The Stronger Podcast

Mike Montoya
  • 5.0 (3)
  • CAREERS

The Stronger Podcast is where the real conversations behind education and nonprofit leadership come alive. Each episode spotlights executives, founders, and purpose-driven leaders who are shaping schools, organizations, and communities across the country. These are the people on the front lines, opening school doors, building new models, and creating opportunities for kids every single day. Leaders share their journeys, the challenges they are navigating right now, and the mission that drives them. It is the kind of candid, heart-level exchange you would normally only hear after hours at a conference. Listeners can expect stories of impact, resilience, vulnerability, and vision. Sometimes inspiring, sometimes raw, always real. This podcast is not about selling products or ideologies. It is about connection. By amplifying the voices of those doing the work, the goal is to build community, spread powerful ideas, and ultimately fuel the larger mission of creating opportunity for millions of children. If you care about education, leadership, and what it takes to build change from the ground up, this is your front-porch seat to the conversation.

  1. Succession Is A Verb: Why Building Leaders Who Outlast You Is The Real CEO Job - With Marcia Aaron

    5D AGO

    Succession Is A Verb: Why Building Leaders Who Outlast You Is The Real CEO Job - With Marcia Aaron

    Marcia Aaron leads Charter School Growth Fund's investments across Texas, Arizona, Idaho, and Utah, and before that, she spent thirteen years building KIPP SoCal Public Schools from two schools to twenty-two as its founding CEO. In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with Marcia for a conversation about the three things she is most passionate about, and why each one connects to the others. Marcia started talking to her board about succession seven years before she left KIPP SoCal. The plan was not an emergency document. It was a real assessment of the team, where it was strong, where it needed to grow, and the development plan for every individual on it. Her successor, Angela, started as a school leader and moved up through director of academics, CAO, and CEO. At CSGF, succession is now a milestone in every grant agreement, and the message Marcia is taking to the field is direct: succession is a verb. Mike and Marcia also dig into why math has fallen behind, especially in schools serving low-income students. After COVID, schools poured energy into reading and let math facts and fluency slip. The result, in Texas, is portfolios sitting ten to fifteen points below pre-COVID proficiency. The fix is not new math. It is the boring work of direct instruction, automaticity, and Algebra one as the gateway to college and economic mobility. The third thread is rural education. Half of Idaho's students are rural, and the lowest-performing schools in the state are rural. Marcia talks about traditional brick-and-mortar charters opening in towns of 6,500, online schools in the top 25 statewide, and micro schools partnering with D1 sports programs to reach kids who would otherwise lose access. Tune in to hear why succession is the most overlooked responsibility in leadership and why building something strong in the moment is not enough if it does not last after you leave.   Chapters: 🎙️ 00:27 Want a podcast just like this one? Check out www.podcastsmatter.com ⛰️ 01:51 From Wall Street to charter schools: Marcia Aaron's path to Park City and CSGF 🏫 04:56 Building KIPP SoCal from 2 schools to 22, and the alumni who came through it 📐 10:13 What COVID did to math, and why Algebra I is still the gateway to college 🌾 16:38 Rural education in Idaho: brick-and-mortar charters, online schools, and micro-schools in towns of 6,500 🌟 20:56 If you are a leader or changemaker looking for support, check out www.geniusdiscovery.org 🔁 23:32 Seven years of succession planning: succession is a verb 📚 32:20 Find support for writing your impact-driven book at www.booksthatmatter.org 🤲 36:22 Education leaders need to lock arms instead of getting peeled off one by one 📊 40:58 Stop grading charter schools on a curve: the case for measuring against the highest bar 📞 45:23 Aging better starts with putting the phone down and investing in social connection 🎧 49:00 Find more podcasts that matter at www.podcaststhatmatter.org Links: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcia-aaron1231 Charter School Growth Fund: chartergrowthfund.org Connect with Marcia on LinkedIn to follow her work, and visit Charter School Growth Fund to learn more about how CSGF is investing in charter networks across Texas, Arizona, Idaho, and Utah.   Connect with Mike: www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc Stronger Consulting: strongerconsulting.com Publish a Book That Matters:  booksthatmatter.org Start a Podcast That Matters:  podcastsmatter.com Go from Expert to Thought Leader: geniusdiscovery.org  For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org Stay strong.

