Angeline Corvaglia, founder of Data Girl and Friends and the soon-to-be-announced SHIELD, joins us to explore how AI education can equip the next generation to stay thoughtful, self-aware, and socially grounded in an age of algorithmic influence.

Angeline’s insights challenge us to center student voice, rethink “neutral” tech, and reclaim our inner compass in a time of persuasive machines.

Highlights:

William A “Bill” Brown, former Chief Architect at IBM and founder of Application Engineering Services, joins us to explore how AI can drive access, equity, and innovation when guided by human intention.

From wiring office networks in 1980s New York to building AI agents today, Bill’s career is rooted in curiosity and continual learning. In this expansive conversation, he shares how he navigated each wave of technological change, why he sees AI as the most transformative shift of his lifetime, and what skills educators and students need to succeed in this new era.

Bill’s insights connect the dots between lifelong learning, technical fluency, and the people-first mindset that shapes meaningful progress.

Highlights:

The homemade database that sparked Bill’s 35-year tech career

What AI fluency looks like for students, educators, and career-changers

Designing global cloud architecture with human needs in mind

Building AI tools that support learning and skill development

Centering equity, sustainability, and impact in AI work

Cary Wright, a 30-year veteran educator and co-founder of T.E.A.C.H., joins us to share how he’s helping teachers go from overwhelmed to empowered through practical, responsible AI use. From streamlining lesson planning to unlocking data insights, Cary explains how he and his co-founder, Tyler Hunt, are building a future where AI supports educators.

In his role as K-12 Coordinator of Humanities in Martinsville, Virginia, Cary has seen firsthand the emotional toll of teaching, and the real impact AI can make. In this candid and energizing conversation, he unpacks the simple workflows that save hours, the mindset shifts required to adopt new tools, and the deeper why behind his mission: keeping teachers in the classroom and helping students thrive in an AI-powered world.

Whether you're a classroom teacher, school leader, or just curious about what AI really looks like in K-12, this episode offers a hopeful, human-centered look at what’s possible.

Highlights:

The story behind T.E.A.C.H. and its grassroots beginnings

A teacher trades coffee for wine after a lesson-planning breakthrough

How AI can amplify veteran educator expertise

Navigating ethical data use and student privacy

Preparing students for a future alongside AI

What happens when a centuries-old set of values meets one of the most disruptive technologies of our time?

Grounded in the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, integrity, environmental stewardship, and the belief that truth is continually revealed, John offers a deeply reflective approach to integrating AI in schools. We explore:

Why AI in education reminds him of the early laptop push from Microsoft

The balance between innovation and caution by keeping “one foot on the brake and one on the accelerator”

How Quaker values prompt unique ethical questions about AI’s environmental impact and its effects on human relationships in learning communities

Examples of how teachers and students are experimenting with AI while protecting privacy and nurturing critical thinking

Whether you’re a school leader, classroom teacher, or simply curious about AI’s role in shaping young minds, this conversation offers a fresh, values-driven perspective. John’s central reminder: AI should remain a tool for learning, not the learning itself.

If you want to explore how to bring the same balance and intentionality into your organization, visit kinwise.org/programs to learn more about our hands-on professional development for schools, nonprofits, and mission-driven businesses

In this episode, Guide and curriculum designer Ben Gordon Sniffen pulls back the curtain on Alpha School’s two-hour learning model, where an AI tutor condenses core academics into a focused morning block and frees guides for passion-driven life-skills workshops in the afternoon.

Listen in as Ben explains:

How 120 minutes of adaptive learning hits each child’s “productive-struggle” zone.

The role of guides as emotional & motivational coaches, and why more AI means more adults

Real-world workshop wins, from third-graders pitching businesses to middle-schoolers coding robot

Teaching AI literacy: getting students to critique ChatGPT drafts instead of outsourcing thinking

A hopeful vision for the future of work where human mentorship matters more

I hope you enjoyed hearing Ben Gordon Sniffen’s perspective on Alpha’s two-hour learning model and student-driven life-skills workshops. If you’re curious to see the model in action, or to follow Ben’s ongoing work at the intersection of AI and education, here are a few easy ways to connect:

For more support from our team in implementing human-centered AI strategy, go to kinwise.org to explore our pilot program and custom resources. 

