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Brent Bushnell is an entrepreneur and engineer focused on experiences for entertainment and learning. He's the founder of Two Bit Circus, a live entertainment company that builds and exhibits all-ages, social attractions. He’s chairman of the non-profit Two Bit Foundation which uses games and play to inspire students about invention. Brent is a Sir Edmund Hillary Fellow, a supporter of Clowns Without Borders and publishes on social media @brentbushnell.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Brent’s journey from arcade builder to education innovator unfolded.
• The origin and impact of the STEAM Carnival and how it helped reframe STEM learning through art and play.
• Why clean waste is a powerful, untapped resource for hands-on learning in schools.
• How DIY arcade cabinets are empowering students to learn CAD, electronics, business—and earn income.
• The exciting future of immersive learning with escape rooms, virtual reality, and AI-guided experiences.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:33] How a viral OK Go music video accidentally sparked an education movement
[00:04:49] “STEAM not STEM”: Why art is essential to innovation
[00:08:45] Inside the Two Bit Foundation’s clean waste model and its success in LAUSD
[00:13:10] The Open Source Arcade Project: A full-spectrum STEAM learning experience
[00:21:26] The evolution of the maker and open-source movements
[00:27:58] How AI can bridge the gap for students lacking tech or coding skills
[00:34:25] New venue in Santa Monica: Turning entertainment spaces into learning spaces

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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.

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Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down a pivotal week of AI announcements, edtech disruption, and education policy shifts.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] China introduces AI education for 6-year-olds, sparking urgency for U.S. to respond
[00:05:23] OpenAI teases a creative writing model as Google and Anthropic push into coding AI
[00:07:59] Gemini Canvas and Deep Research go free, redefining educational productivity tools
[00:11:09] Copyright clash: OpenAI wants to train on protected content, creatives push back
[00:14:02] Gemini’s UI outpaces OpenAI with real classroom use cases
[00:17:54] Chain of Draft from Zoom cuts AI costs by 90% and mimics human note-taking
[00:18:34] Baidu, Alibaba launch emotion-reading and multi-modal AI models in China
[00:20:50] Manus, China’s autonomous AI agent, sparks global interest in multi-agent systems
[00:23:36] U.S. vs. China: centralized AI strategy meets decentralized innovation culture
[00:27:57] U.S. Education Dept. shutters Office of Ed Tech, leaving a national guidance gap

Plus, special guests:

[00:30:11] Annie Chechitelli, CPO at Turnitin, on launching Clarity for ethical student AI use
[01:03:49] Sara Mauskopf, CEO & Co-founder of Winnie, on expanding into K-12 and the rise of school choice

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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.

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Lawton Smith is a literacy advocate focused on adolescent reading engagement and the co-founder and CEO of Literal (LiteralApp.com). Praised as a “game changer”, a “Top Tech for Advanced Learners of ELA”, and awarded a rare five stars out-of-five for “Student Engagement” by Common Sense Media, Literal is an all-in-one digital reading platform for modern classrooms that is fundamentally changing what it means to read books on screens.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why reading scores have declined for over a decade
2. How Literal makes classic texts engaging through chat-based formats
3. The impact of long-form reading on soft skills and mental health
4. How AI is used to scaffold texts with translation, rephrasing, and leveling
5. Why playful, personalized reading boosts student engagement

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:01:17] What Literal is and how it's addressing the reading crisis
[00:04:45] Key factors behind the long-term decline in reading
[00:09:45] Adapting books to match students’ media habits
[00:16:20] Lawton’s personal journey losing and regaining reading focus
[00:23:12] Turning novels into chat conversations with avatars
[00:32:56] Expanding the Literal library beyond public domain
[00:36:31] How AI powers Literal’s reading support tools

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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.

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In this special episode, we sit down with three innovative Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) students who are exploring cutting-edge applications of AI in education. 

Michael Chrzan is a Master’s student and Dean’s Fellow in the Education Data Science program at Stanford. A former Master Teacher in Detroit, he taught Mathematics and AP Computer Science for seven years. His research uses machine learning to predict large-scale school closures and inform equitable decision-making.

