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

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How Sizzle AI uses bite-sized, adaptive learning to help students study more effectively.
2. Why Jerome left big tech to tackle educational challenges with AI.
3. The evolving role of homework and assessments in the age of generative AI.
4. How AI can personalize learning paths and study plans for individual learners.
5. The future vision for AI as a lifelong learning companion across school, work, and personal interests.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:21] Sizzle AI turns study guides into personalized learning paths.
[00:03:10] Jerome shares why he left Meta to focus on AI for learning.
[00:05:45] Test prep mode boosts readiness with smart study plans.
[00:06:51] Students love Sizzle for making hard content manageable.
[00:08:18] Gamification features are coming soon to enhance engagement.
[00:09:16] Why Sizzle chose a direct-to-learner approach over schools.
[00:11:00] AI shows steps, not just answers, to promote real learning.
[00:14:36] AI can assess student readiness, not just complete tasks.
[00:17:29] Future of testing: both AI-assisted and AI-free formats.
[00:20:14] Sizzle already supports learning beyond the classroom.
[00:23:04] The role of personality in AI study companions.
[00:25:03] Using data to drive learning science at scale.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text

For this Week in EdTech Part 2, Alex Sarlin interviews two visionary founders tackling early education and classroom AI from the ground up—with a focus on teacher support, inclusive innovation, and practical AI implementation.

[00:02:12] Yesi Sevilla, CEO of CHALK on why early education must start with supporting teachers
[00:30:55] Ed Buckley and Marlee Strawn, Co-founders of Scholar Education on how AI-powered dog bots support students and teachers

🎧 Missed Part 1? Go back to hear the latest edtech headlines from AI to college guidance gaps.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Matt Tower as they explore the evolving edtech landscape—from rising AI use to old-school solutions for modern challenges.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:20] Banning AI boosts student engagement and brings back handwritten assessments
[00:03:23] Gallup finds AI use in the workplace has doubled in two years
[00:06:15] OpenAI’s college push sparks backlash over trust and cheating concerns
[00:09:30] Professors turn to blue books and flipped classrooms to fight AI plagiarism
[00:13:20] Meta’s $15B investment in Scale AI reshapes the AI training data market
[00:21:40] Poor sleep linked to tech use and lower student performance, says new data
[00:29:01] Study finds most students rely on parents for post-high school plans—and parents don’t know the options

➡️ Go to Part 2 to listen to the guest interviews this week

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text

Eric Swanson currently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Practice and Instructional Products at Renaissance Learning. In this capacity, he works with educators, technologists, and researchers to build best-in-class practice products and experiences that improve academic outcomes for students and educators. Working with the Renaissance Next, myON, Accelerated Reader, Lalilo, and Freckle teams, as well as our Math and Literacy product portfolios and new product ventures, Eric ensures the practice and instruction product strategy, roadmaps, and Go- to-Market activities fit within Renaissance and with our customers’ needs.

Storey Sitwala is Senior Director of Product Management at Renaissance. Throughout her career, she has focused on the challenge of how to scale insight-driven best practices for educators. She has spearheaded and developed innovative solutions across education nonprofits, school systems, and within the education technology sector, leveraging her expertise in information science, data visualization, psychology, and user experience design.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How Renaissance Next streamlines data for teachers
2. The strategy behind Renaissance’s edtech acquisitions
3. Personalization for students, teachers, and leaders
4. Responsible AI use in education
5. Why teacher autonomy stays central in AI design

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:04] Eric on Renaissance’s acquisitions journey
[00:09:17] What Renaissance Next is and why it matters
[00:12:42] Designing dashboards for different users
[00:20:21] What beta testing revealed about real teacher needs
[00:23:30] Balancing AI support with teacher control
[00:32:06] Partnering with core curriculum providers
[00:38:05] Renaissance’s AI ethics and governance
[00:46:28] The future: personalization and faster prototyping

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs to high-stakes funding rounds and institutional shifts in AI strategy.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:45] OpenAI’s $10B Annual Run Rate: ChatGPT drives unprecedented growth
[00:05:12] Anthropic CEO criticizes proposed 10-year ban on state AI regulation
[00:08:04] Google.org Accelerator: New cohort tackling generative AI for good
[00:10:17] News Sites Struggle as Google AI Summarizes Content
[00:13:33] Zuckerberg’s Meta Bets Big: $14B stake in Scale AI and ‘Superintelligence’ team
[00:17:02] Microsoft’s Plan to Rank AI Models by Safety
[00:19:20] Apple Research Paper Questions AI’s Reasoning Power
[00:21:46] Harvard Gets Backing in DEI Lawsuit from Ivies, Alumni
[00:24:09] Education Secretary Suggests Harvard May Regain Federal Grants
[00:26:48] Ohio State Requires AI Fluency Across All Students
[00:30:20] IXL Learning Acquires MyTutor to Expand Global Tutoring Reach
[00:32:55] CodeHS Acquires Tynker to Bolster K-12 CS Content
[00:35:30] Grammarly Secures $1B in Non-Dilutive Funding for M&A

Plus, special guests:

