus Technology’s Innovation in Teaching and Learning award. He has served on multiple boards and has published papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Prior to working at Whittle, he was the senior vice president and chief information officer for the New School (which includes Parsons School of Design). He has also served as the corporate chief information officer for HCL Corporation and for Shiv Nadar Foundation in Delhi, India; as CIO at Everonn Education in Chennai, NYU Stern School of Business, Hunter College of the City University of New York, and Tennessee State University; as executive director of IT for Seton Hill University; and as an educational technologist at NASA Center for Educational Technologies.

Director of Product Development and Innovation with six years of experience leading global product teams through digital transformation, design thinking, and product growth. A natural facilitator and technology officer, connecting internal teams, senior stakeholders, and external partners. Cultivating expansion of overall tech strategy and motivating diverse product ideation to launch user-driven products for clients, including government agencies and global brands. Ruth began her career in market research at the age of 15 as an interviewer testing various products, services, and marketing campaigns. Fascinated with telecommunications and technology, she pivoted to customer service at Rogers and after pushing for several process improvements and enhancements for internal software, became a business analyst. This kicked off a career in both business process optimization and user experience design working for clients like TD and RBC as well as projects like Project Literacy and The Giving Tower. From there, she moved into broader product strategy, working on software that solved supply chain issues for some of the world's biggest brands and ultimately building product and design teams.

Boksnok announces rebranding, changes name to Lylli with new visual identity and product updates

The Swedish tech company Lylli, previously known as Boksnok, closed a seed round of 1.2 million Euro earlier this fall. The company now gears up for growth and further expansion, launching a new name and visual identity.  

Lylli is an app for mobile phones and tablets with digital children's books with read-out-loud functionality. Through commercial collaborations with large publishers such as Swedish Bonnier Carlsen and German Verlagsgruppe Oetinger, thousands of titles are available in the Lylli app, which is offered as a subscription service in the Swedish and German speaking markets. Today, several thousands of kids read with Lylli every week, but the ambition is to reach a broader market.

- It was important to involve our users in the process of developing our new brand and truly understand their needs. Our goal is to create a lasting brand that appeals to both parents and children. I’m very proud of the result and that it’s been so well received by our users, says Magdalena Worrman, CMO at Lylli.

The new visual identity has been developed together with the award winning design agency Ehrenstråhle & Wågnert, whose previous clients include iZettle, H&M and Epidemic Sound. The new design is friendly, inspiring and playful, and in addition to a new color palette, typography and other graphic elements - the brand is brought to life with the help of three new characters that represent children of different ages.

In connection to the rebranding, the new Lylli app comes with several product updates.

• Night mode. Many users will be thrilled to learn that you can now turn off the screen and continue to listen to the story with sound only - a highly requested feature to simplify bedtime routines.
• Search & discover. The Search feature has been adapted completely for children and their behavior to make it even easier to discover new books.
• New books. A ton of new content has been added, from bestsellers such as Paw Patrol to local favorites such as Bamse

- We’re happy to be working together with Lylli to secure a strong position for kids’ books in the digital world. With the Lylli app’s new design, the books are placed in an environment that we believe will attract more children and entice an increased interest for reading. We look forward to seeing the Lylli world develop further, says Frida Änges, Business Area Manager at Bonnierförlagen

Learnster develops the LMS of tomorrow for growing organizations.

‍Learnster’s cutting-edge technology creates new, efficient ways of sharing information and knowledge with the entire organization. Save valuable time with Learnster’s smart Automation Rules. The revolutionary Knowledge Gap AI pinpoints individual learning priorities.

They discuss the higher education experience and ways education leaders can adapt to recent changes in that experience to provide students with the holistic support they need for success.

Learn more about Dr. Logan.

Samyr struggled in school. As a 7-year-old immigrant from the United Arab Emirates, he had to adapt to a new culture and integrate into a foreign school system. Samyr attributes his will to persevere to the one-on-one help he received from his first tutor—his mother.

Before her current role, Kate was a professor of chemical engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1989. Kate had seven years of industrial experience as a chemical engineer with DuPont prior to earning her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from West Virginia University in 2001.

