Edtech Insiders

Send us a textTom Sayer is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ello, the world's first virtual reading coach that works with real books.Before Ello, Tom was the head of impact and adoption programs at Google for Education, where his team was responsible for ensuring that Google tools were used effectively in classrooms worldwide. He is on the advisory board of Education Reimagined, the movement builder of learner centered education. He has also worked as an intelligence officer, a product manager, founded an EdTech company (with Catalin), and has built a mini-golf course in Cambodia. Tom graduated from Cambridge University with first-class honors in maths and psychology and has an MBA and MA (Education) from Stanford. He has won the Lamor prize at Cambridge, the Queen’s medal at Sandhurst, the Intelligence top student award, and was a Siebel Scholar at the GSB. He loves running, rugby, and lives with his wife and son in Pennsylvania.Recommended Resources:GSV: AI & Education by Claire ZauWhat is Learner-centered Education by Education Reimagined

Send us a textEdtech Insiders joined the first Common Sense Summit on America's Kids and Families hosted by Common Sense Media at Pier 27 in San Francisco on January 28–30.The conference brought together advocates, researchers, youth leaders, policymakers, and other experts to take stock of America's kids and families and explore solutions to the most pressing issues across four core topic areas: kids and technology, youth mental health, early childhood education, and K–12 education. In this special episode, Alex and Ben interviews: Nicholas Kristof, Author and New York Times columnistSteve Youngwood, CEO of Sesame WorkshopAttorney General of California, Rob BontaJohn Deasy, President of the Bezos Family FoundationCarla Small, CEO at EarlyBird EducationSpecial Episode: Postcards from Common Sense Summit on America's Kids and Families (Part 2) here: 

Send us a textMax Azarov is an experienced entrepreneur in the IT industry. He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) where he studied at the School of Physics and Mathematics, and he holds an MBA from the University of Massachusetts.Max built his career in IT product management and software development across Russia and the USA, working for Cyber Vision, Digital 5, Google and LG Electronics. As a product manager for Google, Max was responsible for the global product as well as the Russian/CIS markets (Google Search and Google Maps). Products in his portfolio generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue. This experience was crucial for Max’s skills as a team leader and software developer, but he always wanted to use his IT knowledge to build his own business. In 2013, Max launched his first startup with Dmitry Malin: Cloudike, a cloud storage solution (white label) for carriers and service-providers, such as Vodafon, Vestel, and others. His IT background, along with a passion for the EdTech industry gained from teaching English to his own children, led to the idea of a digital English learning platform. In 2017, Max co-founded Novakid in Silicon Valley (USA) with Dmitry Malin.NovaKid is a Series B EdTech startup ($41,5M raise) and was ranked at #105 on the 2023 Inc 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in America (1st in the education category). This online English as a Second Language learning platform for children aged 4 to 12 has delivered over 14 million English lessons for kids since inception in 2017.Recommended Resources:Edtech InsidersGSV N2KBrighteyeTechCrunch

Send us a textEdtech Insiders joined the first Common Sense Summit on America's Kids and Families hosted by Common Sense Media at Pier 27 in San Francisco on January 28–30.The conference brought together advocates, researchers, youth leaders, policymakers, and other experts to take stock of America's kids and families and explore solutions to the most pressing issues across four core topic areas: kids and technology, youth mental health, early childhood education, and K–12 education. In this special episode, Alex and Ben interviews Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.

Send us a textIn this episode of Week in Edtech, Ben and Alex discuss:1. AIOpenAI Completes Deal That Values the Company at $80 BillionOpenAI’s SoraRivals In The Works—Including From Google And Meta2. EdtechOnline course provider 2U faces doubts it can continue3. PreK-12Unleashed Brands to Acquire Sylvan Learning4. ReportsReach Capital’s 2023 US EdTech Funding Report Oppenheimer ReportSpecial Guest:Matt Sherman, Founder and CEO at LSAT Lab

Explore the revolutionary use of AI in curriculum development by Robyn Cook at Aauti School. Delve into the ethical considerations of AI-driven education tools and the challenges faced by teachers. Discover the importance of quality curriculum materials and the future of AI in educational technology.

Send us a textEdtech Insiders joined the first Common Sense Summit on America's Kids and Families hosted by Common Sense Media at Pier 27 in San Francisco on January 28–30.The conference brought together advocates, researchers, youth leaders, policymakers, and other experts to take stock of America's kids and families and explore solutions to the most pressing issues across four core topic areas: kids and technology, youth mental health, early childhood education, and K–12 education. In this special episode, Alex and Ben interviews Hillary Clinton.Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton served as the First Lady of the United States to the 42nd President, Bill Clinton. She went on to become a U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Senator from New York. In the 2008 election, Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

Adeel Khan, Founder of MagicSchool AI, champions the infusion of AI into classrooms, sharing his insights on modernizing education through technology. Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer of Multiverse, discusses the innovative integration of apprenticeships and how they provide real-world experience alongside academic credit. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of edtech, the growth of Duolingo as the top language learning platform, and the pressing need for educational systems to adapt to market changes and learner needs.

Send us a textMari Nazary is the Chief Experience Officer at Bloom Institute of Technology, formerly known as Lambda School, Mari has dedicated over 15 years to transforming the landscape of online education. She believes in making education a universal key, accessible and effective for all, without the financial burden often associated with higher learning.Mari's journey in EdTech began with her role at Rosetta Stone, where she developed the company’s first online classroom experience. Her passion for instructional design and product development led her to impactful positions at Education First, Voxy, and DataCamp. In these roles, she spearheaded the expansion of learning products, significantly impacting millions of learners worldwide.At BloomTech, Mari has been instrumental in redefining the education experience. Her initiatives include building a proprietary platform, reducing the cost per learner, and incorporating an AI tutor, significantly enhancing the learning process and improving outcomes. She oversees critical aspects like product development, data management, instructional design, operations, and customer support, with a focus on results-driven learning experiences that cater to a diverse range of students.Mari's background as the daughter of Afghan immigrants in Queens, NY, has profoundly influenced her perspective on education. She holds degrees in classics, Spanish, and linguistics and is a fervent advocate for making tech careers accessible to those traditionally underserved by higher education. Living in Washington, D.C., Mari continues to challenge the status quo, ensuring that education paves a direct path to greater opportunities and success.Recommended Resources:AI for Education blogLenny’s Podcast

Send us a textEdtech Insiders joined the first Common Sense Summit on America's Kids and Families hosted by Common Sense Media at Pier 27 in San Francisco on January 28–30.The conference brought together advocates, researchers, youth leaders, policymakers, and other experts to take stock of America's kids and families and explore solutions to the most pressing issues across four core topic areas: kids and technology, youth mental health, early childhood education, and K–12 education. In this special episode, Alex and Ben interviews Sal Khan.Sal Khan is the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, a nonprofit educational organization that offers free lessons in math, science and humanities, as well as tools for parents, teachers and districts to track student progress. Khan Academy is piloting an AI guide called Khanmigo that is a tutor and teaching assistant.Sal Khan founded Khan Academy in 2008. Khan Academy is a nonprofit educational organization with 220 employees. In addition to math, they offer free lessons in the sciences and humanities. Outside of the Khanmigo pilot, more than 500 public school districts and schools across the United States partner with Khan Academy (up from nine before the pandemic). Khan Academy is used in more than 190 countries and is available in more than 50 languages. They have more than 160 million registered users worldwide.