Matías Hoyl is a Computer Science graduate from Chile and an edtech entrepreneur who has founded two startups focused on improving learning through technology. He led a coding bootcamp for women in Latin America, helping them launch tech careers. At Stanford, he is researching AI applications in education, including synthetic student simulations and AI-generated teaching tools.

Samin Khan is an AI researcher specializing in K-12 and higher education and currently an AI Research Scientist at Kiddom. His work focuses on developing AI models for curriculum development, lesson planning, and grading. At Stanford’s Education NLP Lab, he researches dialogue-based pedagogy and student engagement using large language models.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How AI-powered predictive modeling can help districts plan for school closures.
2. The potential of synthetic students to improve assessment design and instruction.
3. How AI is supporting teachers with curriculum implementation and real-time feedback.
4. Why AI tutors may not improve student learning outcomes as expected.
5. The risks and opportunities of AI in education, especially for equity and accessibility.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:06:07] Michael Chrzan on using machine learning to predict school closures.
[00:10:51] Samin Khan on AI’s role in lesson planning and teacher feedback.
[00:16:37] Matías Hoyl on simulating student learning with AI-powered models.
[00:24:09] Balancing AI research with real-world edtech applications.
[00:31:39] The importance of data, bias, and transparency in AI for education.
[00:46:11] Will AI improve or widen equity gaps in education?

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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.

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This Week in Edtech, Ben Kornell and guest co-host Matthew Rascoff, Vice Provost for Digital Education at Stanford University, break down the latest headlines shaping education, technology, and policy. From major federal education cuts to AI’s growing role in schools and higher ed, this episode unpacks the forces reshaping learning today.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:06:02] U.S. Department of Education lays off 30% of staff.
[00:12:07] Education research funding faces uncertainty.
[00:17:26] 80% of teachers now use AI in lesson planning.
[00:18:57] 82% of K-12 schools report cyber incidents.
[00:21:26] Stanford’s new policy bans banning AI in student work
[00:28:07] AI’s future in education—Matthew Rascoff’s “Humanity in the Loop” framework.
[00:36:11] Duolingo shares its company playbook.
[00:42:12] AI-driven public education data and procurement.
[00:44:11] Sanoma’s latest acquisition in AI-powered learning.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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.

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Michelle Rhee is currently a Venture Partner at Equal Opportunity Ventures, investing in companies driving social mobility and impact. Previously, she served as Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of BuildWithin, a workforce learning platform transforming hiring and development, as well as CEO of StudentsFirst, an education advocacy nonprofit that successfully advanced 140+ pieces of new legislation across 18 states. Ms. Rhee was DC’s first Chancellor under Mayoral control of the 50,000-student public school district. She also founded The New Teacher Project to help public school districts and states recruit and train teachers for hard-to-staff schools.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How alternative pathways and skills-based hiring are reshaping the future of education and work.
2. The role of AI in connecting young people to meaningful careers beyond the traditional college route.
3. Why potential over credential is becoming a powerful investment thesis for workforce startups.
4. The investment opportunities in workforce development and non-college track solutions.
5. How education savings accounts (ESAs) and innovative partnerships might transform K-12 education.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:51] The shift from college-for-all to workforce readiness.
[00:05:42] Why skills-based hiring is the future of work.
[00:07:29] Investment opportunities in alternative education paths.
[00:10:20] Using AI to connect young people to careers.
[00:12:10] Stepful's success in accelerated healthcare training.
[00:15:43] The impact of new education policies on K-12.
[00:19:37] AI and ESAs as tools to future-proof education.
[00:20:38] Michelle Rhee's career advice for the next generation.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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

