An Educated Guest S3E16 | The Co-Creation Engine: Katie Boody Adorno on Why Teachers and Community Must Lead EdTech Design
In this insightful episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with Katie Boody Adorno, Founder and CEO of LEANLAB Education. Katie shares her journey from the front lines of a middle school classroom to becoming a national voice for community-led innovation. She explains the genesis of LEANLAB, which was born from the frustrating realization that conventional reform efforts were failing to close the achievement and opportunity gaps for vulnerable student populations. The core of the conversation revolves around LEANLAB's signature co-creation model—the imperative of building EdTech solutions directly with students and teachers, rather than imposing them from the outside. Katie also provides a nuanced perspective on the AI revolution, discussing its immense potential for personalized learning and the critical need for constant accountability to ensure technology serves the mission of equity. This is a must-listen for investors, EdTech founders, and education leaders who want to build solutions that generate real, measurable impact.
Key Takeaways from this Episode:
- The Mission of Equity: Why finding educational breakthroughs must be done within the students' lifetimes.
- The Power of Co-Creation: How involving families, students, and educators in design leads to highly capable and impactful tools.
- The Role of the Teacher: Why teachers are the most important experts and must drive the innovation agenda.
- Leadership in a Changing World: Katie's philosophy on maintaining purpose, checking assumptions, and fostering a culture of constant learning in the face of rapid change.
About Our Guest:
Katie Boody Adorno is the Founder and CEO of LEANLAB Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating educational innovation through community co-creation. She began her career as a middle school teacher in Kansas City and is a recognized thought leader on EdTech, equity, and student-centered design.