

Collective Intelligence: Impactful R&D Uniting Educators & EdTechs
Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Auditi Chakravarty, CEO of AERDF; Gudiel Crosthwaite, Superintendent of Schools at Lynwood Unified School District; Lewis Leiboh, Deputy Director of Research and Development, K-12 at the Gates Foundation; and Brad Baumgartner, CEO of MetaMetrics, Inc. The conversation was moderated by Shayla Cornick, Director of Research & Development, EdTech and Emerging Technologies at Digital Promise.
The session explored how co-creation between educators and EdTech developers can cut through AI fatigue and drive truly impactful classroom innovation. Speakers shared real-world examples of structured R&D partnerships that prioritize teacher input, address implementation challenges early, and ensure technology meets actual instructional needs. From building trust and managing innovation pace to creating feedback loops that stick, this discussion offered practical frameworks for developing education tools that are sustainable, effective, and grounded in classroom realities.