Capital Class

Season #2, Episode #2: Olli Vallo, CEO of Education Alliance Finland. 

In today's episode, Adam sat down with Olli Vallo.

Olli is the CEO of Education Alliance Finland. He has worked in the Edtech field since 2012, has an MSc in Education, and has previously worked as a primary school teacher.

Education Alliance Finland is specialized in quality evaluation and certification of EdTech products. Through the product certification work, EAF gathers significant insights into the global EdTech product market. Together with Finland's National Agency for Education, EAF has developed quality criteria for EdTech solutions in Finnish schools.

Learn more about Olli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olli-vallo/

Stay connected to the work of Education Alliance Finland: https://www.linkedin.com/company/education-alliance-finland/

Produced by Old Soul

Season #2, Episode #1: Tom Vander Ark, CEO of Getting Smart 

In today's episode, Adam sat down with Tom Vander Ark.

Tom Vander Ark is an advocate for innovations in learning. As CEO of Getting Smart, he advises schools, districts, networks, foundations and learning organizations on the path forward. A prolific writer and speaker, Tom is author of Getting Smart, Smart Cities That Work for Everyone, Smart Parents, Better Together, The Power of Place and Difference Making at the Heart of Learning and has published thousands of articles and co-authored more than 50 books and white papers. He writes regularly on GettingSmart.com, LinkedIn, and contributes to Forbes.

Previously he served as the first Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Tom served as a public school superintendent in Washington State and has extensive private sector experience. Tom is a board member for Education Board Partners, Director for 4.0 Schools, Digital Learning Institute, Latinx Education Collaborative, Mastery Transcript Consortium and eduInnovation and an Advisor for One Stone and Teton Science Schools.

Learn more about Tom Vander Ark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomvanderark/ 

Stay up to date on Tom's continuous work via Twitter @tvanderark

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Episode #6: Michael Hernandez, Teacher & Education Consultant

In today's episode, Adam sat down with Michael Hernandez. 

Michael is an award-winning teacher, author, and consultant in Los Angeles whose work focuses on media literacy, digital storytelling, and innovation in learning. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator, National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, Google for Education Certified Innovator, and PBS Digital Innovator. 

Learn more about Michael Hernandez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hernandez-21a8195/

Find him on: 

• Twitter: @cinehead 
• Instagram: @changing.the.narrative and; 
• www.michael-hernandez.net

Produced by Old Soul

Episode #5: Lord Jim Knight, Director of SUKLAA Limited | Member of the House of Lords

In today's episode, Adam sat down with Lord Jim Knight.

Jim Knight works in education, MedTech and as a legislator. He is an expert in politics, leadership, digital disruption, and talent recruitment and development.

Jim is the Chief Education and External Officer at TES Global Ltd, the news, training, jobs and resource sharing service for teachers. His responsibilities include all corporate communications and Tes Institute, a teacher training business he founded and that is now the fifth largest qualifier of teachers in the UK. Tes Institute uses online learning extensively for high quality post graduate level learning, delivered as professional development.

Jim is also a founder of XRapid, enabling diagnosis of malaria and asbestos fibres using iPhones. This technology used machine learning and pattern recognition to replace monotonous laboratory practice.

As a UK government minister his portfolios included rural affairs, schools, digital and employment.  He was a member of Gordon Brown’s Cabinet 2009-2010, before joining the Lords after the 2010 General Election.  He is the only person to have won and retained a seat for Labour in a General Election in Dorset.  He is also a visiting Professor at the Knowledge Lab of the UCL Institute of Education and Chair of Whole Education.

Learn more about Lord Jim Knight on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimpknight/

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Episode #4: David Linke, Managing Director of EduGrowth | Global EdTech Innovator

In today's episode, Adam sat down with David Linke.

David leads EduGrowth, Australia’s education technology, and innovation industry hub. Through connection and collaboration, EduGrowth is accelerating Australia’s EdTech ecosystem globally.

David has decades of experience across the education sector having led Asia Pacific operations of global listed EdTech companies and, founding and exiting EdTech businesses. Today he is a strategic advocate, supporter, and champion of the Australian EdTech sector at home and abroad.

“Australia has a significant story to tell in the education technology and innovation sector globally. We will continue to transform global communities through the Australian EdTech ecosystem”

Learn more about David Linke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlinke/

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Episode #2: Claire Lessinger, Chief Operating Officer - Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee | Vice President of Events - Tampa Bay Sports Commission

On July 30, 2012, Claire Lessinger joined the Tampa Bay Sports Commission team and now serves as the Vice President of Events. Lessinger and the TBSC are responsible for driving economic and social impact by identifying, bidding on, and ultimately hosting sporting and entertainment events in Tampa Bay.  Over the last seven years, Lessinger has served as the Tournament Manager for multiple NCAA Championship events. As the event’s point guard, Lessinger was the liaison to the NCAA staff and the Tampa Bay community and helped manage day-to-day operations for the Tampa Bay Local Organizing Committee (TBLOC).  In 2017, Lessinger and the TBLOC hosted the first College Football Playoff National Championship in the Southeast at Raymond James Stadium on January 9th, 2017. In 2018, Lessinger and Team Tampa Bay hosted a wildly successful NHL All-Star Weekend in partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning and most recently Lessinger served as the Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Local Organizing Committee for the 2019 NCAA Women’s Final Four which recorded the highest all-time attendance as a three-time host (123,039 fans).

As Tampa Bay prepares to host its fifth Super Bowl in February 2021, Claire will help lead the effort by serving as Chief Operating Officer for the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee, overseeing internal operations, special events, legacy programming, and community engagement.

Recognized as one of the most influential women in Tampa Bay sports by the Tampa Bay Times, Lessinger has been instrumental in piloting successful legacy programs and social impact initiatives like the “Beyond Series”, which focuses on gathering and empowering local women of influence in support of major sporting events hosted in Tampa Bay. As a result, thousands of women and girls have participated in the Beyond Series throughout the years.

Active in the community, Claire serves on the Executive Boards of USF’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy, Positive Coaching Alliance – Tampa Bay, University of Florida Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute, and a founding member and Vice President of WISE Tampa Bay (Women in Sports and Event). Lessinger also served as a mentor for the USF Athletics – Selmon Mentoring Institute and is an active member of the Saint Leo Sport Business Advisory Council as well as the Athena Society.

Lessinger came to the TBSC from the University of South Florida (USF) where she spent eight years as the head volleyball coach (2004-2012) and seven as the assistant volleyball coach (1996-2003).

Prior to her coaching career at USF, Lessinger spent five years as a collegiate volleyball player at the University of Florida (UF) where she won five SEC Championships, participated in five NCAA Tournaments, and three Final Four Tournament appearances. In honor of her relentless effort, hard work, and dedication, the UF volleyball program established the "Claire Roach Defensive Award," which is still presented annually to the best defensive player on the team. She graduated from UF in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise and sports science and a concentration in sports management.

Raised in Clearwater, Florida Lessinger was named the Tampa Tribune’s 1992 High School Athlete of the Year and the 1993 High School Female Athlete of the Year. Claire was inducted into Clearwater Central Catholic High School’s inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class in 2001 and most recently she was honored as a Distinguished Alumni and presented the Inspiring Excellence Award at her alma mater.  Claire and her husband, Mike resides in Tampa with their two sons Tyler (12) and Tanner (9).

Learn more about Claire Lessinger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lessinger-b4674863/

Produced by Old Soul

Episode #3: Alex Lazarow, Global Venture Investor | Author | Adjunct Professor

In today's episode, Adam sat down with Alex Lazarow.

Alexandre (Alex) Lazarow has spent his career working at the intersection of investing, innovation, and economic development across the private, public, and social sectors. He is a venture capitalist with Cathay Innovation, a global firm that invests across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Previously, Alex worked with Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm that has invested over a billion dollars in hundreds of startups around the world. Alex is an investor in a range of global startups including Chime, Neon, Sidecar Health, Terminal, FinAccel, Facily, Kueski, Kin, Guiabolso, Zola, Rensource, Paga among others.  Previously, Alex served as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Co., a financial regulator with the Bank of Canada, and an M&A investment banker with the Royal Bank of Canada.  Alex is an adjunct professor specializing in social impact investment and entrepreneurship at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. He is a Kauffman Fellow, CFA Charterholder, and CFR Term Member. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.Comm from the University of Manitoba.  Alex's book Out-Innovate: How Global Entrepreneurs - from Delhi to Detroit - Are Rewriting the Rules of Silicon Valley is being published by Harvard Business Review Press in April 2020. Alex is a regular columnist with Forbes, and his writing has been featured in the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, McKinsey Quarterly, Techcrunch, Venturebeat, Business Insider, and CIO Outlook Magazine, among others. He speaks regularly on global innovation trends and has presented at Collision, Endeavor, Insuretech Connect, Harvard Business School, the Social Innovation Summit, SOCAP, and the Corporate Venture Capital Summit.  Get in touch: - Website: alexlazarow.com- Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/27f60b70f8d1/99techsignupform- Book: https://amzn.to/3306fcr- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alex_Lazarow

Learn more about Alex Lazarow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrelazarow/ 

Produced by Old Soul

Episode #1: Ash Kaluarachchi, Cofounder at StartEd | Producer at EDTECH WEEK

In today's episode, Adam sat down with Ask Kaluarachchi.

Ash Kaluarachchi advises and enables growth for organizations solving problems in education and workforce learning. As an entrepreneur and advocate for entrepreneurs he has advised, launched and operated multiple accelerators, including for Techstars, the #1 startup accelerator and mentorship-driven seed stage investment fund in the world. To date, these accelerators have enabled 2,000+ companies, including global EdTech unicorns, in partnership with organizations such as Google, Amazon, Kaplan, Intel, NYU, USC, and the University of Pennsylvania. He was voted one of the Top 100 Influencers in Education Technology by Edtech Digest.

He continues to provide support for founders solving problems for educators, administrators and learners in Pre-K, K-12, HigherEd, Workforce and Adult Learning as CEO at Started Inc (www.started.com), which provides intensive mentorship and access to a network of experienced edtech mentors and investors. He is also the Producer of EDTECH WEEK (www.edtechweek.com), a global distance learning and networking event for global education leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers, and educators. Ash has an MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and economics from Grinnell College.

Learn more about Ash Kaluarachchi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashanthaik/ 

Produced by Old Soul