This week on Solve for X, host Dr. Rick Fernandez is joined by special co-host Ryan Patenaude, Founder of RP Impact Partners, for a conversation with Axel Petochi, Co-Founder of BaboBot, an AI-powered communication platform helping schools simplify information access for students, families, and staff. Axel shares the entrepreneurial journey that began with a simple college problem—figuring out what was being served in the dining hall—and evolved into a platform designed to solve one of education’s most persistent challenges: communication. Together, Rick, Ryan, and Axel explore how schools can reduce information overload, improve family engagement, and provide stakeholders with personalized answers without adding more work to already stretched educators and administrators. The conversation also dives into what it’s like building an education technology company as a young founder, the realities of navigating the K-12 market, and how AI can be responsibly leveraged to improve operational efficiency while keeping educators at the center of learning. If you're interested in school communication, educational innovation, entrepreneurship, or the future of AI in education, this episode offers valuable lessons from both emerging and experienced leaders. What You’ll Learn How a college dining hall project evolved into an education technology companyWhy communication remains one of the biggest operational challenges for schoolsThe hidden costs of fragmented information systems across K-12 organizationsHow AI can provide personalized answers for parents, students, and staffWhy schools need communication tools that go beyond traditional portals and websitesThe importance of role-based responses in school communicationHow better communication can improve family engagement and student retentionLessons learned from building a startup as a young founderWhy founders should spend more time talking to customers than building in isolationThe importance of relationships, research, and trust in K-12 salesHow AI can support education operations without replacing teachersPractical advice for education founders entering the K-12 marketEpisode Timestamps01:19 Introducing BaboBot and the Communication Challenge 02:26 The College Project That Started It All 04:55 Early Lessons From Building the Platform 06:37 Discovering the Information Fragmentation Problem 07:59 Data, Communication, and School Operations 10:06 How BaboBot Supports Parents and Families 12:10 Why Communication Matters More Than Ever 14:45 Navigating the K-12 Market as a Young Founder 16:45 Building Relationships in Education 20:28 Solving District Challenges Through Better Communication 21:39 Customer Discovery and Product Development 22:36 New Parent Onboarding Success Story 25:12 Responsible AI in Education 26:49 Why Teachers Must Remain at the Center of Learning 28:35 Finding Mentors and Building a Network 32:00 Learning Through Successes and Failures 33:54 Common Startup Mistakes and Growth Challenges 36:12 Building a Scalable Go-To-Market Strategy 46:50 Lessons on Sales, Relationships, and Growth Connect with UsHost’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rick-fernandez-40692434/Company’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerschool-group Special ThanksTo Axel Petochi for sharing his entrepreneurial journey and vision for improving communication across education. His willingness to tackle complex operational challenges and learn directly from educators highlights the innovation and curiosity needed to solve tomorrow’s problems. Stay ConnectedFollow, like, and subscribe to Solve for X for more conversations where curiosity meets collaboration. Until next time—keep asking the right questions, and keep solving for X.
