From corporate consultant to education changemaker, Helen Chan shares her journey of transforming disillusionment into purpose, using her talent expertise to build joyful, equitable schools where both children and adults can thrive.
Helen Chan’s career began in international education after graduating from Brown University, working with the World Bank’s nonprofit partner World Links to bring technology access to developing countries. What started as a dream to improve global education soon revealed the complexities of impact work—inefficient systems, slow progress, and the disconnect between intention and outcome. Seeking stability and clarity, Helen shifted to HR consulting, yet the work left her unfulfilled, sparking a quarter-life reckoning that ultimately redirected her back to her roots: public education and human development.
At twenty-eight, Helen joined Teach for America, teaching in Los Angeles classrooms where her background as an immigrant from Queens gave her powerful insight into the barriers students face. That firsthand experience reshaped how she viewed systemic inequities, moving her focus from individual achievement to collective transformation. Over fifteen years, she built a career in talent recruitment, first at Teach for America and now as Vice President of Talent and Teacher Recruitment at the KIPP Foundation, where she helps schools hire and retain educators who bring both excellence and empathy to their work.
Throughout the conversation, Helen reflects on lessons learned from burnout, leadership, and the evolution of the education reform movement—from fear-based accountability to cultures grounded in joy, belonging, and sustainability. She shares frameworks for hiring and managing talent through a strengths-based “conductor” approach, emphasizing that thriving schools depend as much on nurturing teachers as they do on serving students.
This episode invites listeners to rethink what lasting impact looks like, balancing data with humanity, and rigor with joy. Tune in to hear Helen Chan’s thoughtful exploration of purpose, resilience, and how education leaders can sustain hope and heart across decades of change.
Chapters
👩💼 00:31 Meet Helen Chan: From Immigrant to VP of Talent
🎙️ 01:10 Want a Podcast Like This One? Check Out podcastsmatter.com
💼 01:47 Helen's Early Career and Quarter-Life Crisis
🏫 08:14 Transition to Teach For America
🌐 10:38 Leaders and Changemakers Can Find Support at geniusdiscovery.org
🎉 17:33 Joining KIPP Foundation and Embracing Joy
🌍 30:19 Addressing Diversity in Education
🤝 31:46 Building Effective Teams
📜 34:58 Understanding the Role of Policy in Education
🎨 40:42 Personal Interests and Hobbies
📚 43:55 Find Support for Writing Your Impact-Driven Book at booksthatmatter.org
💭 52:52 Helen's Closing Thoughts
🎧 53:45 Find More Podcasts That Matter at podcaststhatmatter.org
Links
Website: KIPP Foundation
Connect with Helen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mschanhelen/
Check out Helen Chan’s work with the KIPP Foundation and connect with her on LinkedIn to learn more about how she’s reimagining education recruitment and building systems where both students and educators can flourish.
Connect with Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc/
Stronger Consulting: https://strongerconsulting.com
Publish a Book That Matters: http://booksthatmatter.org
Start a Podcast That Matters: http://podcastsmatter.com
Go from Expert to Thought Leader: http://geniusdiscovery.org
For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org/
Stay strong.