    50 min
  2. Nothing Goes to Waste Unless You Decide It Does: Cradle to Career Work, Coalition Building, and Spartanburg's Long Game with Keisha Gray

    APR 23

    Nothing Goes to Waste Unless You Decide It Does: Cradle to Career Work, Coalition Building, and Spartanburg's Long Game with Keisha Gray

    Keisha Gray sits down with Mike Montoya to make the case that cross sector collaboration is not a value statement, it is a muscle communities build out of necessity. And that operational excellence is how missions actually survive.  In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with Keisha Gray, Chief Operations Officer at the Spartanburg Academic Movement. SAM is a cradle to career organization working to create long term opportunity and economic mobility across Spartanburg County, South Carolina.  Keisha argues that Spartanburg is the twelfth fastest growing county in the country for a reason, and it is not the one most economic development stories tell. It is a former mill town that learned to collaborate when the economy collapsed underneath it. That muscle, built under pressure, is what a cradle to career strategy actually runs on.  She and Mike make a parallel case about careers. Keisha has led HR for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, run philanthropy at the Mary Black Foundation, and spent years inside regional newsrooms. She does not believe any of it was off topic. Nothing goes to waste unless you decide it does.  They get into Dr. Jack Shonkoff's new place based research at Harvard and why the environments children grow up in matter as much as the relationships around them. Mike closes with a reminder of his own: relationships are the engine and operational excellence is how you sustain the mission.  Tune in to hear why Keisha keeps a photo of a child she has never met on her office wall.    Chapters: 🎧 00:56 Want a podcast just like this one? Check out www.podcastsmatter.com  👧 01:26 The photo on Keisha's wall: who this work is really for  🤝 05:48 Why cross sector collaboration is hard  🏭 07:15 Stone soup and a mill town that learned to collaborate  📰 10:14 Growing up in Columbia and getting into HR  🏈 13:40 The Buccaneers, the Mary Black Foundation, and the call home  🧩 18:35 From ten to forty employees  ✍️ 28:02 Find support for your impact-driven book at www.booksthatmatter.org  🧠 31:04 Dr. Jack Shonkoff: it matters where a child grows up  🤲 35:46 Raj Chetty, Hope VI, and what a neighborhood does to a life  💬 40:36 The spontaneous moments are where real connection happens  🌟 45:53 If you are a leader or changemaker, check out www.geniusdiscovery.org  🕯️ 49:12 Relationships are the engine  🎙️ 49:35 Find more podcasts that matter at www.podcastsmatter.org  Links: Website: https://learnwithsam.org  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keisha-gray-8268514  Spartanburg Academic Movement on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spartanburg-academic-movement  If you want to see what cradle to career work actually looks like on the ground, follow Keisha and the Spartanburg Academic Movement.  Connect with Mike: www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc Stronger Consulting: strongerconsulting.com Publish a Book That Matters:  booksthatmatter.org Start a Podcast That Matters:  podcastsmatter.com Go from Expert to Thought Leader: geniusdiscovery.org  For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org Stay strong.

    50 min
  3. Stop Grinding and Start Sustaining: What Education Leaders Actually Need to Last with Vanessa Rodriguez

    APR 16

    Stop Grinding and Start Sustaining: What Education Leaders Actually Need to Last with Vanessa Rodriguez