Kinwise Conversations is your weekly AI learning lab for teachers, principals, and district leaders. In Season 2 we dive into real classroom pilots, district-wide roll-outs, and cross-sector insights that show exactly how AI can boost student learning without losing the human heart of education.

• Classroom and district innovators already pushing AI to its limits

Brand strategist Jim Cobb, founder of The Bloodhound Group and a creative force behind MasterCard’s legendary “Priceless” campaign, joins host Lydia Kumar to unpack how neuroscience, emotion, and generative AI can support branding. Drawing on four decades of advertising experience, Jim explains why 90 percent of purchase decisions start in the unconscious mind, how skin-response testing saved the priceless concept, and where today’s AI tools are already streamlining everything from HR talent matching to real-time sports coaching. 

Emotion first, logic later. Neuroscience shows people buy on feeling and justify with facts, creative that sparks relevance wins.

Data still rules. Clean, well-labeled datasets are the difference between powerful AI insights and garbage output.

Scale thoughtfully. Use AI to serve more clients without sacrificing quality or brand trust.

Jim Cobb on LinkedIn → LinkedIn

The Bloodhound Group → Bloodhound Group

MasterCard “Priceless” case study → The Brand Hopper

Kinwise Pilot Program → https://kinwise.org/pilot (learn how to build a human-centered AI strategy)

Welcome to Kinwise Conversations! In this episode, I’m honored to chat with Dr. Alison Harris Welcher, strategic leader, educator, and executive life coach, about nurturing human potential, leading with authenticity, and integrating AI thoughtfully into our work and lives.

Dive into this inspiring conversation as Alison reveals:

The thread of human potential that connects her journey from high-school English teacher to principal, Public Impact leader, and Chief Strategy Officer at Chiefs for Change.

“Slow down to speed up,” her go-to leadership mantra for pausing, reflecting, and finding richer answers.

Real-world AI use cases—from polishing professional emails with ChatGPT to crafting personalized meal plans—without sacrificing her personal touch.

How to resist the perfectionism trap and embrace your “rough edges” in high-visibility roles.

A hopeful five-year vision where AI-informed leaders know when to say “no” to technology and lean into human connection.

Connect with Dr. Alison Harris Welcher

Chiefs for Change (Official Website): https://chiefsforchange.org/

THRIVE Life Coaching: https://thrivelifecoaching.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drahwelcher/

Learn more & stay connected

Explore our pilot programs for leadership teams and educators at kinwise.org/pilot 

Find full transcripts and resources for this episode: www.kinwise.org/podcast

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, or share this episode if you found value in our conversation—it truly helps other thoughtful listeners find us!

Is AI simply a productivity hack or can it supercharge genuine creativity?

John “JK” Kornegay, a digital-marketing strategist by day and a sought-after event photographer by night, joins host Lydia Kumar to reveal how he lets AI handle the first 80 % of the work so his human expertise can perfect the last 20 %. From building a mini “team” of custom GPTs to forecasting a future of hyper-personalized apps, JK shares practical tactics every marketer and creative can adopt today.

In this episode, you will learn:

The 80/20 Workflow: Why offloading repetitive tasks to AI frees up cognitive space for strategic thinking and artistry.

Prompting & Cross-Checking: How JK bounces tasks between ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity to sharpen results.

Avoiding Scope Creep: Strategies for balancing new productivity gains with realistic client expectations (and preventing burnout).

Bespoke Futures: Why the next wave of marketing is ultra-niche, one-to-one experiences, and how to prepare now.

This episode is for marketers, educators, and leaders who want to embrace AI without losing the human touch that truly differentiates their work.