[00:38:12] Rod Danan, Founder of Prentus, on bridging bootcamps to careers with community and coaching
[00:46:10] Lars-Petter Kjos, Co-founder and CPO of We Are Learning, on building generative AI tools for educators to create custom video content at scale

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text

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

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why 2025 may be a defining year for EdTech mergers and acquisitions
2. Key trends driving K-12 district purchasing decisions in today’s uncertain funding climate
3. How small AI companies can strategically position themselves for acquisition
4. What districts really need from AI tools—and why usability is everything
5. How Tuck Advisors supports EdTech founders in mapping their growth and exit strategies

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:01:11] Mike McKenna shares his background in education and M&A
[00:03:37] K-12 districts face funding uncertainty and demand for innovation
[00:06:12] Tuck Advisors focuses on long-term client relationships and timing
[00:10:41] EdTech founders weigh bootstrapping vs. M&A for market access
[00:12:33] AI usage in classrooms is rising but remains mostly surface-level
[00:15:24] Integration and workflow impact are key for AI adoption in schools
[00:17:17] Many AI startups are better suited for acquisition than solo growth
[00:20:28] Access to student data is crucial for impactful AI solutions
[00:22:41] School districts seek data convergence and AI-enhanced insights

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text

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

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why sustainable, capital-efficient growth beats flashy valuations in education technology.
2. How NMVP evaluates impact and efficacy before making investments.
3. The challenges and strategies of scaling edtech companies within slow-moving educational systems.
4. Why aligning incentives across stakeholders—from district leaders to entrepreneurs—is key to success.
5. How AI fits into edtech’s future and why infrastructure partnerships may outlast flashy standalone tools.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:18] From private equity to impact investing in edtech
[00:04:52] Only 15% of the U.S. is well-served by education—huge market gap
[00:05:51] Balancing mission and money in edtech investing
[00:11:30] Why VC might not be right for every founder
[00:16:36] Insights from NMVP portfolio companies like Nexford and BetterLesson
[00:27:22] CreatorUp as a case study in workforce and content innovation
[00:36:37] The importance of aligning with existing school infrastructure
[00:42:54] AI in edtech: picks and shovels, not gold rushes
[00:48:12] Why most edtech exits fall below $300M
[00:54:23] Creating shared success across founders and investors

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text

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

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How Scratch empowers children through creativity, coding, and community.
2. The history and growth of Scratch into a global platform with over 46 million users.
3. The unique philosophy of learning that sets Scratch apart from traditional edtech tools.
4. How Scratch is approaching AI integration to foster exploration and child agency.
5. Why sustainable, mission-driven models are essential for educational platforms.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:27] “There’s no learning without inspiration.”
[00:03:59] Scratch hits 46 million users and 21.5 million new sign-ups in 2024.
[00:06:51] Scratch empowers kids with agency and creative coding.
[00:07:47] Global education shifts toward creativity and problem-solving.
[00:13:50] 35 million studios show Scratch’s thriving peer-to-peer community.
[00:18:29] “It would be impossible to do now what Scratch did then.”
[00:24:34] Scratch explores AI as a tool for creativity, not instruction.
[00:32:29] A museum exhibit inspires a child: “I have superpowers.”
[00:34:15] Rethinking education to match the pace of technological change.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs to new VC investments and edtech reports.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:10] Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn says AI is more scalable than teachers, sparking debate on the future of educators
[00:10:45] Google I/O 2025 introduces Gemini 2.5, Project Astra, and real-time AI translation with broad implications for edtech
[00:18:30] OpenAI launches Codex, a cloud-based AI assistant transforming coding education and developer workflows

Plus, special guests:

[00:33:40] Senan Khawaja, Co-founder & CEO at Kollegio, on using AI to reimagine and personalize the college admissions process

[00:51:04] Rebecca Taber Staehelin & Connor Diemand-Yauman, Co-Founders & Co-CEOs of Merit America on bridging the skills gap with affordable tech career pathways

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Send us a text

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

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why handwriting remains essential in today’s tech-driven classrooms.
2. How Jotit integrates handwriting, AI, and executive function tools for students.
3. The multimodal learning approach and its benefits for diverse learners.
4. Innovative features Jotit provides to empower teachers in digital classrooms.
5. Insights into building strong partnerships with Google and Owl Ventures.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:01:30] David Bleicher introduces Jotit: blending traditional handwriting with advanced technology.
[00:03:00] How David’s personal mission to help his son Uri inspired Jotit’s creation.
[00:08:16] The cognitive benefits of handwriting and its irreplaceable value in education.
[00:11:00] Jotit's multimodal approach: handwriting, typing, voice—all in one platform.
[00:14:45] Tools for teachers: streetlight control, lockdown mode, and real-time classroom interactivity.
[00:18:30] Why simplicity in classroom tech design is critical to teacher adoption.
[00:21:43] Redefining digital classrooms with tailored tech—not repurposed entertainment devices.
[00:23:07] Strategic partnerships: How Jotit collaborates with Google and Owl Ventures for scale and impact.
[00:26:30] Jotit's future and David’s continued mission to impact millions through foundational learning tools.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.