She joined Northeastern University in April 2001. In addition to maintaining an active research program and teaching both undergraduate courses, Kate has served her department and college as Undergraduate Program Chair, ABET Coordinator, Graduate Program Chair, and, most recently, as Vice-Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department.

Learn more about Aline here!

Rod and Marty discuss fresh, inspiring ways education leaders can leverage technology to engage students, professors, and teachers in conversation.

Learn more about DigitalEd!

Learn more about the Band of Sisters!

Learn more about imagi!

Matt breaks down the latest statistical information on the pandemic learning gap resulting from interruptions in classroom instruction. Learn more about Matt and read more of his work here.

Dr. Solderholm has always had a passion for students learning more than the content in their expressed courses. He believes the courses and programs offered to students should act in concert with each other to produce well-rounded citizens. Learn more about Dr. Soderholm and Culpeper County Public Schools. 

Christy Lamb

Christy Lamb is an elementary principal in a PreK-5th grade building with the district’s gifted program. After learning in her Sociology degree program (a highly sought-after and lucrative career path) that for-profit prisons were using 3rd grade African American boys’ reading levels to determine the number of prisons to build in the future, Christy applied to and was accepted to the Teach for America program in Houston, TX. Educational equity is the name of her game!

She has hopped back and forth between elementary and middle school serving as an ELA teacher, instructional coach, reading specialist, admin intern, assistant principal, and principal. Up until the 11th year of her career, she had never had the exact same job/classroom/building/district two years in a row. A self-proclaimed “horrible colleague” in her early years due to many moves, Christy now craves collaboration with professionals both in and out of education to help make her dream of an equitable learning environment a reality.

Karen Hile

Karen Hile is an elementary principal in a PreK-4 building with the district’s behavior program and one of the district’s life skills classrooms. Education always seemed in the cards for her as both of her parents were involved in education in various roles. She set off to college to become a teacher but the particular liberal arts program had teacher candidates get undergrad degrees in content other than education first.

Karen completed her BA and BS in Psychology and set off to get certified through completing her Masters while having her own classroom through the Kansas City Residential Internship Program. Having no experience, it could have been an utter disaster for her students and herself for that matter, but because the program assigned her a full time mentor and instructional coach, instead it ignited her fire for this profession.

Going from teacher to instructional coach, to admin intern to principal in urban, suburban and rural schools for the past 15 years would have never been possible without the incredible support, guidance and learning found in the community of dedicated educators in all schools.  Exploring how to create that network across varying communities and districts with the Modern Principal sounds like the next level in her journey as a school leader.

Cornerstone powers the future-ready workforce. With adaptive HR software designed to unite people, teams, technology, and business, our products inspire a work environment of growth, agility, and success for all. We built our AI-powered and skills-forward system for the contemporary workforce. Organizations that use Cornerstone modernize their learning and development experience, deliver the most relevant content from anywhere, accelerate talent and career mobility, and establish skills as the universal language of growth and success. Cornerstone serves over 6,000 customers and 75 million users and is available in 180 countries and 50 languages.

Learn more about Cornerstone!

He is responsible for leading sales in Latin America of solutions including the SAP Cloud for Sustainable Enterprises portfolio, an offering that enables enterprises to identify, quantify, analyze, and act on data to manage sustainable performance. In addition, he works to advance SAP’s own goal to become a net-zero company by 2030. Pedro has extensive experience in the sustainability field. 

Before this position, he served as Director of Sustainability and Innovation for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) South region. He joined SAP in 2014 to drive growth opportunities in big data and subsequently specialized in innovative initiatives such as smart cities, intelligent businesses, and strategies to mitigate the effects of global warming. 

Pedro has a vigorous entrepreneurial spirit. A native of Brazil, he has lived in Dubai for the past ten years, where he started managing operations of software startup Corporater in the Middle East. In addition, he is an advisory member of Repple.com and a mentor for SAP.iO and Techstars entrepreneurs and start-ups. Pedro has a degree in technology from Brazil and specializations in management, big data, strategy, and innovation from the University of La Verne and the MIT in the United States.

Learn more about BD here!

