Introducing the Edtech Insiders Podcast
Available on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts :)
Hi, Insiders-
Thanks so much for being an Edtech Insiders subscriber; I’ve really enjoyed hearing from so many of you about your love for the wild and woolly edtech field.
We’ve gotten such a great response to the Edtech Insiders substack that we are expanding into a new medium: podcasting!
The Edtech Insiders podcast is now live on all major podcasting directories (Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, Google and many more).
Each episode features a conversation with an edtech “insider”: a founder, VC, operator or thought leader that is doing interesting and innovative work to push the edtech field forward.
We talk about innovations, opportunities and hurdles in edtech, cutting edge news, and provide advice for both edtech founders and anyone (including many classroom teachers) looking to break into the field.
The best news of all: we already have four episodes available for your listening pleasure. Listen to them on your commute treadmill!
We’re aiming to publish new episodes weekly, and the next episode focusing on the founders of career coaching startup Lloyd. We will also start publishing “This Week In Edtech” episodes starting soon.
Can’t wait to see you there- and if you have ideas for podcast guests (including yourself), please suggest them in the comments below!
All best,
Alex and the Edtech Insiders Team
Edtech Insider Episodes:
The Future of K12 Learning Platforms with Adam Franklin of Nearpod
In this episode, we talk to Adam Franklin, Sr. Product Manager for Content at K12 platform Nearpod.
Adam explains his journey from high school classroom teacher to curriculum developer to edtech product manager, as well as what it's like building and curating a world-class content library to get teachers the resources they need.
We also talk about an age-old k12 edtech dilemma: how to get big enough to sell to school districts while staying agile enough to respond to your end users.
Investing in Inspiring Edtech with Atin Batra of Twenty Seven Ventures (27V)
In this episode, we interview edtech investor Atin Batra, founder and general partner at Twenty Seven Ventures, also knows as 27V, a venture firm devoted to education and the future of work.
Atin talks about his journey to edtech, his interest in founders who understand the problems they hope to solve firsthand, and how some of the best and most collaborative learning happens outside of traditional schools.
27 Ventures has invested in Fiveable, Edlyft, Topknot, 101Edu, Edgi, New Campus, and many other startups that are looking to transform education. We talk about several of these startups in this episode.
Scaling Educational Impact with Ben Kornell of Altschool and Cambiar Education
In this episode, we speak to Ben Kornell of Cambiar Education, who was most recently the CEO of Altschool/Altitude Learning as it was acquired by Higher Ground Education in 2021.
Ben is a longtime edtech executive with educational roots- five years in the classroom - as well as experience in healthcare, and he speaks in this episode about how we might borrow some of the best practices in healthcare to improve education, as well as how to scale the educational practices of the best teachers in every school.
The Online Schooling Revolution with Amy Jenkins of Outschool
In this episode of Edtech Insiders, we speak with Amy Amner Jenkins, Head of Schools at Outschool, one of the fastest growing edtech startups in the world.
In this conversation, Amy and I chat about Outschool’s went from homeschooling to mainstream, how teachers are using their teaching skills to create side hustles or even full time jobs teaching online, and how Outschool is beginning to work directly within schools to expand learning opportunities.