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Arun Saigal is the Co-Founder and CEO of Thunkable, the no-code platform where anyone — from students to startups to enterprise teams — can build powerful, native mobile apps. With an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and integrated Gen AI tools, Thunkable empowers creators to go from idea to real, publishable app without writing a single line of code. Arun has an S.B. and M.Eng. in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from MIT and has held various leading roles at technology companies, including Quizlet, Khan Academy, Aspiring Minds, and Google.
💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode
- How Thunkable evolved from an MIT project into a global no-code platform.
- The unique cycle between educational and enterprise use of Thunkable.
- Ways students are building professional portfolios by publishing real apps.
- The role of generative AI in accelerating creativity and problem-solving.
- Why meeting learners “where they are” drives deeper engagement in EdTech.
✨ Episode Highlights
[00:02:27] The origins of Thunkable: from Scratch-inspired tools to no-code apps.
[00:05:23] How a platform for students became popular with Fortune 500 companies.
[00:10:15] Real classroom stories: from Spanish teachers to student entrepreneurs.
[00:18:31] The leap from “idea to real” and why mobile is the perfect entry point.
[00:23:39] Seeing your own app on your phone: the paradigm shift for students.
[00:31:43] Teachers building custom AI-powered apps for their classrooms.
[00:34:43] Combining AI features—speech, vision, LLMs—into powerful student tools.
[00:42:57] Lessons from Arun’s career at Quizlet, Khan Academy, and Google.
[00:50:12] The next wave of EdTech: custom learning, AI co-pilots, and empowerment.
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This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.
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