Edtech Insiders

Kristin Vincent is VP of Product at Learning Commons, where she leads teams focused on scaling proven teaching and learning practices. She has spent 20 years building Edtech products, including leadership roles at Pearson and K12.com/Strive.

Brian Johnsrud, PhD is OpenAI’s Global Head of Educational Engagement. A former K-12 teacher, college lecturer, and education technology researcher, he focuses on helping educators and students use AI to build skills, agency, and new possibilities for learning.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How Learning Commons’ knowledge graph grounds AI in education data.
2. Why AI for teachers needs to improve quality, not just efficiency.
3. How teachers are using AI for personalization and lesson planning.
4. Why access, support, and trust matter for AI adoption.
5. How AI is changing Edtech co-design and collaboration.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:05:42] Bringing education data into ChatGPT.
[00:09:27] Making AI outputs more trustworthy for teachers.
[00:12:15] Why educators need accessible AI tools.
[00:18:00] Teachers using AI to design for their unique classrooms.
[00:23:33] AI accelerates collaboration between educators, researchers, and Edtech companies.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

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.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they unpack New York City and Los Angeles school AI restrictions, the launch of a new AI tutor from Aristotle, and how Salesforce is supporting educators, students, and career pathways in the AI era.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:01:57] AI, cognitive offloading, and the future of learning
[00:06:21] New York City restricts student-facing AI tools in schools
[00:11:13] AI, edtech, and the growing technology backlash
[00:15:08] The paradox of banning AI in schools
[00:22:58] AI policy across New York, Los Angeles, and Miami-Dade

Plus, special guests:
[00:33:49] Shan Reddy and Vivek Vajipey, Co-founders of Aristotle, on building an AI tutor designed around pedagogy and student learning
[01:01:15] Dr. Ron C. Smith, VP of Philanthropy at Salesforce, on supporting educators, students, and career pathways in the AI era

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

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 brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Nils Gilman is Senior Advisor to the Berggruen Institute, an intellectual historian by training and a widely published essayist on the future of higher education and AI's impact on work and learning. His writing has appeared in Noema, The New York Times, Foreign Policy, and many other venues. He holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley.

Hosted by Matthew Rascoff
This episode is part of the Edtech Insiders HigherEd Podcast Series, featuring conversations with leaders shaping the future of higher education.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. How AI is disrupting traditional assessment.
2. What students should learn when AI can do the work.
3. Why trust, taste, and goal-setting matter.
4. How the “multiversity” could be reimagined.
5. What AI-enabled, social learning could look like.

✨ Episode Highlights
[00:14:20] AI disrupts the term paper and problem set.
[00:17:41] Trust, taste, and goals as uniquely human capabilities.
[00:21:59] Rethinking the classroom as a social experience.
[00:25:37] The future of the “multiversity.”
[00:47:09] Can personalized education scale?

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

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 brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Emily Freitag is Co-founder and CEO of Instruction Partners, a nonprofit focused on strengthening instructional leadership and support for educators. She previously served as Assistant Commissioner of Curriculum and Instruction for the Tennessee Department of Education and began her career as a seventh-grade math teacher in Louisiana.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. What 20 AI products look like in real classrooms.
2. Where AI is helping and hurting student learning.
3. Why schools should identify instructional needs before choosing technology.
4. How teachers shape the impact of AI tools.
5. What makes an AI product truly valuable for students.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:02:16] The AI in Action Learning Tour
[00:08:26] What AI looks like in real classrooms
[00:11:54] AI and better feedback for student writing
[00:14:11] Start with instructional needs, not products
[00:18:06] The teacher’s role in effective tech use
[00:22:21] Designing AI around learning outcomes
[00:26:49] Why educators should be edtech partners 

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

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.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Vinitra Swamy is the CEO and Co-founder of Scholé AI, a UC Berkeley and EPFL spinoff building AI-native learning for the future of work. A former Microsoft AI engineer and AI-for-education PhD, she focuses on bringing learning science, personalization, and AI together to transform adult learning.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How AI enables truly personalized learning.
2. Why Scholé uses multiple AI agents to teach.
3. How learning science shapes AI-native education.
4. The future of learning in the flow of work.
5. How AI can connect learning with real-world outcomes.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:03:27] Vinitra’s journey in AI for education
[00:06:54] The future of personalized learning
[00:13:49] Scholé’s multi-agent learning system
[00:25:31] Bringing learning science into AI
[00:34:31] Learning by doing, in the flow of work
[00:37:40] AI assistants and the future of learning
[00:45:50] The shift from reactive to proactive AI

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

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 brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Paul LeBlanc is the former president of Southern New Hampshire University, the largest non-profit provider of online higher education in the country. His new book, Reclaiming Purpose: The University in an AI World, examines how higher education can respond proactively to leverage the rise of artificial intelligence and reconnect to its essential task of helping students discover lives of purpose. 