    Vanessa Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of People at the Pahara Institute at Lone Rock, has spent her career building systems that give young people a fair shot, from District 79 in New York City to a national fellowship designed to keep education leaders in the work longer.  In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with Vanessa to talk about what it actually takes to sustain a career in education without burning out. Vanessa grew up in Hartford, Connecticut after her parents moved from Puerto Rico so their kids could have better opportunities. In first grade, her teacher made her stand in the corner and face the wall for answering in Spanish. That experience shaped years of silence before she found her voice and committed her life to expanding opportunity for others.  Vanessa spent seven years leading District 79, the citywide network serving over-age, under-credited students across all five boroughs of New York City. She and her team built referral centers that are still in place today, giving young people and families a way to navigate the system and find a path back to education. From there she moved through roles at Citizens of the World Charter Schools, Newark Public Schools, and NYC Outward Bound Schools before joining Pahara.  Mike and Vanessa dig into how to hire for values and motivation, what happens when values come into tension with the work, and why the next generation of leaders is not buying the grind culture that defined earlier eras of education reform. Vanessa also shares the five priorities her vitality coach gave her: love, movement, sleep, nutrition, and purpose.  Tune in to hear why sustaining in this work requires more than commitment. It requires vitality.     Chapters: 🎙️ 00:27 Want a podcast just like this one? Check out www.podcastsmatter.com  🇵🇷 01:37 Vanessa Rodriguez: from Puerto Rico to Hartford to a career in education  🏫 06:16 Seven years leading District 79: serving over-age, under-credited students across NYC  🧭 10:43 What classroom teaching taught her about leading systems change  🤝 14:33 Hiring for values and motivation: the two questions Vanessa asks in every interview  🔥 17:13 What happens when your values come into tension with the work  🏔️ 20:04 Pahara Institute at Lone Rock: a fellowship built to sustain education leaders  📚 24:03 Find support for writing your impact-driven book at www.booksthatmatter.org  📋 29:53 Pahara's application cycle and who should apply  👩‍👦 33:26 Raising a son as a single Latina mom and staying present through basketball🌟 39:38 If you are a leader or changemaker looking for support, check out www.geniusdiscovery.org  🎒 40:36 When your kid asks to leave early: Devin's choice to attend boarding school  🚶‍♀️ 44:34 Walking, water, and winding down: the habits that keep her going  💛 46:17 Love, movement, sleep, nutrition, and purpose: five priorities for vitality  🎧 48:52 Find more podcasts that matter at www.podcaststhatmatter.org  Links: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/vrodriguez7 Pahara Institute: www.pahara.org  Learn more about the Pahara fellowship and connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn to follow her work supporting education leaders across the country.  Connect with Mike: www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc Stronger Consulting: strongerconsulting.com Publish a Book That Matters:  booksthatmatter.org Start a Podcast That Matters:  podcastsmatter.com Go from Expert to Thought Leader: geniusdiscovery.org  For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org Stay strong.

    49 min
  4. We’re Preparing Kids for the Wrong World: Economic Mobility, Coalition Building, and the Long Game in Public Education with Dr. David W. James

    APR 9

    We’re Preparing Kids for the Wrong World: Economic Mobility, Coalition Building, and the Long Game in Public Education with Dr. David W. James

    Former Akron Public Schools superintendent Dr. David W. James never planned to work in education. He started at NASA, moved into environmental consulting, and ended up leading a school district for 13 years by accident.  In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with David, now executive director of Summit Education Initiative, to talk about what it takes to move the needle on economic mobility when the old factory jobs are gone and nobody can tell you what the new ones require.  David became superintendent after a business manager role put him in charge of rebuilding every school building in the district. What kept him there for 13 years was a model most districts do not attempt. He got the city of Akron to co-own school buildings through an income tax partnership. He brought Ford Next Generation Learning in to build college and career academies starting in kindergarten. He partnered with the LeBron James Family Foundation to open the I PROMISE School. Each of those required years of coalition building with people who did not always agree with each other.  His approach came from consulting, not curriculum. Treat the community like your customer. Listen to the people on the front lines. When the freight trains of problems keep coming, stay calm and do triage.  Now at Summit Education Initiative, David works across 17 public districts, tracking students from kindergarten readiness through post-secondary outcomes. The work is not about graduation rates alone. It is about whether a kid in Summit County can actually build a life.  Listen in for a conversation about why the real constraint on student outcomes is not funding or policy. It is whether the adults around them can build something together and keep showing up.    Chapters: 🎙️ 00:58 Want a podcast just like this one? Check out www.podcastsmatter.com  🏗️ 04:01 Meet Dr. David W. James: Co-op at NASA, environmental consulting, and a career nobody planned 🤝 08:01 A city partnership, an income tax, and school buildings co-owned with the mayor 🧠 10:41 Your first reaction is usually not the best one: learning to pause before you respond  🧪 13:15 Mercury in the schoolyard and why there is no playbook for everything 📐 15:57 The chamber of commerce could not answer what "prepared" actually means 🏫 17:52 Finding Ford Next Generation Learning and building career academies from kindergarten up 📚 19:26 Find support for writing your impact-driven book at www.booksthatmatter.org 📊 21:15 Summit Education Initiative: cradle to career data across 17 districts 🏥 31:24 Why kids miss school: rent, food banks, grandparents with diabetes 🌟 40:27 If you are a leader or changemaker looking for support, check out www.geniusdiscovery.org 👥 42:01 Developing the next generation of leaders instead of issuing orders  ☕ 42:32 Morning coffee, slower pace, and going from 13 medications to one 🎧 51:36 Find more podcasts that matter at www.podcaststhatmatter.org  Links: Connect: www.linkedin.com/in/david-w-james-ed-d-b8997211 Summit Education Initiative: www.seisummit.org LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/seisummit  Connect with David on LinkedIn or visit seisummit.org to learn more about Summit Education Initiative's cradle to career work across Summit County.   Connect with Mike: www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc Stronger Consulting: strongerconsulting.com Publish a Book That Matters:  booksthatmatter.org Start a Podcast That Matters:  podcastsmatter.com Go from Expert to Thought Leader: geniusdiscovery.org  For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org Stay strong.

