Why Education Is in an Imagination Crisis and How 4.0 Schools Is Responding with Nicole Jarbo

Jan 19, 2026

Nicole Jarbo, CEO of 4.0 Schools and host of the Pitch Playground podcast, dives into the educational imagination crisis. She argues that technology alone won't drive reform; instead, innovation must be imaginable, viable, and reachable. Nicole highlights the importance of nurturing founder ecosystems for lasting impact rather than one-off pilots. She stresses responsible AI adoption and urges educators to embrace new ideas to combat systemic stagnation, insisting that imagination is the key to a brighter educational future.

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ANECDOTE

4.0's New Orleans Roots

Nicole recalls 4.0 Schools originating in New Orleans, shaped by post-Katrina energy and experimentation.
She credits the city's culture as essential to 4.0's founding identity.

INSIGHT

Define Innovation By Imaginable, Viable, Reachable

Meaningful innovation must be imaginable, viable, and reachable for the people it's meant for.
Nicole Jarbo urges founders to define the specific community and outcomes their idea targets.

ADVICE

Start With Your Unique Assets

Identify your unique assets and be candid about what you lack before building a venture.
Then craft a motivating question that keeps you engaged through inevitable setbacks.

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Nicole Jarbo is the CEO of 4.0 Schools, one of the nation’s leading platforms for early-stage education founders. A former KIPP teacher, Teach For America Corps member, and fintech founder, Nicole brings deep experience across classrooms, startups, philanthropy, and systems-level education change. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Pitch Playground.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why education is facing an “imagination crisis” — and why technology alone won’t solve it
How 4.0 Schools supports founders beyond pilots to build durable, real-world impact
What successful education founders have in common across industries
Why “anti-scale but pro-impact” may be the right mindset for the future of education
How founders and educators can approach AI with greater intentionality and responsibility

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:03:15] Nicole Jarbo on defining meaningful innovation as imaginable, viable, and reachable
[00:06:24] Lessons from 15 years of 4.0 Schools on what makes founders succeed
[00:09:57] Why founder ecosystems matter more than one-time programs or pilots
[00:16:10] Education’s identity crisis and the system’s fear of trying something new
[00:26:37] How founders should think about AI, equity, and responsible adoption
[00:30:30] Why imagination—not infrastructure—is the missing piece in education reform
[00:37:15] Nicole on why education is the most important yet slowest-moving institution

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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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