Edtech Insiders

Send us a textEdquity is an emergency financial assistance platform for college students that is distributing $50 million per quarter. Founder David Helene is a college financing wunderkind who is committed to keeping low-income college students enrolled; in this episode, we dive deep into how edtech can help support equity in higher education.Resources that David recommends:Paying the Price by Sara Goldrick-RabAutomating Inequality by Virginia Eubanks

Send us a textBen and Alex discuss How US Schools are Opening and Closing and Opening, The Merging of Edtech Platforms with Content Providers,  The Mental Health Crisis in Schools, Chegg's Lawsuit by Investors, and Edtech's Huge Year and the Global Landscape Shift. We also predict the number of IPOs and Unicorns in 2022, look at the LatAm Edtech market, and do a Deep Dive on GSV Partner Luben Pampaoulov's Medium post on how we get to the first trillion dollar Edtech company through LTV. RESOURCES:NYTimes: "With No School in Sight, Chicago Families Grit Their Teeth" Axios: Blackbaud buys Everfi for $750 million, in ESG pushEdsurge: To Help Fight a Mental Health Crisis in Schools, Community Groups Step InInside Higher Ed: Chegg Accused of Cheating Investors HolonIQ's Global Edtech Venture Capital Report

Send us a textIn this special episode, Alex and Ben Kornell of Cambium Education, Altschool and Altitude Learning talk about some of the major trends in Edtech in the milestone year of 2021 and predictions for 2022.Trends covered include:- COVID Fueled Disruption and Edtech Acceleration- Labor Shortages in Schools and Teacher Burnout- Nationwide Mental Health Crises for School-Age Children- Major Edtech Mergers and Acquisitions- Edtech Matures as a Technology Sector (From Edu-slow to Techno-speed)- New Edtech Unicorns and IPOs- Employers Dip Their Toes and Start to Change the Center of Gravity for Edtech- Rise of Indian and European Edtech and Slowdown in Chinese Edtech- The rise of CBCs and the "Educreator" (Teacher-Influencer-Creator Economy)- The Future of the Gap Year

Send us a textIn this episode, we talk to Elizabeth Madariaga and Michael Karsh, production and edtech veterans and co-founders of Edios Media. Edios Media is the instructional design and video production studio behind many of the most successful online courses in the world, including:All four Google Career Certificates (the largest MOOCs in 2021)INSEAD's Blockchain Revolution Specialization on CourseraCourses from Facebook, AWS, Paradigm, Salesforce, Lyft and C3.aiIn this episode, we talk about what makes compelling online video, how to prep and structure an incredible online course, how to provide effective 'gateway learning' to beginners, the power of reminding users 'why' they're learning, filming during a pandemic, and how storytelling principles can be best used in education. Resources- Axios (specifically, the Jobs section)- Institute for the Future of Education from the Tecnológico de Monterrey- Also, check out the Edios Media blog for deeper dives into some of the topics covered here, including storytelling and remote production.

Send us a textIn this episode, we speak to Nikki and Dan Gusz, the sibling entrepreneurial team behind career coaching startup Lloyd.Lloyd's mission is to provide career coaching at scale and at affordable prices to those who may not otherwise have access to it. With support from WGU Labs, Lloyd offers 'career services as a service' to education institutions of all kinds, from individual course creators to bootcamps to universities. ResourcesDan and Nikki recommend the publications and tweets of these entrepreneurial thought leaders:John DannerElizabeth Yin (@dunkhippo33) on Twitter

Send us a textIn this episode of Edtech Insiders, we speak with Amy Amner Jenkins, Head of Schools at Outschool.Previously, Amy was the Chief Operating Officer of Education Elements, an associate partner at NewSchools Venture Fund, a co-founder of an after school program that combines soccer and literacy, and a teacher with Teach for America. Amy holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.In this conversation, Amy and I chat about how Outschool became one of the fastest growing edtech companies during the pandemic, how teachers are using their teaching skills to create side hustles or even full time jobs teaching online, and how Outschool is beginning to work directly within schools to expand learning opportunities.ResourcesAmy recommends:Following school district leaders on Twitter Feedspot Weekly as an aggregator of edtech newsStart with the Why by Simon Sinek

Send us a textIn this episode, we speak to Ben Kornell of Cambiar Education, who was most recently the CEO of Altschool  as it was acquired by Higher Ground Education in 2021. Ben is a longtime edtech executive with educational roots- five years in the classroom - as well as experience in healthcare, and he speaks in this episode about how we might borrow some of the best practices in healthcare to improve education, as well as how to scale the educational practices of the best teachers in every school. Resources: Ben names several innovative companies in this podcast including:Crimson Education: an international small-group based high school, based in New Zealand)Third Space Learning: a high-dosage tutoring platform based in Sri Lanka)Book and Blog Recommendations:Work by Thich Nhat Hahn Class Clowns by Jonathan A. KneeThe Flight of a Butterfly or the Path of a Bullet?: Using Technology to Transform Teaching and Learning by Larry CubanLarry Cuban's Blog "Larry Cuban on School Reform"

Send us a textIn this episode, we talk to Adam Franklin, Sr. Product Manager for Content at K12 platform Nearpod.  Adam explains his journey from high school classroom teacher to curriculum developer to edtech product manager, as well as what it's like building and curating a world-class content library to get teachers the resources they need. We also talk about an age-old k12 edtech dilemma: how to get big enough to sell to school districts while staying agile enough to respond to your end users. Adam's Recommendations for those interested in Edtech:Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MackenzieMeasuring What Matters by John Doerr and Larry PageHooked by Nir EyalStratechery Blog by Ben ThompsonJen Carolan  (@jencarolan) on TwitterBuzzfeed's article  "How Edgenuity Failed Students During the Pandemic"

Send us a textIn this pilot episode, we interview edtech investor Atin Batra, founder and general partner at Twenty Seven Ventures, also knows as 27V, a venture firm devoted to education and the future of work. Atin talks about his journey to edtech, his interest in founders who really understand the problems, and how some of the best and most collaborative learning happens outside of traditional schools. 27 Ventures has invested in Fiveable, Edlyft, Topknot, 101Edu, Edgi, New Campus, and many other startups that are looking to transform education. We talk about several of these startups in this episode. Atin's Recommended Resources:Winners Take All by Anand GiridharadasThe Sensor Tower Mobile Data Report (Q2 2021)

Send us a textEducation technology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. At Edtech Insiders, we talk to the founders, operators, educators, researchers, business leaders, and thought leaders who know the industry inside and out. This new series explores the intersection of education, technology, and business by talking to those making it happen. While most education technology podcasts focus on “how” to use education in the classroom, Edtech Insiders is about the trends, products, and business models that power the global Edtech revolution. Edtech Insiders is hosted by Edtech veteran Alex Sarlin, product manager and learning engineer for leading Edtech companies like Coursera, 2U, Skillshare, Scholastic, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Check us out, share, like, and subscribe! Also, check out the Edtech Insiders newsletter on Substack.