Beneath the Water

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Suzan Brandt, CTO of Mountain Brook Schools, has lived her life with curiosity - and that's reflected in her teaching, her CTO-ing, her conference planning, and her TedEd organizing. Diane and Suzan sit down to talk about Suzan's journey to becoming CTO, taking up the mantle from former podcast guest Donna Williamson. And during the pandemic, nonetheless! They reminisce about their meeting through the "savvy sisters," and they connect over their love of employing a "meeting cadence" with their tech teams. They talk about rounding out their more technical knowledge and pairing it with their teaching backgrounds so they can view their work from multiple perspectives. Last, Suzan tells us a little more about her organizing the Engage Conference and TEDxYouth@MBJH, both venues that continue to support students and teachers in both their work and their lives. Overall, this conversation is filled with wonder and care, and we hope you can take that into your week after listening.

This episode was recorded during the ISTELive 2026 conference in Orlando, Florida, on June 30.

Keep up with Suzan here:

LinkedIn: Suzan Brandt

Website: Mountain Brook Schools

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Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

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In this episode of Beneath the Water, Diane sits down with Berj Akian, founder and CEO of ClassLink, to break down the experiences that shaped his journey— being lovingly nudged from the biochemistry program in college into the accounting program, then journeying from venture capital into education technology. We learn about how a chance conversation at an arts fair opened the doors to working with schools and their technology. The successful career that followed grew by paying attention to the problems students and teachers needed to solve.

This conversation is for you if you’ve ever looked at someone else’s accomplishments and wondered why your own path feels so messy. Berj reminds us that we don’t always recognize growth while we’re in the middle of it. Sometimes, we’re simply doing our best to find the next step.

Berj Akian: Solving Real Problems, Finding Your Way, and Embracing the Mess

Find Berj on Linkedin and with Classlink.

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE

Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

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Diane and Dr. Kip Glazer chat about their quick friendship through Linking Leaders, falling into teaching and loving it, and making the big switch to the administrative side. She shares how her challenges have propelled her to new places, and how none of these things are really challenges compared to her first years in the US, learning a new language and making a life for herself. If you, dear listener, come away with anything, let it be this: Dr. Kip Glazer is getting things done.

Dr. Kip Glazer, Ed.D., brings AI leadership from the Silicon Valley classroom to the global stage. Principal of Mountain View High School and author of "Ready to Lead with AI," she helps school leaders put AI to work safely and ethically. A Google Innovator, she helped shape the U.S. Department of Education’s landmark AI report. Her proudest accomplishment? Her two sons, West Point graduates serving in the Army.

Keep in touch with Dr. Kip Glazer through:

Her Website: Kip Glazer

Her Book: Ready to Lead with AI by Dr. Kip Glazer

Linkedin: Kip Glazer

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE

Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn

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Jamie Saponaro is one of the best when it comes to building environments for collaboration and community. She's the author of the new book "Transforming Classrooms: Building a Culture of Collaboration." Jamie and Diane discuss how volunteering can be a stepping stone to getting great jobs, and they highlight Jamie's rise through the ranks from classroom teacher to where she is now. Finding your passions, failing forward, and taking risks are all part of Jamie's secret sauce.

Jamie Saponaro is the Senior Director of Community and Professional Learning at ClassLink, and the author of the new book, "Transforming Classrooms: Building a Culture of Collaboration."

Follow Jamie's endeavors here:

 Website: Transformingclassrooms.com

Linkedin: Jamie Saponaro

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE

Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn

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Dr. Tim Clark started as a classroom teacher and ended up shaping interoperability at a global level. What stood out most was this: every move he made was still grounded in the classroom: English teacher, Techie teacher, District leader, Global connector. Dr. Tim Clark never stopped seeing himself as a teacher, even when his title changed. That’s why his work lands. He doesn’t talk about systems like a solution provider. He talks about them like someone who has lived the problem. Maybe that’s the real leadership lesson: stay close to the work, stay curious, and keep making room for the next reroute.

Find Dr. Clark in the real world on:

LinkedIn: Dr. Tim Clark

His Blog: byotnetwork.com 

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE

Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

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Diane speaks with Dr. Chantell Manahan this week as she shares her journey and the pivotal role education played in shaping her life. She reflects on the struggles of being the "new weird girl" in school and how supportive teachers made a lasting impact. "Public education saved me. It was a place where I was seen, and it was a safe place," she says, highlighting the importance of nurturing environments for young minds. Chantell shares how she became the leader she would have needed earlier in her career.

Chantell serves as the Director of K12 Strategy and Solutions. She has a consultancy called Leading, Laughing, & Learning. She wrote Capes Optional, Communication Essential: Leading Out Loud in the Era of School Choice. Listen to her podcast, Leading Out Loud with Dr. Chantell Manahan.

Connect with Chantell on Linkedin.

This episode was recorded on May 07at the Indiana CTO Council Clinic.

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE

Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

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Sandra and Diane talk about not only being early women in technology, but also the intersectionality of coming from another country. Sandra talks about the importance of a support system, what happened when her district was hit with a cyber attack, and how she cares for her team and herself. 

This episode was recorded on June 9, 2026, at Mountain Brook High School in Alabama during the Engage conference. Special thanks to Suzan Brandt for hosting us! 

Find Sandra on Linkedin: Sandra Paul

Twitter: @Spaul6414

Bluesky: @Spaul6414

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE

Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod

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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn

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Diane is joined by Nathan Davidson, CoSN board member and Vice President of Partnerships at Five Star Technology Solutions. Nathan speaks about answering his calling, and we learn more about his leadership journey. He urges leaders to evaluate their own "why" and shows us why we can't let our egos get in the way of our leadership. Lifting others up is what Nathan does when he cares for people. What kind of leader are you? Where do you get your motivation?

This episode was recorded on May 7th at the Indiana CTO Council Clinic.

Find Nathan in the following places:

Twitter/x: @_nathandavidson

Website: fivestartech.com

 LinkedIn: Nathan Davidson

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE

Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn

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Diane has a heartfelt discussion with dear friend and fellow inclusion champion Marlo Gaddis. Marlo shares her journey into leadership and how experiences from her past have made her the leader she is today. It's a story of strife, hope, and a conscious effort to find her voice, leading her to serve as a supportive voice for others.

This episode was recorded on June 10, 2026, at Mountain Brook High School in Alabama during the Engage conference. Special thanks to Suzan Brandt for hosting us! 

To keep track of what's new in Marlo's world, check her out here:

LinkedIn

Instagram

Meta

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE

Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod

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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn

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Diane has discussions with friends Donna Williamson and Sheryl Abshire, the remaining two Savvy Sisters and co-authors of the book "The Savvy EdTech Leader." They both share sections of the book they authored and their leadership experiences that helped them form their values and the way they lead. 

Recorded on April 15, 2026 following the Chicago CoSN conference, Donna, Sheryl, and Frankie were the first to volunteer to be on our podcast, even before our concept was fully realized. 

Donna can be found on LinkedIn: Donna Williamson
Sheryl can be found on LinkedIn: Sheryl Abshire

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE

Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]

Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod

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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn

Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram