Week in Edtech 1/15/2025: LA School Fires, ChatGPT's To-Do's & Reminders Feature, PowerSchool Data Breach, $175M for Element451, Student Loan Forgiveness, and More! Feat. Emily Lai of Pearson, Dominik Kovacs of Colossyan and Adele Smolansky of AI-Learners

Jan 24, 2025

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Dominik Mate Kovacs

Guest

In this discussion, Emily Lai, VP at Pearson, dives into AI tools that enhance learning outcomes and study habits. Adele Smolansky, CEO of AI-Learners, reveals how AI is transforming accessibility in education. Dominik Kovacs, founder of Colossyan, shares insights on using AI-driven video solutions to create personalized learning experiences. The conversation also tackles urgent issues like recent wildfires impacting LA schools and a significant data breach at PowerSchool, highlighting the critical role of technology in navigating these challenges.

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ANECDOTE

LA Fires: Responses

LA school fires displace thousands of teachers and likely hundreds of thousands of students.
Airbnb and Elon Musk offered free stays and Starlink cyber trucks, respectively, as disaster relief.

ADVICE

Disaster Preparedness for Schools

Create pre-packaged disaster response tools for education to ensure continuity.
Include childcare and distraction resources for parents during school closures.

INSIGHT

AI for Mundane Tasks

OpenAI's new "tasks" feature automates mundane activities within ChatGPT.
This shift makes AI more accessible to non-technical users.

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Happy New Year! Welcome to the first Week in EdTech episode of 2025! Join hosts Ben Kornell and guest co-host Matt Tower as they dive into the biggest stories shaping the education technology landscape, from AI innovations to major edtech funding and cybersecurity challenges.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:16] 🌐 OpenAI introduces a feature enabling ChatGPT to handle reminders and to-dos.
[00:05:04] 🔥 LA schools face closures and damage as wildfires disrupt education.
[00:22:54] 🔐 PowerSchool data breach exposes student and staff data, raising cybersecurity concerns.
[00:29:55] 🎓 $4.2 billion in student loans canceled for 150,000 borrowers under Biden’s plan.
[00:41:44] 💼 Element451 secures $175M for its AI-first CRM and student engagement platform.

Plus, special guests:

[00:44:22] 🎙️ Emily Lai, VP of Learning Impact Measurement at Pearson, discusses how AI tools improve study habits & learning outcomes and the Pearson end-of-year AI report.
[00:56:15] 🎙️ Adele Smolansky, CEO of AI-Learners, explains how AI Learners is enhancing accessibility in education.
[01:06:42] 🎙️ Dominik Mate Kovacs, CEO at Colossyan, explores the future of AI-driven video and personalized learning.

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, 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.