Edtech Insiders

Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell
  • 5.0 (22)
  • EDUCATION
Edtech Insiders

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.

  1. Why AI Alone Won’t Fix Education—MacKenzie Price Explains the Missing Ingredient

    9H AGO

    Why AI Alone Won’t Fix Education—MacKenzie Price Explains the Missing Ingredient

    Send us a text MacKenzie Price is a Stanford grad, mom of two, and the Co-Founder of 2 Hour Learning - a revolutionary learning platform that harnesses the power of AI to give kids a 1:1 personalized learning experience. Her students excel in academics while spending most of their day learning life skills that set them up for future success. She founded the first Alpha School ten years ago in Austin, Texas and now has eight schools, with others opening in the fall. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why motivation is the missing key in EdTech.How AI enables personalized, mastery-based learning.The new role of teachers as motivational guides.How to build life skills alongside academics.What’s next for AI in education—and why it’s exciting.✨ Episode Highlights: [00:03:19] MacKenzie on Founding Alpha Schools to create a better model for her own children. [00:06:36] Why tech alone can’t drive student success without human connection. [00:12:54] How Alpha Schools deliver two hours of academics and a full day of life skills. [00:21:56] Teachers become motivational coaches, not just content experts. [00:28:11] The power of AI to connect learning with students’ passions. [00:38:05] Rethinking assessments: AI makes feedback immediate and actionable. 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

    51 min
  2. Week in Edtech 5/7/2025: Columbia’s AI Cheating Scandal, Duolingo’s AI Shift, AI Education Mandate, Google’s AI Overviews Cut Clicks 34.5%, Higher Ed Under Fire, and More! Feat. Brian Malkin of Rang, John Marshall of Brainfreeze & Scott Nadzan of

    5D AGO

    Week in Edtech 5/7/2025: Columbia’s AI Cheating Scandal, Duolingo’s AI Shift, AI Education Mandate, Google’s AI Overviews Cut Clicks 34.5%, Higher Ed Under Fire, and More! Feat. Brian Malkin of Rang, John Marshall of Brainfreeze & Scott Nadzan of

    Send us a text Join hosts Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs and policy shakeups to new funding rounds and workforce shifts shaping the future of learning. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:00:00] Silicon Valley debates the rise of “AI Slop” and the impact of vibe coding. [00:03:36] Columbia student suspended for AI cheating tool raises $5.3M to commercialize it. [00:04:56] Anthropic’s Drew Bent explains why code literacy now means editing AI-generated code. [00:08:09] 200 CEOs and Code.org push for mandatory AI classes in high school. [00:11:13] Federal government’s role in AI education policy under debate. [00:14:04] Duolingo plans to replace contract workers with AI, triggering backlash. [00:20:42] Higher ed faces political attacks; Harvard and Columbia push back. [00:23:32] K-12 faces teacher shortages and $4.5B in proposed federal funding cuts. [00:35:21] Google’s AI Overviews cut search click-through rates by 34.5%. Plus, special guests: [00:36:08] Brian Malkin, Co-Founder & CEO of Rang, on rewards programs to improve K-12 attendance. [00:50:29] John Marshall, CEO of BrainFreeze, on AI safety and transparency in schools. [01:12:31] Scott Nadzan, Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategic Communications at Panopto, on AI-generated video and the Elai acquisition. 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

    1h 31m
  3. Can Teachers Outsmart AI? Mike Yates on AI Poetry Slams and Hackathons at the Reinvention Lab

    MAY 12

    Can Teachers Outsmart AI? Mike Yates on AI Poetry Slams and Hackathons at the Reinvention Lab

    Send us a text Mike Yates is a Senior Designer at Teach for America's Reinvention Lab, with over a decade of experience at the intersection of technology and learning. A former classroom teacher and founding member of Alpha School, he now leads the Lab’s AI initiatives, creating workshops, coaching educators, and prototyping innovative AI solutions. Mike has built partnerships with organizations like Playlab AI, Google, and Snapchat, and remains dedicated to helping educators navigate the future of learning through practical, human-centered approaches. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why teachers don’t need to “speak Silicon Valley” to embrace AI.How AI hackathons and poetry slams are making AI learning more human and fun.The concept of “AI Dexterity” and why it’s critical for future-ready educators.How rebel educators are building their own AI tools to solve real classroom problems.Why sometimes the best AI training happens on a plane or at a coffee shop!✨ Episode Highlights: [00:01:08] Mike Yates’ journey from TFA rejection to leading its AI initiatives [00:04:45] What teachers really want from AI—and why most solutions miss the mark [00:07:28] AI at the human level: “You don’t have to speak Tech Bro to get on this train" [00:14:05] From poetry slams to fashion design—creative ways educators are learning AI [00:18:30] How rebel teachers are building their own EdTech tools after budget cuts [00:23:37] Why AI as a trickster and debate partner makes learning more fun [00:26:59] A sneak peek at the Reinvention Lab’s new initiative: Arcade AI 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!🎉 Presenting Sponsor: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

    30 min
  4. Week in Edtech 5/2/2025: Trump’s AI and Workforce Orders, Accreditation Shakeup, ESSER Fallout, Israel’s AI Tutors, Duolingo’s Language Leap, and More! Feat. Anna Iarotska of Robo Wunderkind, Julia Dixon of ESAI, and Tigran Sloyan of CodeSignal

    MAY 7

    Week in Edtech 5/2/2025: Trump’s AI and Workforce Orders, Accreditation Shakeup, ESSER Fallout, Israel’s AI Tutors, Duolingo’s Language Leap, and More! Feat. Anna Iarotska of Robo Wunderkind, Julia Dixon of ESAI, and Tigran Sloyan of CodeSignal

    Send us a text Join host Alex Sarlin alongside special guest co-hosts Ben Wallerstein and Anna Kimsey Edwards, Co-Founders of Whiteboard Advisors, as they break down: [00:03:00] Trump’s AI Executive Order launches cross-agency education task force [00:05:00] 27 states already advancing AI education policy [00:07:00] Workforce EO targets 1M AI-related apprenticeships [00:10:00] Accreditation EO pushes competition and student outcomes [00:14:00] “Beyond Degrees” report urges non-degree pathways [00:21:00] Edtech funding hits record low in Q1 and Q2, says HolonIQ [00:23:00] ESSER cliff and political uncertainty stall school spending [00:28:00] Falling enrollment squeezes K-12 budgets nationwide [00:30:00] Duolingo adds 150 AI-generated cross-language courses [00:30:45] Google Audio Overview now available in 50 languages [00:31:00] Panorama acquires AI writing tool Class Companion, Kollegio raises seed round for AI college advising [00:32:30] Anthropic forecasts AI-only employees within a year [00:36:00] Israel announces national rollout of AI tutors in schools Plus, special guests: [00:36:45] Anna Iarotska, CEO & Co-founder of Robo Wunderkind, unveils the first K–5 AI Literacy Curriculum [00:50:55] Julia Dixon, Founder & CEO of ESAI, reflects on her Shark Tank debut and democratizing admissions advising [01:02:00] Tigran Sloyan, Co-Founder & CEO of CodeSignal, shares how TED Talks are becoming interactive learning journeys 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!🎉 Presenting Sponsor: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

    1h 19m
  5. Future Fluent: Betsy Corcoran & Dr. Jeremy Roschelle on Redefining Literacy in the Age of AI

    MAY 5

    Future Fluent: Betsy Corcoran & Dr. Jeremy Roschelle on Redefining Literacy in the Age of AI

    Send us a text Betsy Corcoran and Dr. Jeremy Roschelle co-host the Future Fluent podcast, where they explore how learning is changing in the age of AI. Betsy is the cofounder of EdSurge and now leads Lede Labs, advising education leaders. Jeremy is a leading learning scientist and Executive Director of Learning Science Research at Digital Promise. Together, they bring decades of journalism and research experience to their shared mission: redefining literacy and learning in a world transformed by AI. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: What “future fluency” means in the age of AIWhy social connection is central to learning with AIHow AI can empower generalist educators and studentsThe importance of co-designing tools with teachersWhat deep knowledge—not just critical thinking—requires today✨ Episode Highlights: [00:04:00] Launching Future Fluent: a podcast to ask better questions about AI and learning [00:07:00] Literacy redefined: engaging with the world through many channels [00:09:00] Mike Yates' AI poetry experiment builds confidence in creativity [00:13:00] Using AI to support comprehension for young readers [00:19:00] Post-COVID lesson: data proves teachers’ impact [00:25:00] AI can’t replace deep knowledge or human insight [00:30:00] Playlab AI helps generalist teachers act like specialists [00:33:00] Colorado students use AI to create a voter guide chatbot [00:36:00] Re-centering AI on human flourishing, not machine potential [00:42:00] Real co-design starts with real educator problems 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!🎉 Presenting Sponsor: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

    50 min
  6. The Map Makers: Inside the Edtech Insiders' GenAI K-12 Education Market Map with Alex Sarlin, Laurence Holt & Jacob Klein

    APR 30

    The Map Makers: Inside the Edtech Insiders' GenAI K-12 Education Market Map with Alex Sarlin, Laurence Holt & Jacob Klein

