S3 | E1 - Jamie Beaton (Crimson Education) on scaling a global education empire, the future of universities, and AI’s role in learning

Mar 6, 2025

Jamie Beaton, Founder and CEO of Crimson Education and a Rhodes Scholar, shares insights from his journey to build a global education empire. He discusses the flaws in the traditional university model and predicts which institutions will thrive. Jamie highlights how AI is revolutionizing access to elite education and addresses the need for students in New Zealand to seek international opportunities. He also offers invaluable advice on leadership and shares lessons learned from his mentors, all while exploring the future dynamics of education.

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Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 2min

The Journey of Crimson: Empowering Global Education

02:21 • 12min

Navigating the Future of Education: Balancing Online and In-Person Learning

14:08 • 2min

Navigating Self-Motivation and Education's Future

16:26 • 18min

The Future of Higher Education

34:21 • 9min

Transforming New Zealand's Education Landscape

43:21 • 9min

Lessons from Mentorship

52:20 • 6min

Navigating the Entrepreneurial Landscape: Advice for Aspiring Founders

57:54 • 5min

Episode Summary

When Jamie Beaton co-founded Crimson Education, his goal was simple: help ambitious students get into the world’s best universities. Fast forward ten years, Crimson has 800+ staff, global offices, and a suite of education platforms spanning admissions coaching, an international online high school, and AI-powered study tools.

Jamie’s personal journey is just as remarkable—Harvard undergrad, four master's degrees, a JD from Yale, a PhD from Oxford, a Rhodes Scholar. His expertise? Elite admissions, scaling global businesses, and the changing economics of education.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Why the traditional university model is broken and which institutions will survive

• How AI is making elite education accessible (and why most schools aren’t ready)

• Why New Zealand’s smartest students need to get out—and when to return

• The right way to build a world-class company, from hiring to leadership

• How top universities actually admit students (hint: it’s not just grades)

We also hear about Jamie’s biggest mentors, his leadership lessons, and the future of Crimson Education after its recent Series D.

Time Stamps

01:11 The wildest education history: Harvard, Yale, Oxford & beyond

03:40 Crimson’s 10-year journey from a bold pitch to a global business

06:48 How the real college admissions process works (and what most Kiwis get wrong)

09:52 Buying vs. building: How Jamie makes big bets on acquisitions

14:55 The myth of online education and why self-motivation changes everything

18:08 How Crimson finds the next generation of ambitious Kiwis

25:17 The AI revolution: Private tutoring for everyone—at 1% of the cost

35:53 Is there a reckoning coming for the long tail of higher education?

44:02 Why Kiwis need to get out—and when to do it

56:06 The biggest leadership lessons Jamie had to unlearn

Resources

Jamie Beaton’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiebeaton/

Crimson Education – Global admissions and education platform: https://www.crimsoneducation.org/

Crimson Global Academy – Online international high school: https://www.crimsonglobalacademy.school/

Revision Village – IB study resource platform: https://www.revisionvillage.com/

Need-Blind Financial Aid at Harvard – How top universities fund students: https://college.harvard.edu/financial-aid