EdTech Startup Showcase

In this episode, Eric Makelky continues his conversation with Christine Braun, Chief Creative Officer at Cresconova Labs, digging deeper into how families can apply the Labs framework at home. Christine shares practical, low-cost ways to teach concepts like geometry and systems thinking through kids' existing interests—from tessellation patterns in fashion, sports jerseys, and Lego architecture to a "moss safari" microorganism project using nothing more than a microscope and backyard moss. She emphasizes teaching kids to ask open-ended questions, always verify AI-generated information, and keep an engineering notebook to document their learning journey and build a portfolio. 

Host Eric Makelky talks with Christine Braun, Chief Creative Officer at Cresconova, about the framework behind Cresconova Labs, the organization's new in-person innovation space. Christine shares her path from furniture designer to Harvard Makerspace director to leading Cresconova Labs, then unpacks the core teaching philosophy: starting with beautiful, open-ended questions, moving through systems thinking, and into design thinking. The conversation turns to AI in education, where Christine introduces a practical human-AI interaction process—question, frame, unpack, own—that helps students engage with AI critically rather than accepting outputs at face value. She offers guidance for both AI-fearful and AI-permissive parents, emphasizing that understanding how AI works (and its built-in biases) empowers families to use it thoughtfully. The episode closes with book recommendations and a preview of the next conversation on experiential learning and flexible thinking.

In this episode of the Cresconova Global podcast, host Eric Makelky sits down with Katie Kelly and Sarah Merkt to explore how Cresconova Global's online enrichment program fits into a child's broader educational journey. Katie and Sarah dive into the personalized support parents receive—from initial learning consultations to ongoing communication and student-facing narrative feedback reports that put kids at the center of their own learning. The conversation covers common parent concerns (screen time, technology readiness, trial classes), how the program serves both traditional-school and homeschool families, and a deep dive into why conceptual, curiosity-driven math instruction beats worksheet-based enrichment. They close with an impressive 78% returning-student rate and practical first steps for curious parents, including free monthly "Sunday Sparks" webinars and low-commitment summer workshops.

Host Eric Makelky sits down with Katie Kelly and Sarah Merkt, of Cresconova Global, an online (and in-person, via Cresconova Labs) enrichment program serving students across five continents. Katie and Sarah unpack their concept of "inspired learning" — designing classes around curiosity-sparking questions rather than rigid skill-based standards — and share real examples, from a class on designing alien life to a lesson born from a power outage. They discuss how they train teachers to follow student curiosity, how classes are structured for different age bands, and how they support parents navigating homeschool and supplemental education choices, including free consultations and their monthly "Student Sparks" webinar series.

Summary

What if education began with the child—not the factory model, the timetable, or a standardized ceiling? In this episode of the EdTech Startup Showcase, Eric Makelky talks with Cresconova founders Yen How Tai and Barbara Yu about building a more personalized, creativity-centered learning experience for children.

Yen and Barbara explain why they created Cresconova Global and Cresconova Lab, how small cohorts and carefully selected master teachers make deeper learning possible, and why their model is designed to complement schools rather than replace them. They also share how multidisciplinary courses, design thinking, hands-on making, and hybrid learning help students move from consuming knowledge to creating something meaningful in the world.

Chapters

Show Notes

Today we're sharing part three of the implementation series from Family Engagement Lab. Elisabeth O'Bryon of Family Engagement Lab and Rayna Flye of Illustrative Mathematics join us to discuss:

• When families say "this isn't how I learned math," what are they really reacting to?

• What teachers understand about today's math instruction that families never get to see

• Why the disconnect often starts with the day-one communication that goes home

• The difference between informing families about instruction and helping them participate in it

• What family math nights and bite-sized, curriculum-aligned communication actually change

• Who owns this work — teachers, school leaders, or curriculum providers?

• The risk a district takes when it adopts a strong curriculum but doesn't bring families along

Listen to Implementation Series, Part 1: The Missing Instructional Layer: https://etss.bepodcast.network/episodes/implementation-series-part-1-the-missing-instructional-layer-with-vidya-sundaram-and-elisabeth-obryon

Listen to Implementation Series, Part 2: Why Good Ideas Fail Quietly in Schools: https://etss.bepodcast.network/episodes/implementation-series-part-2-why-good-ideas-fail-quietly-in-schools-with-vidya-sundaram-and-elisabeth-obryon

Learn more about Family Engagement Lab: https://www.familyengagementlab.org

Learn more about Illustrative Mathematics: https://www.illustrativemathematics.org

About the guests

Elisabeth O'Bryon is co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of Family Engagement Lab. Elisabeth was previously the Director of Research and Evaluation at GreatSchools where she worked to design and implement evaluation projects, with a particular focus on rapid-cycle research approaches. Before GreatSchools, Elisabeth was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence where she contributed to the development and evaluation of school-based social and emotional learning programming for children, teachers, and families. Elisabeth has a doctorate in psychology and experience providing school psychological services to preschool through high school-age students in both English and Spanish. Elisabeth recently co-authored 45 Strategies that Support Young Dual Language Learners, a resource that provides practical, developmentally appropriate strategies for supporting children and families from diverse backgrounds and creating inclusive early childhood classrooms that foster the success of young DLLs. Elisabeth is enjoying the many adventures of parenthood with her husband and sons.

Rayna Flye, PhD, is Senior Specialist in Market and User Insights at Illustrative Mathematics, where she leads research with families, teachers, and district leaders to understand how high-quality math curriculum is experienced in classrooms and at home. A social scientist by training, Rayna specializes in research design, survey development, focus group facilitation, and qualitative and quantitative analysis, and her work on family focus groups informs how curriculum providers and schools communicate instructional change to the families they serve.

About the host

David Cicero is the host of Education Talk Radio on the Be Podcast Network.

• Listen to Education Talk Radio at https://edutalk.bepodcast.network

• Learn about more shows at https://bepodcastnetwork.com

Today we're sharing part two of the implementation series from Family Engagement Lab. Co-founders Vidya Sundaram and Elisabeth O'Bryan join us to discuss:

• When schools launch family engagement initiatives, what typically happens over time?
• What does it mean to "fail quietly?"
• What it typically looks like when a strong idea starts to lose momentum in a school system
• The most common (and least visible) reasons these efforts break down
• What do we miss when we treat this as a teacher or family problem instead of a systems problem?

Listen to Implementation Series, Part 1: The Missing Instructional Layer

Learn more about Family Engagement Lab: https://www.familyengagementlab.org

About the guests
Vidya Sundaram is co-founder and CEO of Family Engagement Lab. Over her nearly 20-year career in family engagement, Vidya has managed development, research, and strategy for digital resources used by more than half of US families with school-aged children. Before founding Family Engagement Lab, Vidya led research and insights at GreatSchools, championing a test and learn culture across the organization. Vidya also has an extensive background in software engineering and technology project management to engage diverse partners, and implement and study digital programs. She holds a degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA and her MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. Vidya is mom to two kids and proud to be part of a lively multigenerational household.​

Elisabeth O'Bryon is co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of Family Engagement Lab. Elisabeth was previously the Director of Research and Evaluation at GreatSchools where she worked to design and implement evaluation projects, with a particular focus on rapid-cycle research approaches. Before GreatSchools, Elisabeth was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence where she contributed to the development and evaluation of school-based social and emotional learning programming for children, teachers, and families. Elisabeth has a doctorate in psychology and experience providing school psychological services to preschool through high school-age students in both English and Spanish. Elisabeth recently co-authored 45 Strategies that Support Young Dual Language Learners, a resource that provides practical, developmentally appropriate strategies for supporting children and families from diverse backgrounds and creating inclusive early childhood classrooms that foster the success of young DLLs. Elisabeth is enjoying the many adventures of parenthood with her husband and sons.

About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and host of The Authority Podcast. 

• Listen to The Authority at https://authoritypodcast.net
• Learn about more shows at https://bepodcastnetwork.com 

Today we're excited to bring you part one of a series from Family Engagement Lab. Co-founders Vidya Sundaram and Elisabeth O'Bryan join us to discuss:

• How the common idea of “family engagement” differs from what families actually need
• The “missing instructional layer” in school-home communication
• The difference between communication that informs families and communication that actually supports learning
• How this shift changes the role of teachers, school leaders, and the system
• If schools got this right, what would families experience differently day to day?

Learn more about Family Engagement Lab: https://www.familyengagementlab.org  

About the guests
Vidya Sundaram is co-founder and CEO of Family Engagement Lab. Over her nearly 20-year career in family engagement, Vidya has managed development, research, and strategy for digital resources used by more than half of US families with school-aged children. Before founding Family Engagement Lab, Vidya led research and insights at GreatSchools, championing a test and learn culture across the organization. Vidya also has an extensive background in software engineering and technology project management to engage diverse partners, and implement and study digital programs. She holds a degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA and her MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. Vidya is mom to two kids and proud to be part of a lively multigenerational household.​

Elisabeth O'Bryon is co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of Family Engagement Lab. Elisabeth was previously the Director of Research and Evaluation at GreatSchools where she worked to design and implement evaluation projects, with a particular focus on rapid-cycle research approaches. Before GreatSchools, Elisabeth was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence where she contributed to the development and evaluation of school-based social and emotional learning programming for children, teachers, and families. Elisabeth has a doctorate in psychology and experience providing school psychological services to preschool through high school-age students in both English and Spanish. Elisabeth recently co-authored 45 Strategies that Support Young Dual Language Learners, a resource that provides practical, developmentally appropriate strategies for supporting children and families from diverse backgrounds and creating inclusive early childhood classrooms that foster the success of young DLLs. Elisabeth is enjoying the many adventures of parenthood with her husband and sons.

About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and host of The Authority Podcast. 

• Listen to The Authority at https://authoritypodcast.net
• Learn about more shows at https://bepodcastnetwork.com 

In this episode of the EdTech Startup Podcast, host Jeff Bradbury interviews Mike Cronley, co-founder and CEO of Class Composer and former third-grade teacher. Mike shares his journey from the classroom to entrepreneurship, sparked by a casual conversation with his school's music teacher about students being incorrectly placed together. This "aha moment" led him to develop Class Composer, a software solution that helps elementary schools create balanced, equitable classroom rosters. Over seven years, Mike transitioned from teaching while developing his idea as a side project to fully committing to his startup. The conversation explores the challenges of the traditional paper-based class placement process, the importance of listening to customers, and advice for educators considering entrepreneurship.

In this EdTech Startup Showcase episode, host Jethro Jones interviews Vidya Sundaram (CEO) and Elisabeth O'Bryon (Chief Impact Officer) from Family Engagement Lab. The conversation explores how their platform bridges the gap between classroom learning and home support through bite-sized, actionable text messages that help families understand what their children are learning and how to reinforce those skills at home. The founders share their personal motivations—Elizabeth's experience as a bilingual school psychologist working with diverse families, and Vidya's childhood experience of disconnect between her immigrant family's educational values and school communication. They discuss their FAST Talk model (Families and Schools Talk), which has supported over 70,000 students across 50+ districts, and their new AI learning coach that provides personalized support for parents' questions.

Key Takeaways

• Family engagement works best when it's accessible and actionable
  • Short text messages (160 characters) with specific, grade-level appropriate activities are more effective than lengthy emails
• The impact is greatest for underserved students
  • Research shows the most pronounced learning gains for students whose families don't share a common language with teachers and those who started the year behind academically
• Parents want to help but need the right information
  • Families have passion and interest in supporting learning but often lack insight into what's happening in the classroom and how to help at the right developmental level
• Sustainable implementation requires cross-functional coordination
  • Success comes from communications experts working alongside curriculum teams to create a shared responsibility for family engagement
• AI can personalize family support
  • Their new AI learning coach allows parents to ask specific questions about their child's needs and build their own confidence in supporting learning at home