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As CEO and Co-Founder of Learnosity, Gavin Cooney still talks about the company he helped build over a decade ago with an infectious zeal. It’s easy to see why: what began as a project in a garden shed (a cliché maybe, but 100% true!) has matured into an internationally renowned tech company with a 200-strong crew of problem-solvers. Since Gav believes that all social ills can be remedied through education, his modus operandi is pretty simple: give education the standard of technology it deserves.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How Learnosity empowers EdTech platforms with AI-driven assessment tools.
2. The transformative role of AI in reducing teacher workloads and enhancing feedback.
3. What makes Learnosity’s essay-scoring tool uniquely efficient and cost-effective.
4. The importance of specialized EdTech solutions versus general AI tools.
5. Gavin’s vision for the future of AI and assessment in education.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:23] Gavin Cooney shares Learnosity’s global impact: 40M users and 19B questions delivered annually.
[00:03:38] How AI-driven essay scoring saves teachers hours of grading time each week.
[00:06:48] Learnosity’s cutting-edge AI achieves unmatched scoring accuracy at just one cent per essay.
[00:10:25] Why Learnosity focuses on enhancing teacher feedback rather than replacing educators.
[00:13:54] The balance between general AI tools and Learnosity’s specialized capabilities.
[00:18:10] Learnosity’s strategic pivot to invest heavily in AI development and innovation.
[00:24:02] Gav’s optimistic outlook on AI as the “100-year wave” reshaping education.

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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

Trish Sparks leads Clever as CEO. Previously she was VP of Customer Success and Sales. Trish came to Clever with a wealth of executive leadership experience at companies such as LinkedIn, where she scaled a global customer success organization, and at DemandBase, where she was Chief Customer Officer. As a North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholar, she started her career as a middle school teacher in Wake County Public Schools. Trish holds BS degrees in Business and Education as well as an MBA from Meredith College. After living in the Bay Area for 20 years, Trish now resides in Chapel Hill, NC.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How Clever has grown to serve 28 million students and teachers across the U.S.
2. The role of digital identity platforms in securing and simplifying education technology.
3. Insights from Clever’s “Classroom of the Future” report on AI adoption in education.
4. How AI and automation are reducing teacher workloads and improving teaching conditions.
5. Clever’s innovative cybersecurity solutions tailored for K-12 schools.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:47] Trish’s journey from teaching to leading Clever and her passion for EdTech.
[00:04:54] The critical role of identity platforms in protecting student data and facilitating digital learning.
[00:08:04] Key findings from Clever’s “Classroom of the Future” report
[00:09:41] The rapid adoption of AI in EdTech and its evolving role in education
[00:11:12] Cybersecurity challenges in K-12 schools and Clever’s solutions to mitigate risks.
[00:14:44] Exciting EdTech trends, from addressing teacher shortages to advancing student data protection.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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 in this Thanksgiving edition of "Week in Edtech" as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from groundbreaking AI innovations to edtech controversies and funding milestones.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:16] 🧠 Edtech Insiders publishes AI tool market map with 300+ tools across 60 use cases
[00:05:39] 🌐 Google AI Summit recap featuring LearnLM and Gemini’s memory feature
[00:14:57] 🎥 OpenAI’s leaked Sora video generator sparks ethical debates
[00:18:08] 📚 TikTok’s study tools trend raises concerns about gamified learning
[00:27:38] 💰 Amazon invests $4 billion in Anthropic to deepen AI ties
[00:32:10] ⚖️ AllHere founder charged with fraud impacts trust in edtech startups
[00:40:53] 🏫 MIT, UT, and others announce free tuition for low-income families

Plus Special Guest:
[00:46:02] 🎙️ Brett Waikart, Co-founder & CEO of Skillfully, discusses skills-based hiring and future of work.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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

Laura K. Ipsen is president and chief executive officer of Ellucian, the leading technology solutions provider for more than 2,900 higher education institutions in more than 50 countries. She has more than 25 years of experience as a technology executive in Silicon Valley, driving transformation in the public and private sectors and spurring adoption of comprehensive solutions in high-growth industries at Oracle Corporation, Microsoft and Cisco Systems. Earlier in her career, Ipsen also held leadership roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Acer America, and Hitachi Data Systems.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How AI is transforming higher education, from predictive analytics to enrollment success.
2. Insights from Ellucian’s latest AI survey, highlighting adoption challenges and opportunities.
3. The evolving value of a four-year degree in a tech-driven job market.
4. How technology can alleviate FAFSA challenges and improve financial aid accessibility.
5. The potential of a holistic, data-driven approach to student engagement and success.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:45] Laura Ipsen on Ellucian’s AI survey and industry readiness for AI adoption.
[00:12:30] Demonstrating the ROI of degrees through skill alignment and data insights.
[00:18:50] The importance of SaaS and data integration for institutional efficiency.
[00:25:40] Addressing FAFSA challenges with technology-driven financial aid solutions.
[00:32:15] Using AI to predict and address student needs and improve retention.
[00:40:10] How the Journey platform connects education to lifelong career success.
[00:48:20] Revolutionizing higher ed productivity through AI-driven administration.