    52 min
  5. Schools as Love Letters: Identity, Boldness, and the False Binaries Holding Education Back with Tricia Noyola

    APR 2

    Schools as Love Letters: Identity, Boldness, and the False Binaries Holding Education Back with Tricia Noyola

    Tricia Noyola is a charter school leader, Regional Superintendent at the KIPP Foundation, and former CEO of Rocky Mountain Prep who builds schools as love letters to the communities they serve.  In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with Tricia to talk about bold leadership, identity, and what it really means to build schools that serve their communities.  Tricia traces her path from the Rio Grande Valley to a college experience that exposed the inequity gap she had never fully seen, to becoming a first-time principal of the lowest performing school in her network with no formal training and no intention of ever being a leader. She shares what mentor JoAnn Gama saw in her when she could not see it herself, and how she and her team turned that school into the highest performing elementary in the community.  The conversation sharpens around two ideas Tricia keeps returning to: boldness means asking what if it does work out and acting on that answer, and the idea that 'high expectations and love for kids are opposites' is one of the most damaging false binaries in education today.  Tune in to hear why accountability and care are not a choice, and what happens when leaders stop pretending they are.    Chapters: 00:54 🎙️ Want a podcast just like this one? Check out www.podcastsmatter.com  01:09 🌵 Growing up on the Texas-Mexico border where culture was bright and identity was fluid  05:06 🏡 Native Texan roots: life before the border that felt like a border  08:39 🎬 The Selena moment and what border identity actually looks like from the inside  16:05 🎓 Getting to college and seeing the inequity gap for the first time  19:32 📚 Find support for writing your impact-driven book at www.booksthatmatter.org  19:53 🏫 JoAnn Gama's bet: principal of the lowest performing school in the network  21:30 📉 Year one was a disaster and why that became the most important lesson  29:24 🔥 The boldness principle: what if it does work out?  31:36 🌟 If you are a leader or changemaker looking for support, check out www.geniusdiscovery.org  37:29 💌 My school is a love letter to the community  39:02 ⚖️ Accountability is not a dirty word: rejecting the false binary in education  45:07 🎧 Find more podcasts that matter at www.podcaststhatmatter.org  Links: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tricianoyola  KIPP Foundation: www.kipp.org  Connect with Tricia on LinkedIn and follow her work at the KIPP Foundation to see what bold, community-centered leadership looks like in practice.    Connect with Mike: www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc Stronger Consulting: strongerconsulting.com Publish a Book That Matters:  booksthatmatter.org Start a Podcast That Matters:  podcastsmatter.com Go from Expert to Thought Leader: geniusdiscovery.org  For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org Stay strong.

    46 min
  6. Stop Chasing the New: How Consistency Builds Charter Schools That Last with Scott Hindman

    MAR 26

    Stop Chasing the New: How Consistency Builds Charter Schools That Last with Scott Hindman

    Charter school leader Scott Hindman went from minor league baseball to investment banking to building one of New Mexico's most impactful public education networks. The lesson he keeps coming back to: find great people, give them the runway to lead, and play the long game.   In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with Scott, Executive Director of Excellent Schools New Mexico, to talk about a decade of building high-quality charter schools in a state that rarely gets the attention its education work deserves. Scott traces the arc from Princeton pitcher to JPMorgan analyst to nonprofit founder and explains why the skills translate more than people think. Ten years in, he reflects on board leadership, long-term funding relationships, and why consistency and follow-through will outperform innovation almost every time.  They also get into why adult leadership is the real constraint on school quality, what the New Mexico funding landscape makes possible that other states cannot, and what it looks like when funders and operators stay aligned over the long term.  Tune in to hear why the most radical thing a leader can do in education right now might be to stop chasing the new and just do the work.  Chapters: 00:52 🎙️ Want a podcast just like this one? Check out www.podcastsmatter.com  01:06 ⚾ Meet Scott Hindman: Princeton pitcher, JPMorgan analyst, education builder  02:55 🏙️ Growing up in Chicago and what good schools made possible  04:51 🎓 Drafted by the Reds, Princeton, and the lessons baseball taught him  15:02 💼 From JPMorgan to First Solar to education: why the skills translate  20:47 📚 Find support for writing your impact-driven book at www.booksthatmatter.org  25:07 🤝 The board that has stayed for ten years and why that matters  26:24 📈 A decade of growth: 14,000 seats and 96% of kids learning faster  31:39 💰 Oil, gas, and the funding landscape that makes New Mexico unique  38:41 🌟 If you are a leader or changemaker looking for support, check out www.geniusdiscovery.org  39:54 🧭 Consistency over innovation: the leadership habit that actually works  46:19 🙏 Gratitude, long game thinking, and closing reflections  48:37 🎧 Find more podcasts that matter at www.podcaststhatmatter.org  Links:Website: www.excellentschoolsnm.org  Personal LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/scotthindmanCompany LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/excellentschoolsnm Explore Excellent Schools New Mexico's work and connect with Scott on LinkedIn to follow a decade of impact in public education.  Connect with Mike: www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc Stronger Consulting: strongerconsulting.com Publish a Book That Matters:  booksthatmatter.org Start a Podcast That Matters:  podcastsmatter.com Go from Expert to Thought Leader: geniusdiscovery.org  For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org Stay strong.

    49 min
  7. What Curiosity Teaches Us About Leading Schools — with Joanna Belcher

    MAR 19

    What Curiosity Teaches Us About Leading Schools — with Joanna Belcher

    From teaching fourth grade in Compton to founding a KIPP elementary school in Newark, Joanna Belcher has spent her career building schools and supporting leaders who believe every student deserves opportunity.  In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with Joanna Belcher, Regional Superintendent at the KIPP Foundation, to discuss the leadership lessons she has learned along the way. Joanna reflects on the moments that shaped her approach to leadership, including the power of seeing excellence firsthand and why curiosity remains one of the most important habits for leaders.  They also explore what it takes to build strong teams, support school leaders across a national network, and stay focused on what matters most for students.  Listen in for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, curiosity, and the work of building schools that help students thrive.   Chapter: 00:56 🎙️ Want a Podcast Just Like This One? Check Out www.podcastsmatter.com 01:35 🏫 Joanna’s Role at KIPP and Leading Across 28 Regions 06:09 🌱 Growing Up in Pennsylvania and Finding Teach For America 10:54 🚀 The Moment Joanna Saw What Excellence Looks Like 19:38 📚 Find support for writing your impact-driven book at www.booksthatmatter.org 21:02 🤝 Curiosity, Mentorship, and Building Strong Teams 25:48 🧠 Why Curiosity Matters for Leaders 26:50 ⚡ What COVID Taught Joanna About Leadership 31:53 🎯 Helping School Leaders Focus on What Matters Most 38:08 ⚖️ When a Health Crisis Changed Joanna’s Perspective 42:50 🌍 If you are a leader or a changemaker looking for support, check out www.geniusdiscovery.org 45:17 🔭 What’s Ahead for KIPP 48:43 🎧 Find More Podcasts That Matter at www.podcastsmatter.com Links:Website: www.kipp.org LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joannabelcherKIPP Foundation LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/kipp-foundation If you’d like to learn more about Joanna Belcher’s work or follow the broader work happening across KIPP schools, connect with her on LinkedIn or explore the KIPP website through the links above.  Connect with Mike: www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc Stronger Consulting: strongerconsulting.com Publish a Book That Matters:  booksthatmatter.org Start a Podcast That Matters:  podcastsmatter.com Go from Expert to Thought Leader: geniusdiscovery.org  For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org Stay strong.