They discuss Trejo’s campaign for justice for non-English-speaking children who were going to be placed in special education classes without any documented learning deficiency.

Before her current position, Trejo served as Dallas ISD assistant superintendent for Language, Literacy and Social Studies. She led six departments—Dyslexia/504, Reading Language Arts, Social Studies, Dual Language and English Learner Services, World Languages, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support—and focused on the creation and implementation of a districtwide curriculum.

This episode is sponsored by Just Right Reader.

Learn more about ELVTR here!

Intel’s mission is to shape the future of technology to help create a better future for the entire world. By pushing forward in fields like AI, analytics and cloud-to-edge technology, Intel’s work is at the heart of countless innovations. From major breakthroughs like self-driving cars and rebuilding the coral reefs to things that make everyday life better like blockbuster effects and improved shopping experiences — they’re all powered by Intel technology.

Learn more about Intel!

As Executive Director of Mental Health at TimelyMD, he oversees a national network of licensed providers trusted to provide virtual therapeutic counseling, in-the-moment behavioral health support, health coaching and crisis intervention services to college and university students.

The founding member and former Chief Clinical Officer of Hurdle, a digital health platform for people of color, Dr. Spann brings extensive experience in creating equity within mental health and reducing barriers to access to increase preventative wellness for all. He has honed his expertise at the intersection of mental health and higher education over the last decade, and continues to teach at the University of Southern California and serve on the Forbes Health Advisory Board.

Learn more about TimelyMD here!

Prior to founding ILO Group, Dr. Rafal-Baer served as the chief operating officer at Chiefs for Change, a nationwide network of district and state education leaders, where she helped transform the organization from a small start-up to an $11M high-impact national nonprofit. She coached and mentored more than 50 leaders through the Future Chiefs program at Chiefs for Change, half of whom went on to become superintendents and commissioners. Dr. Rafal-Baer previously served as assistant commissioner of the New York State Education Department. In 2020, she was appointed by the U.S. secretary of education to a four-year term on the National Assessment Governing Board.

Platform Seven is a Los Angeles-based life and business mentoring consultancy helping to unlock the potential in young adults and entrepreneurs.

Built on Ricky’s experience of leaving school at sixteen with bad grades and poor prospects, then going on to establish an award-winning central London real estate company, Hatton Real Estate, which transformed the entire industry before being sold to the highest of multiple bidders, Platform Seven exists to make the impossible possible for others. And to provide a vital bridge between education and succeeding in the real world.

From a young real estate entrepreneur to a business mentor and success therapist, Ricky gives young adults and entrepreneurs the self-belief, skills, and strategies to succeed.

Learn more about Prisms here! 

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Hardeep Gulati, CEO of PowerSchool, the leading provider of K-12 software and cloud-based solutions to improve educational outcomes and simplify school operations. PowerSchool supports more than 45 million students in more than 90 countries and reaches 75% of students in North America. Rod and Hardeep discussed all things education in 2022 and beyond, along with tidbits about dinner-time conversations and the role education plays in family discussions.

Learn more about the Center for Inclusive Innovation here!

Being a first-generation college graduate of an immigrant family, he’s thankful for his collegiate experience, he knew he wanted to improve the process of others. Ardis graduated from New York University - Polytechnic School of Engineering in 2007.

Learn more about Element451!

Rod and Michael discuss how to overcome the challenges of #entrepreneurship as well as how to and overcome and learn from mistakes.

Learn more about Class Technologies here!

Doug and Rod discuss some solutions to common challenges school district #superintendents are currently facing.

As Founder and President of Educational Solutions Consulting, Doug found that there was a piece of the puzzle missing, a barrier between those who run school districts and those who start companies to help school districts. He partnered with some of the nation's most innovative educational leaders to form IEI to bridge that gap.

A Princeton graduate, Doug is a former public high school social studies teacher and ed-tech business development executive who earned his Ed.M. in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Learn more about the Institute for Education Innovation here!

JP Guilbault leads Navigate360’s executive team, growth strategy and purpose-driven vision to create a world absent of fear and violence, where every person has the opportunity to reach their full potential. He is a proven technology and business visionary, board member and community leader with a passion for helping people and organizations reach their full potential, while advocating for and advancing the underserved.