Resources Mentioned:

• Ellucian AI Survey
• Student Voice Report
• EdUp Experience Podcast
• Paul LeBlanc’s Work on AI in Higher Ed

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow

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

Matt Given is an experienced education technology leader and the CEO of Seesaw, a groundbreaking learning experience platform designed for PreK-5 students. With over 20 years of experience in education and edtech leadership, Matt has held executive roles at Kaplan, Catapult Learning, and EdisonLearning. Known for his expertise in universal design for learning and his ability to bridge the gap between home and classroom, Matt is a driving force behind Seesaw's mission to create accessible and engaging learning tools.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How Seesaw connects teachers, students, parents, and administrators through its unique “learning loop.”
2. The evolution of Seesaw from a communication tool to a robust learning experience platform.
3. How AI enhances teacher workflows on Seesaw while keeping the focus on human-centered learning.
4. The role of inclusive design and feedback from over 100,000 teacher ambassadors in shaping Seesaw’s products.
5. The future of edtech tools in streamlining resources and fostering human connections in classrooms.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:22] Streamlining teacher workflows and improving classroom outcomes with Seesaw.
[00:03:13] Reflections on 25 years in edtech and the evolution of digital learning tools.
[00:07:16] Universal design for pre-readers and special populations.
[00:11:38] Seesaw’s COVID-19 transformation and post-pandemic innovations.
[00:16:45] Digital portfolios tracking student progress over time.
[00:29:20] Teacher ambassadors shaping product development with real-world feedback.
[00:36:14] Cautiously integrating AI for fluency assessments and translation.

😎 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 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

Arman Jaffer is the founder and CEO of Brisk Teaching. Brisk is an AI tool that helps educators personalize their instruction and save hours of time on administrative tasks.

Emily Bennett currently serves as a Principal investor at Owl Ventures. 

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How Brisk Teaching’s AI tools streamline teacher workflows and enhance instructional efficiency.
2. The vision for AI in edtech, focusing on student-centered, adaptive learning through tools like Brisk Boost.
3. Key insights into Owl Ventures’ investment strategy in AI-focused edtech solutions.
4. The critical factors for edtech startups navigating the current funding landscape.
5. The future of student-facing AI in education and its impact on teaching and learning.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:22] How AI enhances insights into student thinking for improved instruction.
[00:01:49] Brisk Teaching's AI tools streamline teacher workflows with automation.
[00:05:09] Owl Ventures' perspective on investing in high-impact AI edtech.
[00:07:20] Brisk’s integration into teachers’ daily workflows across platforms.
[00:13:03] The shift toward student-focused AI for personalized learning.
[00:20:35] Use case for Brisk Boost’s interactive student tutoring aligned with learning objectives.
[00:30:26] Practical advice for edtech entrepreneurs on navigating the funding landscape.

✨ EdTech Insiders+ Members' Exclusive:

Don’t miss the overtime episode with Arman & Emily, where they go beyond the main conversation to discuss:

• Advice for founders on building impactful edtech products
• Sustainable business models for AI in education
• Essentials for creating responsible, student-focused AI

Subscribe to EdTech Insiders+ to access this exclusive content, get first dibs on event announcements, tickets and more!

😎 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:

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 for a post-election edition of "Week in Edtech," featuring insights from Anna Edwards and Ben Wallerstein of Whiteboard Advisors. 

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:16] 🇺🇸 New trends in education policy post-election
[00:04:42] 🏛️ Why state policies will shape the future of K-12 education
[00:08:10] 💸 The looming financial gap for districts as ESSER funds expire
[00:10:57] 🏢 Republicans’ potential plans to restructure or abolish the Education Department
[00:19:50] 📉 Navigating a shifting landscape and finding opportunities in state funding
[00:28:32] 🛠️ Rising focus on workforce readiness and career pathways
[00:33:55] 📈 A move toward flexible, formative assessment models in K-12
[00:36:08] 🤖 Anna Edwards on AI's expanding role in K-12 education
[00:42:04] 🚀 Federal policies open doors for flexibility and innovation in education

Plus Special Guests:

[00:55:33] 🎙️ Kavitta Ghai, CEO of Nectir, discusses how AI is transforming student support and boosting engagement in higher education

[01:18:41] 🎙️ Lindsay Dworkin, SVP of Policy and Government Affairs at HMH, shares insights on adapting edtech strategy amidst policy changes

😎 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 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