    50 min
  8. Finding Opportunity Through Relationships: From Immigrant Roots to Talent Leadership with Ron Rapatalo

    MAR 12

    Finding Opportunity Through Relationships: From Immigrant Roots to Talent Leadership with Ron Rapatalo

    What happens when the path your family imagined for you isn’t the one you’re meant to follow?  From being the son of Filipino immigrants in Brooklyn to a leader shaping talent and social impact across education, Ron Rapatalo shares a powerful story about resilience, purpose, and the relationships that shape our lives.  Growing up in Brooklyn and Queens, Ron experienced both the challenges and ingenuity of a tight-knit immigrant family, navigating early loss, academic expectations, and the search for meaningful work after the death of his father at age 10. His journey eventually led him from neuroscience and finance to more than twenty years in K-12 education, executive coaching, and social impact hiring, where he discovered that his true “genius zone” lies in cultivating authentic relationships and helping others find fulfilling career paths.  In this conversation, Ron reflects on career pivots, flexible work, mentorship, and the importance of strong human connections. He shares why your network can become your safety net, why kindness and generosity are leadership traits, and how exposing young people to diverse career possibilities can transform opportunity.  Tune in to hear Ron’s story and insights on leadership, equity, and how investing in people and relationships can shape both individual lives and entire communities.  Chapter: 🎧 01:04 Want a Podcast Just Like This One? Check Out www.podcastsmatter.com 🏙️ 02:56 Growing Up in Brooklyn and Queens in a Filipino Immigrant Family📚 12:47 From the Pre-Med Track to Teach For America  🌟 17:17 If You Are a Leader or Changemaker, Check Out www.geniusdiscovery.org 🎯 19:36  Discovering the Art of Hiring and Spotting Talent  💼 25:27 When Your Career Finally Aligns with Purpose 🏡 26:33 Remote Work and Life Fit 💪 30:05 Why Movement Matters for Thinking and Leadership? ✍️ 31:57 Find Support for Your Impact-Driven Book at www.booksthatmatter.org 🌍 33:59 Immigration, Opportunity, and What We Leave Behind  🤝 45:13 “Your Network Can Become Your Safety Net”  🎙️ 50:33 Find More Podcasts That Matter at www.podcastsmatter.com Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rapatalo Connect with Ron Rapatalo on LinkedIn to follow his work in talent, coaching, and leadership across education and social impact. Connect with Mike: www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc Stronger Consulting: strongerconsulting.com Publish a Book That Matters:  booksthatmatter.org Start a Podcast That Matters:  podcastsmatter.com Go from Expert to Thought Leader: geniusdiscovery.org  For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org Stay strong.

    51 min
See All (26)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Stronger Podcast is where the real conversations behind education and nonprofit leadership come alive. Each episode spotlights executives, founders, and purpose-driven leaders who are shaping schools, organizations, and communities across the country. These are the people on the front lines, opening school doors, building new models, and creating opportunities for kids every single day. Leaders share their journeys, the challenges they are navigating right now, and the mission that drives them. It is the kind of candid, heart-level exchange you would normally only hear after hours at a conference. Listeners can expect stories of impact, resilience, vulnerability, and vision. Sometimes inspiring, sometimes raw, always real. This podcast is not about selling products or ideologies. It is about connection. By amplifying the voices of those doing the work, the goal is to build community, spread powerful ideas, and ultimately fuel the larger mission of creating opportunity for millions of children. If you care about education, leadership, and what it takes to build change from the ground up, this is your front-porch seat to the conversation.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Montoya
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Mike Montoya
  • Show Website
    The Stronger Podcast

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