Learn more about Navigate 360 here!

Learn more about Microsoft Education!

They discuss Kaplan’s role, as well as the part all education innovators can play as they rise to take on the unique challenges the world faces today.

Rosen has helped pioneer much of the company’s innovation and growth, with a focus on student success and outcomes. These innovations include a focus on learning science as the foundation for all its programs, its early adoption of online instruction and competency-based learning, and its commitment to demonstrating measurable results for its students.

Learn more about Kaplan here!

Learn more about HMH!

Learn more about the Rosenberg Institute here!

Chief Growth Officer

Photomath, Inc.

Jennifer Lee is the Chief Growth Officer at Photomath, where she is responsible for developing and managing the execution of Photomath's growth strategy. Prior to joining Photomath, Jennifer spent over 14-years in the investing world, including time as a Principal at Learn Capital, where she worked on investments in Coursera, Photomath, GeniusPlaza, SoloLearn, VIPKID, and MentorCollective. Previously, Jennifer was an independent consultant for ImpactAssets, where she helped establish a seed-stage investment platform for their donor-advised funds. She also worked as VP at Developing World Markets, a fund manager focused on inclusive financial institutions in emerging markets. There she led investments in 17 countries, managed the Asia/Middle East team, and helped conceive and execute the investment strategy for that region. Jennifer started her career at Lehman Brothers, as the strategist for the US Treasury, Treasury Futures, and Swaps markets. She has Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Management Science from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Jennifer is also a Kauffman Fellow.

Rod and Dave discuss entrepreneurship, disruption and innovation in the education space.

With over 300,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM is the largest HR trade association in the world, impacting the lives of 115 million workers. A nationally bestselling author, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work. He is frequently asked to testify before Congress and authors the weekly USA Today column "Ask HR."

Johnny is the author of RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval. Immediately upon its release in September 2021, RESET was in the top three of the Wall Street Journal’s list of best-selling hardcover business books. All author proceeds benefit the SHRM Foundation, which is committed to empowering HR as a social force for change.

Learn more about RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval here.

He was appointed chairman of the President’s Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and served as a member of the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board during the Trump Administration. He is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami, Governor of the American Red Cross, and member of the corporate boards of Guild Education, iCIMS, and XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO). Taylor, Jr.

MegaMinds is a social learning platform for K-12 that leverages virtual worlds, 3D teaching tools, and powerful presentation abilities to empower teachers and engage young minds. The platform enhances classroom and online learning through the experiential and collaborative nature of virtual world gameplay. It enables teachers to easily take their existing presentations and place them in interactive 3D worlds to engage students and increase active classroom participation.

Mega Minds is entirely browser-based, requiring no software installation or additional hardware. It is an all-in-one solution designed for both synchronous and asynchronous use with low-powered computing devices both in-person and remotely. We believe our platform can be a powerful tool in democratizing access to education, enabling students to access content and interact with teachers and peers in ways that would often be limited by geography, finances, or venue capacity.

Learn more about MegaMinds here!

YouScience works to instill hope, purpose, and direction by connecting natural talent, skills, and knowledge with in-demand education pathways and careers. Learn more about YouScience here!

When You Wonder, You're Learning explores the science behind Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, revealing what Fred Rogers called the “tools for learning”: essential skills and mindsets that boost everything from academic performance to children’s well-being. These tools, which cost next to nothing to develop, hinge on the very things that make life worthwhile: self-acceptance; close, loving relationships; and a deep regard for one’s neighbor.

Learn more about the book here!

Dreambox found a better way to support students’ math journeys. They meet them exactly where they are—no matter where they start—intelligently adapt to the way they learn and help them excel no matter who they are or where they live. Learn more about Dreambox here!

DigitalEd is a cloud-based software company with the purpose of shaping the world through digital learning. DigitalEd has used its beliefs, values and core pillars of software development to build the Möbiusplatform, the most innovative and comprehensive learning platform for STEM.