Chuck Cohn is the Founder, Chairman & CEO of Nerdy (parent company of Varsity Tutors). Chuck founded the company in 2007 during his junior year of college after experiencing frustration finding the personalized help he needed for a calculus course. He spent his early career working in energy & power investment banking at Wells Fargo Securities (Wachovia) and healthcare private equity at Ascension Ventures, an $800M AUM private equity fund. Chuck bootstrapped Nerdy before leaving his private equity role to focus on growing Nerdy full-time at the end of 2011.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Varsity Tutors scaled from a startup to a public company and the evolving business model for reaching individual and institutional customers.
• The critical role of “high-dosage tutoring” in overcoming learning loss and why regular, personalized sessions outperform on-demand solutions.
• How AI tools are enhancing personalized education by creating adaptive lesson plans and optimizing tutor-student matching.
• The challenges and strategies in transitioning from direct-to-consumer to B2B in the K-12 education sector.
• The future of AI in tutoring, including real-time translation and adaptive content, and how it’s reshaping the role of human tutors.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:07] Chuck’s founding story of Nerdy and his vision for accessible tutoring
[00:05:20] Scaling Varsity Tutors from individual tutoring to institutional partnerships.
[00:07:27] Early entrepreneurial lessons from bootstrapping and finance
[00:13:17] Ensuring quality through effective tutor-student matching.
[00:16:45] Why high-dosage, relationship-based tutoring drives better outcomes
[00:24:10] Balancing logistics with personalization in tutoring.
[00:30:46] Chuck’s outlook on sustainable tutoring post-ESSER funding
[00:35:00] How AI enhances personalization and tutor matching at Varsity Tutors
[00:41:03] Consistent tutoring's impact on improving school attendance
[00:50:06] The promise of real-time language translation for ELL students.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow Edtech Insiders on Linked

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

Mark Miller is the founder and Managing Director of Good Harbor Partners (GHP), a boutique M&A advisory firm specializing in the education technology and publishing sectors. With over 20 years of experience as an edtech entrepreneur and advisor, Miller has a proven track record in guiding Pre-K-12, Higher Education, and Workforce clients through strategic growth, fundraising, and successful exits. A co-founder of LearnLaunch and a dedicated member of Cornell’s Entrepreneurship Advisory Board, Miller is widely respected for his contributions to the edtech ecosystem and frequently shares his insights as a speaker at industry events.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to decide when to stay and grow or pursue an acquisition.
• The importance of a clear capital strategy in today’s funding landscape.
• Key factors edtech entrepreneurs should consider at major inflection points.
• How AI developments are influencing the edtech M&A landscape.
• Challenges in securing sustainable funding for K-12 and higher ed amid economic uncertainties.

✨ Episode Highlights

[00:03:13] From Cornell to edtech, winning a business plan competition to building companies
[00:10:18] Creating 'Take Note' as an early publishing venture at Cornell
[00:19:51] Transition to M&A, guiding entrepreneurs on growth and exit decisions
[00:26:19] Profitability and sustainability as essentials in today’s edtech
[00:32:17] Common pitfalls in capital strategy and valuation for startups
[00:47:27] AI and M&A, how big edtech views acquisitions in the AI market
[01:03:10] Key resources from top thinkers in edtech policy and strategy

😎 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 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

Libby Hills co-leads the Jacobs Foundation’s global EdTech investment portfolio, focusing on the intersection of technology, research, and education. With over 15 years in education, including roles in teaching, tech leadership, and charity boards, she also co-hosts the Ed-Technical podcast. Libby holds degrees in Education and Social Business from Oxford and LSE.

Owen Henkel is an AI in Education researcher at the University of Oxford, specializing in natural language processing for foundational literacy and numeracy. He leads the R&D team for Rori, a chatbot for personalized math tutoring on low-cost mobile phones, and co-hosts Ed-Technical with Libby. Owen has a dual MBA/MA from the University of Michigan and is completing his Ph.D. at Oxford.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The future of AI-powered tutoring and its potential impact.
• Key components that make tutoring effective.
• Jacobs Foundation’s approach to cost-effective hybrid AI-human models.
• Current limitations of AI in understanding student learning.
• New UK government initiatives supporting AI in education.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:22] Generative AI’s limitations in understanding student learning.
[00:00:57] Carnegie Mellon’s AI-human hybrid tutoring model.
[00:04:37] Four pillars of effective high-dosage tutoring.
[00:08:17] History and evolution of intelligent tutoring systems (ITS).
[00:11:26] Rori, a math tutoring chatbot for underserved regions.
[00:17:18] Hybrid models reducing tutoring costs and training needs.
[00:24:42] AI modeling new thinking processes for students.
[00:26:35] UK government-backed AI content hubs and resources.
[00:31:32] Raising minimum quality standards in education with AI.

😎 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:

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.