    Send us a text In this special episode, we go behind the scenes of the Edtech Insiders GenAI K-12 Education Market Map, a first-of-its-kind framework connecting real classroom needs to AI-powered tools. Co-created by Alex Sarlin, Laurence Holt, Jacob Klein, and the Edtech Insiders team, this evolving resource helps educators, entrepreneurs, and researchers make sense of a fast-changing landscape.  💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:  Why the GenAI Education Map focuses on pedagogy and learning needs over toolsHow to identify "white space" opportunities for AI in educationWhat makes AI feedback and teacher coaching some of the most promising use cases todayHow to move beyond the 5% of students typically served by EdTechWhy "team teaching with AI" might be the next big frontier✨ Episode Highlights: [00:02:36] Holt & Klein introduce the origin story of the Generative AI Use Case Map [00:03:29] Starting with teaching and learning needs, not tech capabilities [00:06:03] Why learning science and research-backed practices still aren't reaching scale [00:11:11] How and why the GenAI Map was built as a living, evolving framework [00:15:20] Imagining “team teaching” between human educators and AI assistants [00:20:16] The 5–10% problem: Why most EdTech tools miss the broader population [00:23:18] Personalization, motivation, and redefining what success in school can look like [00:30:05] From tool overload to comprehensive suites: the shifting EdTech landscape [00:34:12] AI-enabled feedback loops that support both teachers and learners [00:39:00] What’s ready for scale now—and what still needs real breakthroughs [00:44:55] Risks and red flags: from dopamine loops to student dependence on AI [00:48:35] Will GenAI in education be incremental or transformative? 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!🎉 Presenting Sponsors: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

    55 min
  7. Practical AI That Teachers Actually Love with Levi Belnap of Merlyn Mind

    APR 28

    Practical AI That Teachers Actually Love with Levi Belnap of Merlyn Mind

    Send us a text Levi Belnap is the CEO of Merlyn Mind, where he has been instrumental in driving the company's vision and growth since joining in 2019. Before assuming his current role, Levi served as Chief Strategy Officer for nearly four years and later as Chief Revenue Officer. Prior to Merlyn Mind, Levi built an impressive career in business development and entrepreneurship. He worked for Defy Ventures, served as Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at Wyzant, and co-founded FindIt, where he served as CEO. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BA in Political Science and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. He currently resides in Houston, Texas, where he continues to lead Merlyn Mind in transforming educational technology. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: How voice AI is helping teachers regain control of the classroomWhy AI should be invisible, not overwhelming, for educatorsReal classroom impacts: higher engagement, fewer disruptionsHow multi-language support is changing access to techThe future of AI in education: enabling, not replacing, teachers✨ Episode Highlights: [00:01:20] Levi Belnap’s journey to leading Merlyn Mind [00:02:36] What Merlyn Mind’s voice AI actually does in classrooms [00:04:19] Evolving AI strategy: Before and after ChatGPT [00:07:29] How teacher needs drive real edtech innovation [00:09:23] A day in the life of a "Merlyn-enabled" teacher [00:17:16] Voice AI’s impact on student focus and behavior [00:25:46] New Spanish-language capabilities at Merlyn Mind [00:36:59] Why embedding AI in real workflows is the future of edtech 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!🎉 Presenting Sponsor: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

    48 min
  8. Week in Edtech 4/16/2025: ASU+GSV Recap, GPT-4.1 Launch, Harvard vs. DEI Mandates, Linda McMahon’s Edtech Debut, Claude’s Study Mode, Yuanfudao’s AI Tutor, Brisk Wins GSV Cup, and More! Feat. Collin Earnst of the EdTech Leadership Collective

    APR 25

    Week in Edtech 4/16/2025: ASU+GSV Recap, GPT-4.1 Launch, Harvard vs. DEI Mandates, Linda McMahon’s Edtech Debut, Claude’s Study Mode, Yuanfudao’s AI Tutor, Brisk Wins GSV Cup, and More! Feat. Collin Earnst of the EdTech Leadership Collective

    Send us a text Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from ASU+GSV insights to AI model releases, international edtech innovations, and federal policy shake-ups. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:01:45] ASU+GSV recap and post-conference energy [00:04:48] Strategic AI integration gains traction [00:05:56] Edtech market braces for consolidation [00:08:45] Linda McMahon engages at ASU+GSV [00:10:18] Challenges merging CS and AI in schools [00:13:16] Harvard pushes back on federal DEI demands signals sector shift [00:23:21] Yuanfudao launches next-gen AI tutor [00:28:20] OpenAI releases GPT-4.1 with huge upgrades [00:30:25] Google and Claude enhance AI tools [00:33:56] Brisk wins GSV Cup and raises $15M [00:35:20] Big funding rounds hit across edtech [00:37:56] Global expansion and tutor startup funding Plus, special guest: [00:38:27] Collin Earnst of the Ed-tech Leadership Collective on building edtech leadership 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!🎉 Presenting Sponsor: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead. This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

    1h 9m
See All (351)

Trailer

5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    351
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Edtech Insiders
  • Show Website
    Edtech Insiders

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada