How do you create a classroom that meets students where they are? For Danette Buckley, the answer was to build it herself. Dream Tech Academy, her microschool in Petersburg, Virginia, was born from a personal mission to support her daughter during a difficult medical journey. Today, Dream Tech serves 42 students and is rewriting the rules on what education can look like. Many classrooms fall victim to teaching to the middle—large class sizes necessitate a one-size-fits-all approach to education, leaving students who are excelling or who need additional support without adequate resources. Danette’s school empowers students to thrive on their own terms.

Danette is a lifelong learner who fell in love with school at age four and never looked back. After immigrating from Jamaica and witnessing the challenges of U.S. classrooms, she maintained her passion for education but saw that traditional schools often fail to meet the needs of every student. A family challenge brought her back to the classroom—this time as a homeschooler—and her vision evolved into a flexible, tech-enabled school designed to serve kids of all abilities and interests, where students could learn at their own pace. Dream Tech is a place where students are grouped by comprehension, not just age, and where learning is personalized, and joyful.

In this episode, Danette pitches her microschool to Kelly Smith, CEO of Prenda. Kelly has helped over 1,000 people start microschools. Together, they explore how Danette can create a sustainable structure for Dream Tech, stick to her policies without losing her compassion, and bring her unique, student-first model to more families. It’s a conversation full of heart, strategy, and hard-earned wisdom for anyone reimagining what school can be.

Episode Highlights:

02:16 Challenges in the U.S. Education System

04:08 Returning to Education as a Parent

06:00 Homeschooling and Developing a Curriculum

07:18 Growth of Dream Tech Academy

09:55 A Day in the Life at Dream Tech

12:30 Success Stories and Impact

15:36 Challenges and Future Plans

19:38 Mentorship and Strengthening the Pitch

29:20 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Links & Resources:

• Danette Buckley
• Dream Tech Academy
• Kelly Smith
• Prenda

About the Host, Nicole Jarbo:
Nicole Jarbo is the host of Pitch Playground and the CEO of 4.0. An entrepreneur and 4.0 alumni herself, Nicole took a side hustle from $0 to $500k per year and founded a fintech startup that empowered Gen Z with their finances. She's passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of the 4.0 community and believes in work that makes the world more livable, creative, sustainable, and fun.

About 4.0:
4.0 is a hub for education innovators and social entrepreneurs reimagining the future of learning. Through mentorship, funding, and community support, we empower bold thinkers to turn their dreams into reality. To date, 4.0 has helped spark and invest in over 1,800 ideas, and our alumni have impacted over 10M students and families. We envision a future where our education system meets the needs of every family and improves life outcomes for all.

We Want to Hear From You!
Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or just passionate about changing education, reach out to share your story, ideas, or feedback. Visit us at pitchplayground.com, leave us a review and subscribe to Pitch Playground wherever you get your podcasts. 

Remember to Vote!
At the end of this season one of these entrepreneurs will receive $50,000 towards their idea.  We want to hear from you, yes YOU, to cast your vote for the idea you think should receive the cash. Sign up for our newsletter at 4pt0.org to stay tuned on when voting will open. 

What if students could earn school credit, get paid, and build a house—all in one semester? Aaron Frumin, founder of unCommon Construction, is making that a reality. Based in New Orleans, unCommon Construction is a nonprofit apprenticeship program that places high school students on job sites, where they learn hands-on construction skills while developing the soft skills they need to succeed in life and work. From teamwork and communication to resilience and professional attitude, students walk away with much more than a paycheck—they leave equipped to take on life’s challenges and seize new opportunities.

Aaron’s journey started far from the job site. After dropping out of college and joining the Red Cross post-Katrina, he discovered a calling to serve. That calling eventually led him from the classroom to the construction site, and finally to founding unCommon. The organization blends education with real-world experience. Aaron shares how a need to leave a positive “thumbprint” on the world drives his work.

He pitches unCommon to Spencer Sherman, principal consultant at Education First, and together they explore the ins and outs of how unCommon’s new community center can serve as an innovation hub and expand the organization’s reach. They dig into the importance of user-centered design, creating sustainable funding models, and what it takes to truly prepare young people for college, careers, and life.

Episode Highlights:

01:57 Aaron's Journey: Volunteering After Hurricane Katrina 

07:25 The Birth of unCommon Construction

10:11 A Day in the Life of a UCC Student

14:29 Impact Stories: Transforming Lives Through Construction

18:50 Expanding the Vision: The unCommon Community Center

20:01 Mentorship and Pitch Improvement

27:19 Key Takeaways 

Links & Resources:

• Aaron Frumin 
• unCommon Construction 
• Spencer Sherman 
• Education First 

About the Host, Nicole Jarbo:
Nicole Jarbo is the host of Pitch Playground and the CEO of 4.0. An entrepreneur and 4.0 alumni herself, Nicole took a side hustle from $0 to $500k per year and founded a fintech startup that empowered Gen Z with their finances. She's passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of the 4.0 community and believes in work that makes the world more livable, creative, sustainable, and fun.

About 4.0:
4.0 is a hub for education innovators and social entrepreneurs reimagining the future of learning. Through mentorship, funding, and community support, we empower bold thinkers to turn their dreams into reality. To date, 4.0 has helped spark and invest in over 1,800 ideas, and our alumni have impacted over 10M students and families. We envision a future where our education system meets the needs of every family and improves life outcomes for all.

We Want to Hear From You!
Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or just passionate about changing education, reach out to share your story, ideas, or feedback. Visit us at pitchplayground.com, leave us a review and subscribe to Pitch Playground wherever you get your podcasts. 

Remember to Vote!
At the end of this season one of these entrepreneurs will receive $50,000 towards their idea.  We want to hear from you, yes YOU, to cast your vote for the idea you think should receive the cash. Sign up for our newsletter at 4pt0.org to stay tuned on when voting will open. 

What if education wasn’t about compliance but about discovery? jacob adams, founder of Inner Spark Learning Lab, believes students should have the power to question, explore, and create—not just memorize and obey. In this episode of Pitch Playground, jacob shares his journey from being labelled a “troublemaker” in school to reimagining learning environments that prioritize student agency and self-actualization.

jacob’s first teaching job was at a majority-Black elementary school in Brooklyn, where he quickly realized how rigid discipline policies and top-down control stripped students of autonomy. Witnessing kindergarteners being forced into silence, he began to question the foundations of education. His experiences led him to launch Inner Spark Learning Lab (formerly STEM to the Future), an initiative that engages students in hands-on, community-driven learning projects designed to foster critical thinking, self-awareness, and social impact.

If jacob wins the $50,000, the funds will support a Dreamweaver position—a dedicated team member responsible for learning about students, their families, and the broader school community to ensure programming meets real needs. He sits down with Niloy Gangopadhyay, Vice President at Teach for America, to refine his pitch and tackle key questions:  What role do community facilitators, or “Dreamweavers,” play in ensuring students feel seen and heard? How can jacob provide measurable outcomes that school leaders and funders will recognize? Tune in to hear jacob’s vision for student-centered education. 

02:54 jacob's Early Education and Challenges

05:07 College Struggles and Overcoming Obstacles

06:17 Teach for America Experience

07:55 Questioning the System

10:13 Creating a New Teaching Approach

16:53 Inner Spark's Impact and Future Goals

18:47 Pitching to Niloy Gangopadhyay

25:57 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Links: 

• jacob adams
• Inner Spark Learning Lab (formerly STEM to the Future)
• Niloy Gangopadhyay
• Teach for America

About the Host, Nicole Jarbo:
Nicole Jarbo is the host of Pitch Playground and the CEO of 4.0. An entrepreneur and 4.0 alumni herself, Nicole took a side hustle from $0 to $500k per year and founded a fintech startup that empowered Gen Z with their finances. She's passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of the 4.0 community and believes in work that makes the world more livable, creative, sustainable, and fun.

About 4.0:
4.0 is a hub for education innovators and social entrepreneurs reimagining the future of learning. Through mentorship, funding, and community support, we empower bold thinkers to turn their dreams into reality. To date, 4.0 has helped spark and invest in over 1,800 ideas, and our alumni have impacted over 10M students and families. We envision a future where our education system meets the needs of every family and improves life outcomes for all.

We Want to Hear From You!
Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or just passionate about changing education, reach out to share your story, ideas, or feedback. Visit us at pitchplayground.com, leave us a review and subscribe to Pitch Playground wherever you get your podcasts. 

Remember to Vote!
At the end of this season one of these entrepreneurs will receive $50,000 towards their idea.  We want to hear from you, yes YOU, to cast your vote for the idea you think should receive the cash. Sign up for our newsletter at 4pt0.org to stay tuned on when voting will open. 

What if students had full autonomy over their learning? Dr. Erin Flynn, founder of the Hedge School, is reimagining education through consent-based learning. Located in Texas, the Hedge School is a microschool where students have the freedom to choose what and how they learn, creating an environment that fosters curiosity, confidence, and emotional well-being. Erin’s journey to founding the Hedge School was shaped by her experiences as a teacher, principal, and ultimately, her disillusionment with the traditional education system. She saw firsthand how rigid policies, standardized testing, and lack of student agency stifled learning. 

Rather than conforming to a system she felt was failing students, Erin took a bold step: she created a school designed around student choice, inclusivity, and self-directed learning. The Hedge School’s approach is radically different from conventional education. Students decide how to engage with lessons, whether that means taking a walk, skipping an assignment that doesn’t resonate with them, or learning in a way that best suits their interests. For Erin, learning should be a collaborative process, not something imposed upon students.

With an opportunity to expand the Hedge School’s model, she receives mentorship from Kelly Smith, founder of Prenda, a venture-backed microschool network. Kelly helps Erin refine her pitch and strategize on how to scale.  They explore questions like: how can Erin establish satellite Hedge Schools while ensuring each maintains its unique community-driven culture? What support do new educators need to replicate the Hedge School model successfully? How can Erin balance business objectives with her deeply held beliefs about education? Together, they dive into strategies to sustain Hedge School’s mission while expanding its reach.

02:01 Erin's Educational Journey

07:18 Challenges in the Public School System

10:11 Founding The Hedge School

11:23 What is Consent-Based Education?

13:58 The Micro School Movement

20:09 Scaling The Hedge School

27:51 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Links: 

• Dr. Erin Flynn 
• Hedge School Cooperative
• Kelly Smith
• Prenda

About the Host, Nicole Jarbo:
Nicole Jarbo is the host of Pitch Playground and the CEO of 4.0. An entrepreneur and 4.0 alumni herself, Nicole took a side hustle from $0 to $500k per year and founded a fintech startup that empowered Gen Z with their finances. She's passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of the 4.0 community and believes in work that makes the world more livable, creative, sustainable, and fun.

About 4.0:
4.0 is a hub for education innovators and social entrepreneurs reimagining the future of learning. Through mentorship, funding, and community support, we empower bold thinkers to turn their dreams into reality. To date, 4.0 has helped spark and invest in over 1,800 ideas, and our alumni have impacted over 10M students and families. We envision a future where our education system meets the needs of every family and improves life outcomes for all.

We Want to Hear From You!
Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or just passionate about changing education, reach out to share your story, ideas, or feedback. Visit us at pitchplayground.com, leave us a review and subscribe to Pitch Playground wherever you get your podcasts. 

Remember to Vote!
At the end of this season one of these entrepreneurs will receive $50,000 towards their idea.  We want to hear from you, yes YOU, to cast your vote for the idea you think should receive the cash. Sign up for our newsletter at 4pt0.org to stay tuned on when voting will open. 

How can educators disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline? Lisa María Rhodes, founder of Alas, is on a mission to ensure students impacted by the criminal legal and immigration systems have a fighting chance at success. Alas creates interventions that support young people facing incarceration and deportation, providing them with legal advocacy, educational resources, and a path to reclaim their futures. By equipping educators and communities with the right tools, Alas is changing the narrative for students who are too often left behind.

Lisa María’s journey began in the classroom, where she encountered a heartbreaking reality: many of her students were being arrested, detained, and lost in a system that saw them as statistics rather than as individuals with potential. She pivoted from teaching to social work, eventually founding Alas to bridge the gap between educators and the justice system. Her first-hand experiences in both classrooms and courtrooms gave her the insight to design interventions that truly make a difference.

In this episode, Lisa María gets a chance to pitch her idea to Molly O’Donnell, Managing Partner at New Profit, to refine her pitch and strategize on sustainable growth. They dive into how Lisa María can approach hiring a fully functional founding team, what steps she should take to ensure the organization can impact as many students in need as possible, and what funding sources she should look into as she scales their impact. They also discuss the challenges of expanding services without losing sight of the organization’s core mission and how to sustain long-term systemic change.

02:25 Lisa María’s Journey: From Educator to Advocate

04:24 Pivoting from Education to Social Work

09:44 The founding of Alas 

10:02 Success Stories: Lorenzo and Monica

16:55 Youth Organizing and Systemic Change

21:18 Scaling Alas: Challenges and Opportunities

27:01 Lisa María’s Vision for the Future

30:06 Final Advice from Molly O’Donnell

Links: 

• Lisa María Rhodes
• Alas
• Molly O’Donnell
• New Profit 

About the Host, Nicole Jarbo:
Nicole Jarbo is the host of Pitch Playground and the CEO of 4.0. An entrepreneur and 4.0 alumni herself, Nicole took a side hustle from $0 to $500k per year and founded a fintech startup that empowered Gen Z with their finances. She's passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of the 4.0 community and believes in work that makes the world more livable, creative, sustainable, and fun.

About 4.0:
4.0 is a hub for education innovators and social entrepreneurs reimagining the future of learning. Through mentorship, funding, and community support, we empower bold thinkers to turn their dreams into reality. To date, 4.0 has helped spark and invest in over 1,800 ideas, and our alumni have impacted over 10M students and families. We envision a future where our education system meets the needs of every family and improves life outcomes for all.

We Want to Hear From You!
Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or just passionate about changing education, reach out to share your story, ideas, or feedback. Visit us at pitchplayground.com, leave us a review and subscribe to Pitch Playground wherever you get your podcasts. 

Remember to Vote!
At the end of this season one of these entrepreneurs will receive $50,000 towards their idea.  We want to hear from you, yes YOU, to cast your vote for the idea you think should receive the cash. Sign up for our newsletter at 4pt0.org to stay tuned on when voting will open. 

How can XR headsets empower teachers in the classroom? Jonathan Teske, a former teacher and edtech expert, founded ReframeXR to make immersive, interactive learning experiences an everyday reality.  ReframeXR allows educators to create spatial classrooms where students can engage in collaborative, hands-on learning. Imagine an earth sciences lesson where students manipulate the James Webb Telescope in real time to explore the electromagnetic spectrum, or a science class where they conduct experiments on virtual sinkholes to understand ecosystems and erosion. 

Jonathan’s diverse background as a teacher, gamer, and football player makes him uniquely positioned to bring this idea to life. As the former Future of Education Lead at Meta, Jonathan led research on VR in education. Through his research, he discovered a major flaw—VR doesn’t work in classrooms because it isolates students and overwhelms teachers. With ReframeXR, he’s developed a teacher-first approach, ensuring mixed reality enhances education rather than disrupting it.

As Jonathan works to scale, he has the opportunity to pitch his tool to Jin-Soo Huh from The Learning Accelerator, an education nonprofit dedicated to bringing innovative and effective teaching practices to life. Jin-Soo is a former teacher himself, and understands the challenges of edtech adoption. Together, they dive into how Jonathan can navigate school funding constraints, get buy-in from educators and administrators, and ensure ReframeXR is both impactful and accessible for classrooms nationwide.

02:35 Jonathan's Journey 

09:51 The Problem with VR in Classrooms 

10:18 The Birth of ReframeXR 

13:31 Stargazing with the James Webb Telescope in Reframe 

16:54 Impact on Teachers 

19:18 Meet Jin-Soo Huh from The Learning Accelerator 

21:44 Impact on Student Engagement 

24:09 Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

27:14 Final Advice from Jin-So Huh 

Links: 

• Jonathan Teske
• Reframe XR
• Jin-Soo Huh 
• The Learning Accelerator 

About the Host, Nicole Jarbo:
Nicole Jarbo is the host of Pitch Playground and the CEO of 4.0. An entrepreneur and 4.0 alumni herself, Nicole took a side hustle from $0 to $500k per year and founded a fintech startup that empowered Gen Z with their finances. She's passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of the 4.0 community and believes in work that makes the world more livable, creative, sustainable, and fun.

About 4.0:
4.0 is a hub for education innovators and social entrepreneurs reimagining the future of learning. Through mentorship, funding, and community support, we empower bold thinkers to turn their dreams into reality. To date, 4.0 has helped spark and invest in over 1,800 ideas, and our alumni have impacted over 10M students and families. We envision a future where our education system meets the needs of every family and improves life outcomes for all.

We Want to Hear From You!
Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or just passionate about changing education, reach out to share your story, ideas, or feedback. Visit us at pitchplayground.com, leave us a review and subscribe to Pitch Playground wherever you get your podcasts. 

Remember to Vote!
At the end of this season one of these entrepreneurs will receive $50,000 towards their idea.  We want to hear from you, yes YOU, to cast your vote for the idea you think should receive the cash. Sign up for our newsletter at 4pt0.org to stay tuned on when voting will open. 

What are the options after high school for non-college bound students? Victoria Chen, a former high school biology teacher, founded BridgeYear, a Houston based nonprofit, to address gaps in the education system that fail to provide non-college-bound students with viable career options. As a teacher, Victoria witnessed a valedictorian abandon a full scholarship due to family issues and end up working as a cashier.  BridgeYear offers a hands-on career exploration for high-demand well paying jobs that don't require a four-year degree.  

Bridgeyear’s flagship program is the Career Test Drive, where students walk into school one day and find their gymnasium completely transformed.  Different booths are set up where students can test drive different careers that don’t require a four year degree. Careers such as being an electrician, an auto tech or a surgical technologist.  As Victoria says, you should never buy a car without test driving it, and you should never choose a career without giving it a try either. 

Right now, Victoria is at a pivotal moment with BridgeYear.  As she works to scale she’s also developed morepathways.org, a tech platform that can connect students with vetted workforce training programs. She has the opportunity to pitch morepathways.org to New Profit’s Molly O’Donnell.  Molly is a venture philanthropist that invests in social entrepreneurs working to transform education. They dive into how Victoria can balance the organizations direct service work, as they scale for widespread impact. 

02:06 Victoria's Journey: From Teacher to Founder

03:04 The Reality of Student Challenges

08:17 The Birth of BridgeYear

09:07 BridgeYear's Career Test Drive Program

13:35 Impact on Student’s 

17:18 Scaling Up: The Tech Platform MorePathways.org

19:56 Introducing Molly O’Donnell

23:27 Trade-Off’s: Direct Service and Widespread Impact

24:54 Impact Jenga 

29:01 Final Takeaways 

Links: 

• Victoria Chen
• Bridgeyear.org 
• Morepathways.org
• Molly O’Donnell
• New Profit 

About the Host, Nicole Jarbo:
Nicole Jarbo is the host of Pitch Playground and the CEO of 4.0. An entrepreneur and 4.0 alumni herself, Nicole took a side hustle from $0 to $500k per year and founded a fintech startup that empowered Gen Z with their finances. She's passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of the 4.0 community and believes in work that makes the world more livable, creative, sustainable, and fun.

About 4.0:
4.0 is a hub for education innovators and social entrepreneurs reimagining the future of learning. Through mentorship, funding, and community support, we empower bold thinkers to turn their dreams into reality. To date, 4.0 has helped spark and invest in over 1,800 ideas, and our alumni have impacted over 10M students and families. We envision a future where our education system meets the needs of every family and improves life outcomes for all.

We Want to Hear From You!
Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or just passionate about changing education, reach out to share your story, ideas, or feedback. Visit us at pitchplayground.com, leave us a review and subscribe to Pitch Playground wherever you get your podcasts. 

Remember to Vote!
At the end of this season one of these entrepreneurs will receive $50,000 towards their idea.  We want to hear from you, yes YOU, to cast your vote for the idea you think should receive the cash. Sign up for our newsletter at 4pt0.org to stay tuned on when voting will open. 

How could $50,000 transform learning? On Pitch Playground, we invite education innovators and social entrepreneurs to throw their best ideas at us. From technologies that build empathy to providing affordable childcare and reimagining the way we learn—this is a place for pitches from visionaries. Each episode features an intrepid edupreneur workshopping a $50,000 project to solve a critical problem in education. With support from mentors, funders, and fellow entrepreneurs we'll explore what it takes to turn dreams into reality.

At the end of the season, we award $50,000 to the best pitch we've heard on the show. We're inviting educators and social entrepreneurs to play in the sandbox with us and share their vision for the future of education. We encourage these visionaries to be BOLD—don't just think outside the box; reshape the box itself. Draw outside the lines. It's about making good ideas last longer and go further.

About the Host, Nicole Jarbo:
Nicole Jarbo is the host of Pitch Playground and the CEO of 4.0. A serial entrepreneur, former educator, and proud 4.0 alum, Nicole has a track record of building impactful ventures across a variety of industries, including education, financial technology, and media. She’s passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of the 4.0 community and believes in work that makes the world more livable, creative, sustainable, and fun.

About 4.0:
4.0 is a hub for education innovators and social entrepreneurs reimagining the future of learning. Through mentorship, funding, and community support, we empower bold thinkers to turn their dreams into reality. To date, 4.0 has helped spark and invest over 2,000 ideas, and our alumni have impacted millions of students and families. We envision a future where our education system meets the needs of every family and improves life outcomes for all.

Have a Pitch to Transform the World?
We’d love to hear from you! Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or just passionate about changing education, reach out to share your story, ideas, or feedback.  Visit us at https://pitchplayground.com/ and subscribe to Pitch Playground wherever you get your podcasts.