

Edtech Insiders
Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell
At Edtech Insiders, we interview founders, investors, operators, educators, and thought leaders about the future of education technology. You’ll hear from leaders across the education technology industry and learn about all of the important edtech trends happening globally.
Episodes
Mentioned books

10 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 1h 30min
Week in Edtech 3/18/26: NVIDIA’s Agentic AI Land Grab, ASU’s AI Playbook, AI Literacy vs Screen Bans, School Choice Expansion, Edtech Funding Shifts, and More! Feat. Aaron Cuny of AI for Equity & Joshua Broggi of Woolf
Joshua Broggi, founder and CEO of Woolf, modernizing higher ed with competency-based pathways and prior-learning credit. Aaron Cuny, CEO of AI for Equity, building AI leadership capacity in K–12. They unpack NVIDIA’s platform push, agentic AI and solopreneur opportunities. They debate AI literacy versus screen bans, ASU’s AI playbook, school choice expansion, and shifting edtech funding trends.

Mar 23, 2026 • 28min
Keeping Tutoring Human in the Age of AI with Mindy Sjoblom and Catherine Tierney of OnYourMark
Mindy Sjoblom, founder and CEO of OnYourMark, scales research-backed virtual high-dosage tutoring for early readers. Catherine Tierney, Head of Product and Program, designs human-centered, evidence-based learning tech. They discuss using AI as an insight layer rather than a replacement, translating RCT-backed research into practical tools, real-time tutor feedback, and how AI’s role should differ by student age.

Mar 20, 2026 • 50min
Week in EdTech 3/11/26: OpenAI Launches Interactive Learning Tools, Stanford AI Education Meta-Study Raises Questions, AI Backlash Grows, K–12 Cybersecurity Risks Rise, and More! Feat. Oliver Page of CyberNut
Oliver Page, Co-founder and CEO of CyberNut, leads an AI-powered cybersecurity training startup that gamifies phishing defense for K–12 schools. He discusses why schools are uniquely vulnerable to phishing, how AI is fueling more personalized attacks, and why engaging, regular simulations beat once-a-year compliance training. He also explains student-focused reporting tools and scaling tactics for school adoption.

Mar 18, 2026 • 27min
Designing AI to Support Teachers with Dr. Rachel Book and Charlie Thayer of Lincoln Learning Solutions
Charlie Thayer, Chief Academic Officer with 15+ years in online and blended learning, and Dr. Rachel Book, education leader with 20+ years in early childhood and curriculum development, discuss purpose-built AI for classrooms. They compare generic versus education-focused AI. They explore AI use cases that boost teacher visibility and reduce clerical work. They cover AI for younger learners, safety and age-appropriate design, and risks of AI shortcuts.

Mar 16, 2026 • 21min
Josh Jones of QuantHub on Teaching AI Skills That Outlast the Tools
Josh Jones, CEO of QuantHub and serial entrepreneur in data and AI literacy. He discusses why education should teach durable meta-skills like critical thinking, ethics, and change management. He explains mapping AI skills to standards and why bans on tools can widen gaps. He urges modular curriculum updates and clear institutional AI policies to stay resilient.

Mar 9, 2026 • 19min
Managing AI by Default: Dean Celaj of GoTeacher on the Future of K–12 Data Privacy
Dean Celaj, Founder and CEO of GoTeacher and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum who built a national education platform in Albania, discusses K–12 data privacy challenges. He explains why districts struggle to stay compliant. He outlines privacy blind spots from “free” tools. He argues for blocking risky AI by default and shares practical fixes for systemwide enforcement.

Mar 6, 2026 • 1h 5min
Week in EdTech 2/25/26: FBI Raids LAUSD, Screen Time Backlash Grows, Google Trains 6M Teachers in AI, Southern States Post Gains, NationGraph Raises Funding, and More! Feat. Ariella Racco of CoLab Education
Ariella Racco, founder and CEO of CoLab Education and former middle school teacher, builds collaboration tools for K–12 educators. She discusses why collaboration infrastructure, not content, is the bottleneck. Short takes cover AI-era moderation, limits of social platforms, scaling a teacher network, and how CoLab aims to connect educators to co-design learning.

15 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 27min
Greg Hart of Coursera on Why Skills Are the New Atomic Unit of Education
Greg Hart, CEO of Coursera and former Amazon product leader who helped build Alexa, talks about making learning skills-focused and accessible. He discusses AI-powered personalized learning, partnerships with universities and industry, and treating skills as modular building blocks. The conversation highlights modular assessments, career-aligned courses, and the urgency to move fast in a changing education landscape.

4 snips
Feb 27, 2026 • 1h 4min
Week in Edtech 2/18/26: Student AI Walkouts, 26 States Push Phone Bans, Khan India Lessons, Utah Math Shakeup, Higher Ed Under Pressure, and More! Feat. Brandon Smith of Integrity Advocate
Brandon Smith, CEO of Integrity Advocate, former law enforcement proctoring expert focused on assessment integrity. Peter Stiepleman, career educator and superintendent turned leadership podcaster. They dive into student ChatGPT walkouts and how AI is reshaping classrooms. They cover 26-state phone ban pushes and K–5 screen limits. They discuss Utah’s math overhaul, Khan Academy’s India rollout, rural district collaboration, and stresses on higher education.

9 snips
Feb 18, 2026 • 41min
Accessibility at Scale: How Priyank Chodisetti and Workback.ai Cut Compliance from Months to Days
Priyank Chodisetti, co-founder and CEO of Workback.ai and former Coursera engineering lead, builds AI tools to automate accessibility audits and remediation. He discusses ADA Title II’s digital expansion and why procurement now hinges on compliance. He explains how AI can shrink audits from months to days and how continuous CI/CD checks keep products compliant and scalable.