This Week in Edtech, Alex Sarlin and guest host, Claire Zau  explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs to new VR tools and evolving strategies of tech giants.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:00] Preview of the ASU GSV Conference’s AI show and its impact on education innovation.
[00:05:00] OpenAI’s partnerships with California State University and Estonia to scale AI in education.
[00:09:00] ChatGPT reaches 400 million weekly active users, highlighting its growing role in education.
[00:12:00] Google’s Co-Scientist tool and Career Dreamer aim to personalize learning and career pathways.
[00:23:00] Chegg’s lawsuit against Google raises questions about AI’s impact on SEO and business models.
[00:27:00] Anthropic’s new 3.7 model introduces hybrid reasoning with implications for education.
[00:33:00] Meta’s renewed push to integrate VR in classrooms to boost engagement.
[00:36:00] Microsoft’s Muse model generates real-time gameplay environments for learning simulations.
[00:39:00] The potential of AI-driven simulations for personalized and immersive education.
[00:46:00] Claire’s advice for EdTech entrepreneurs on integrating AI effectively.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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.

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An organizational and leadership development expert, Bjorn Billhardt has designed leadership development programs and collaborated with world-class institutions for two decades. Since 2015, Bjorn has been CEO of Abilitie, a provider of leadership development & mini-MBA programs. Abilitie’s programs have educated over 100,000 learners worldwide. Prior to founding Abilitie, Bjorn was Co-founder and CEO of Enspire Learning, Inc. Bjorn holds a BA from the University of Texas & an MBA from Harvard Business School.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in this Episode:

1. How AI is transforming leadership training through real-time simulations.
2. Why business education should focus on judgment, not just knowledge.
3. The power of AI in social learning and group collaboration.
4. How AI can enhance professional skills like hiring and management.
5. The growing impact of mini MBAs in corporate education.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:37] Why leadership is about judgment and the future of MBA programs.
[00:05:43] AI-powered simulations and decision-making in training.
[00:10:38] Adaptive AI in professional development and business training.
[00:16:48] AI’s potential to enhance social learning and collaboration.
[00:22:20] AI as an assistant for hiring, management, and leadership.
[00:33:32] The rise of mini MBAs and alternative business education.
[00:36:00] Why transfer skills matter more than memorization.
[00:38:35] Final thoughts on AI’s future in leadership development.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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

This week in EdTech, Alex and Ben break down the latest trends in AI and EdTech.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:27] Key takeaways from the Bay Area EdTech Summit.
[00:04:55] BrainPop’s CEO change and what it signals for edtech.
[00:06:29] The decline of gamification and shifting user engagement.
[00:10:37] BrainPop’s business model and Lego’s long-term vision.
[00:13:50] AI’s next leap—deep reasoning and memory-driven models.
[00:17:56] Where edtech companies can still create real AI value.
[00:19:14] The rise of AI-powered learning companions.
[00:22:36] The edtech job market squeeze and hiring slowdowns.
[00:23:45] ASU GSV, AI in game development, and upcoming events.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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.

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Pierre Dubuc is the co-founder and CEO of OpenClassrooms, the leading online education platform with about 300k students a month. The school offers unlimited access to hundreds of free courses, as well as complete 100% online training programs for some of today’s most sought-after careers. OpenClassrooms' courses and learning content are produced in-house, and follow a unique pedagogy which relies on scenario-based projects and mentoring from experts in their respective fields.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How degree apprenticeships are replacing traditional internships.
2. Why AI is reshaping both education and job training.
3. What’s holding the U.S. back from scaling apprenticeships.
4. How OpenClassrooms integrates education with real jobs.
5. The future of career-focused learning and credentialing.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:18] Pierre Dubuc shares how OpenClassrooms evolved from an online coding hobby.
[00:04:22] The disconnect between higher ed and employment – and how to fix it.
[00:07:17] Why paid apprenticeships are more effective than internships.
[00:09:33] A real success story: From high school graduate to six-figure career.
[00:14:10] Breaking down the barriers to apprenticeship adoption in the U.S.
[00:21:36] How AI is accelerating job placement and training.
[00:29:41] AI-powered learning companions help students stay on track.
[00:34:37] OpenClassrooms is making job training count for college credit.
[00:37:18] Pierre’s vision for an integrated education-to-employment system.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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

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.