BloomTech, believes there is a better way to approach education. Instead of asking its students to bet on it, Bloomtech bets on its students first. This paradigm-shifting model allows BloomTech to align the incentives of the school with the incentives of its students.

‍Before founding BloomTech, Austen was the co-founder of media platform GrassWire. He co-authored the growth hacking textbook Secret Sauce, which became a best-seller and provided him the personal seed money to build BloomTech.

Austen’s disruptive ideas on the future of education, the labor market disconnect, and the opportunity of providing opportunity at-scale have been featured in: The Harvard Business Review, The Economist, WIRED, Fast Company, TechCrunch, The New York Times, among others.

Join Dr. Rod Berger for an intimate discussion with Nicholas Fox Weber as they break bread overlooking the Atlantic from Senegal's capital, Dakar. 

Nicholas Fox Weber is a cultural historian. He is also the Executive Director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and has written extensively
 about each artist. He has curated many major exhibitions and
retrospectives of their work. Weber is a graduate of Columbia College and Yale University. He is the author of fourteen books including 
The Bauhaus Group, Le Corbusier, and The Clarks
 of Cooperstown.

Any entrepreneur faces risk when starting out, but Zach and the LegalTech Fund look for those devoid of that expression, those who know a 'little secret' about the world that nobody else has realized. That confidence comes from subject matter expertise, not elevated risk tolerance. As the world morphs, so does the type of talent which will succeed.

In this conversation Dr. Berger navigates the world of early stage start-up investment and what makes the best investment opportunity. From an entrepreneur perspective, it's curiosity, persistence, and agility that's needed. From the investor, it's empathy and Zach having been on all sides of the table, brings that in buckets.

Join Dr. Berger as he investigates the interplay of early stage companies and early stage funds and how, at least at The LegalTech Fund, the entrepreneur is treated with respect and the relationship built on support and compassion.

Digital skills are a critical component of any student's learning journey, now more than ever. As we move to digital content and digital instructional we're presented with the opportunity to test and assess program efficacy, something not possible in our recent textbook days.

In a time where millions of jobs are set to be lost to the digital revolution, digital adoption in education couldn't come any sooner. As a nation we lack digital problem solving, a potential security issue when considering the pace of proficiency in China and beyond, yet the outlook from 2022 onwards is bright.

Keith and Dr. Berger analyse the current digital education landscape and learning.com's position within this ever growing world, and what it means for ever more large scale players entering the market.

Breakout EDU is based on a total rethink of how to spend student time. Replicating the real world where collaborative problem solving and cooperation are highly valued stills, students exercise an ability to agree, disagree, and compromise, while working towards a common collective and individual goal.

Able to unify student engagement across disciplines and develop transferable skills for any facet of education or life, Dr. Rod Berger delves into the story behind Breakout EDU and how new education methodologies are impacting the evolution of education. 

We are at a time of great optimism in education, both nationally and globally, but also of great division. Covid’s silver lining was the rapid adoption of new technology to close fissures exposed, but does this unique time in our history also allow the opportunity to rethink our entire approach?

Higher education should prepare you for the next life step, but when 73 percent of graduates never use their degree, and only 11 percent of employers say graduates are ready for work, questions arise. This podcast explores these questions.

Abby Brody, CEO of MYX, a combined online and experiential learning platform that provides flexible choice to students looking to ready themselves for life, shares her insight into the importance of experience and how MYX helps people find more meaningful paths.

Former majority and minority leader and former democratic congressman Dick Gephardt gives his expert insight from the side of government and policy. He also shares his story of being impacted by a teacher who noticed and encouraged to follow his passion.

Employers are increasingly looking for graduates with more than just industry knowledge, demanding skills which they identify themselves as crucial for their own success. From critical thinking and problem solving to great communication, the expectations laid at student's feet ever increase.

Dr. Berger and Bob Yayac discuss how assessments are changing with the ever shifting landscape of education and how CAE is personalizing the experience. The conversation highlights the need to include all stakeholders in the development of each student, including the parents and educators, but also the role corporate America can have in helping identify and train the skills which they see as pivotal for the America economy in the 21st century.

A moving conversation gleaning insight from Alan's challenging relationship with his deceased son Lee, for whom the restrictions placed on him by his father were mimicked by those which ultimately ostracised him from the education system.

A solemn reminder that as guardians, and educators, we need to be open, receptive, and encouraging to the potential within our successors. We all have a gift to share and to stifle leads only to suffering. With this great burden of responsibility, however, we all have the chance to create a better world.

Hindsight colors a new perspective for Pesky, one with greater scope that clarifies the importance of valuing children’s voices and encouraging them to speak boldly and self-assuredly.

Investigating Melissa's meaning and motivations this episode dives into the mind of the EdTech entrepreneur and how Melissa keeps the spark of passion through the tough times, manages her fear of failure, and mitigates the ever present risks inherent in EdTech and business today. In this age of data and analytics 'EdMod' aims to bring the story of each student to life, enabling the educator to better serve. In this episode, the story of Melissa shines through.

Discussing the dedication that drives Melissa and the personal stories behind the origins of Education Modified, we see behind the curtain of one of EdTech's most promising newcomers. 

Our world has shifted where the physical space we interacted and communicated has been hybridized with an entire digital ecosystem where our youth are eager to engage. 

'Screen time' has often been regarded as life lost, however some digital activities nurture creativity and problem solving. As we move further into the unknown of our digital future, we need to be willing to separate the wheat from the chaff, encouraging the digital engagement that enhances experience and educates for the future, while being aware of the lure of non-creative, repetitive digital interaction.

This episode covers everything from accelerating innovation to the ubiquity of data and the opportunity this brings to hone and enhance our relationship with the digital world. 

Mark cut his teeth on Wall Street, building AI systems where the risk-to-reward was low. Transferring his expertise into the education space Mark now sees the opportunity for machine learning to have a wider ranging impact on the future development of our students as we move from an AI influenced to an AI dominated world.

Our educators have been forced to adopt new techniques and are becoming ever more accustomed to incorporating technology into their teaching. These new technologies can lead us towards a new landscape of personalized learning, yet the important personal interactions between educator and student still needs to be balanced with the promise and power of these AI systems.

Head over to Forbes for my article on how Amira Learning is bringing tangible AI applications into the day-to-day of teaching and learning.

Dr. Berger delves into the experience of Mika, including his path towards founding School Day and their expansion into the US, including their impressive partnership with Microsoft.

The conversation highlights the importance of SEL, both from a perspective of the School Day platform, and more generally within the Finnish education system, and how the wellness of students remains the focus of education within Finland.

Dr. Berger investigates the culture within Finland and how it relates to encouraging female entrepreneurs and nurturing positive relationships within the Finnish education system. Exploring the experience Sari has garnered as an emerging entrepreneur and the skills important for success, Dr. Berger explores the importance of ongoing personal development and positive collaboration and celebration between colleagues.

Look out tomorrow for the final episode within our series of Finnish-focused On Balance interviews where we highlight key emerging leaders from the gold standard in education.

Continuing the Finnish focus of On Balance this week, Dr. Berger explores the drive behind Kaisa's success and how the Finnish education system supports student entrepreneurial spirit and teacher personal development.

Look out for more episodes of On Balance every day this week as we keep our focus on Finland and key emerging leaders from the gold standard in education.

Exploring Olli's insights into Finnish education, Dr. Berger inquiries as to the need for resilience in leaders and the balance entrepreneurs must navigate between the drive for immediate success and providing exceptional quality.

Look out for more episodes of On Balance every day this week as we keep our focus on Finland and key emerging leaders from the gold standard in education.

This inaugural episode of On Balance explores a different side of Sal and his take on the important skills to instill in our children. Focus on the hugely successful and impressionable Khan Academy can be found elsewhere - here Rod investigates the relationships we have with our children, whether as parent, guardian, or educator and the impact for all our futures.

Sal highlights the differences in raising children compared to previous generations, the pressures, expectations, and potential issues of social media.

An enlightening conversation, including Sal's respect and inclusion of Vedic philosophy in his own life, will not disappoint.

Enjoy listening, and like and subscribe for more conversations around the world of education with the stories of today from the personalities impacting tomorrow.