Hosted by Matthew Rascoff
This episode is part of the Edtech Insiders HigherEd Podcast Series, featuring conversations with leaders shaping the future of higher education.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How AI could reshape higher education and work
2. Why human connection will remain central to learning
3. The evolving role of teachers in an AI-powered classroom
4. Why human-centered skills and the liberal arts may make a comeback
5. How universities can help shape a better AI future

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:06:02] How AI is reshaping work and learning
[00:08:39] AI as the next chapter of the digital revolution
[00:24:02] Why human relationships matter in learning
[00:25:00] Rethinking the role of teachers
[00:42:05] Gen Z’s growing AI backlash
[00:49:05] What if AI goes “radically right”?

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

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 brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Nir Zicherman is the CEO of Oboe. Oboe's mission is to teach one billion people one trillion things. In 2015, Nir co-founded Anchor, which grew to become the world's largest podcasting platform. After Spotify acquired Anchor in 2019, he led Spotify's expansion into audiobooks as VP of Audiobooks.

💡 5 Things You'll Learn in This Episode

1. Why AI should teach—not just answer questions.
2. How personalized learning paths can outperform traditional chatbots.
3. Lessons from building consumer products that reach millions of users.
4. Why curiosity and intrinsic motivation are the future of learning.
5. How Oboe is reimagining education with AI-native learning experiences.

✨ Episode Highlights

[00:02:08] From Anchor to Oboe: why Nir made the leap from podcasting to AI-powered education.
[00:06:06] Why learning is the next great consumer technology opportunity.[00:10:00] How Oboe builds adaptive learning paths instead of AI chat conversations.
[00:17:12] The biggest flaw in large language models as teachers—and how Oboe addresses it.
[00:21:13] Bringing consumer product design principles to education.
[00:26:06] The vision to teach one billion people one trillion things.
[00:31:28] Why intrinsic motivation and curiosity are the future of AI-powered learning.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

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 brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Join hosts Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin as they break down new federal guidance on edtech evidence and efficacy, the growing backlash against AI and big tech in schools, Harvard's AI faculty avatars, and MIT's evolving approach to teaching and learning in the AI era.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:04:47] U.S. Department of Education issues edtech evidence guidance
[00:14:21] AI tutoring research highlights mastery-based learning
[00:16:36] The growing backlash against AI and big tech in schools
[00:19:02] OpenAI announces 55 school district partnerships
[00:20:50] Should big tech be in schools?
[00:29:57] Harvard launches AI faculty avatars for student practice
[00:35:41] MIT rethinks teaching and assessment for the AI era

Plus, special guests:
[00:39:42] Carl Madi, Co-founder and CEO of Stepful, on expanding healthcare career pathways through employer partnerships, AI-powered assessment, and scalable workforce training
[00:56:46] Manny Smith, Founder and CEO of EdVisorly, on modernizing college admissions and transfer through AI-powered enrollment operations and more transparent pathways for students

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

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 brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Dr. Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich founded Newstate University in 2026, bringing 20+ years of education leadership from executive roles at SkillsWave, Pearson, LSU and SNHU. She holds a PhD from Kent State and authored "The Power Worker" and "How to Grow Enrollment in Online Higher Education."

Hosted by Matthew Rascoff
This episode is part of the Edtech Insiders HigherEd Podcast Series, featuring conversations with leaders shaping the future of higher education.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why higher ed should be built from first principles.
2. How Newstate is rethinking the cost and structure of college.
3. The case for a one-course-at-a-time model.
4. How AI could reshape higher ed and credentials.
5. Why institutions need to narrow their focus and align incentives.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:02:23] Sasha’s journey to building Newstate University.
[00:06:41] Removing friction from higher education.
[00:11:10] The one-course-at-a-time model.
[00:12:29] Rethinking the economics of college.
[00:18:52] Why colleges should “pick a lane.”
[00:24:21] The future of credentials and skills-based hiring.
[00:37:18] Sasha’s advice for disrupting higher ed.
[00:41:49] How AI is changing information consumption.
[00:48:12] Rethinking student debt.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

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 brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

Aneesh Sohoni is CEO of Teach For America and a former high school English teacher and TFA corps member. He has also led TFA Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana and One Million Degrees.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why leadership matters more than technology in education.
2. How teachers can build practical AI fluency.
3. Teach For America’s 4 Ds framework for using AI.
4. Why AI can’t replace human connection in learning.
5. How teachers are using AI to personalize learning.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:04:45] Teach For America at 35: What’s changed and what hasn’t.
[00:07:45] AI Fluency: Helping teachers use AI effectively.
[00:10:50] AI Won’t Replace Teachers: Why relationships still matter.
[00:11:30] The 4 Ds of AI: Delegate, Describe, Discern, Diligence.
[00:13:27] Teachers as Builders: Educators creating AI-powered tools.
[00:16:09] The Next Generation of Leaders: What new teachers are saying about AI.

Learn more and register for TFA35 here.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Tuck Advisors was founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own companies, frustrated by other m and a firms, they created the one they wished they could have hired but couldn't find. One who understands what matters to founders and whose North Star KPI is the percentage of deals closed. If you're thinking of selling your ed tech company or buying one contact Tuck advisors now.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.