Edtech Insiders

Week in Edtech 2/19/2025: BrainPop’s Leadership Shake-Up, EdTech’s Job Market Crunch, The Decline of Gamification, AI-Powered Learning Companions Rise, Deep Reasoning Models Reshape AI, and More!


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This week in EdTech, Alex and Ben break down the latest trends in AI and EdTech.

Episode Highlights:

[00:03:27] Key takeaways from the Bay Area EdTech Summit.
[00:04:55] BrainPop’s CEO change and what it signals for edtech.
[00:06:29] The decline of gamification and shifting user engagement.
[00:10:37] BrainPop’s business model and Lego’s long-term vision.
[00:13:50] AI’s next leap—deep reasoning and memory-driven models.
[00:17:56] Where edtech companies can still create real AI value.
[00:19:14] The rise of AI-powered learning companions.
[00:22:36] The edtech job market squeeze and hiring slowdowns.
[00:23:45] ASU GSV, AI in game development, and upcoming events.

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

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Tuck Advisors is 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.

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Edtech InsidersBy Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell

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