The Education Road

Mike Biocchi
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This podcast will talk to interesting people who will share their journey from the classroom to where they are now. How did their education play a role in who they are today and where they ended up? The education road is windy because there isn’t necessarily one path that leads you on your journey.

  1. 2d ago

    Interview with Belyn Lai

    Social media is always a winding road In this episode of The Education Road, we chat with Belyn, Lead Senior Social Media Manager at Grafana Labs, who describes her educational and career journey as "very windy". Belyn reflects on growing up in California in an entrepreneurial immigrant family, which instilled a deep appreciation for business and problem-solving from an early age. While initially planning to study economics at UC Irvine, an inspiring lecture led her to switch her focus to Public Health Policy. During her undergraduate years, Belyn spearheaded campus initiatives, such as securing hand soap for student dorms, and conducted IRB-approved research on contraceptive use among college students, eventually presenting findings to state legislators to protect public health budgets during the financial crisis. Belyn walks through her transition into digital marketing and social media, an interest she pursued early during the infancy of platforms like Facebook and Twitter. After starting as a social media consultant in real estate and coordinating events for high-end kitchen appliance brands, she broke into the tech industry with Tencent, managing global social accounts for WeChat. Her career evolution included localized marketing and social media roles across international tech and e-commerce companies, including MOCACARE, Huawei, and LeEco, before transitioning into the B2B tech space with Elastic, Snyk, and eventually Grafana Labs. Throughout the conversation, Belyn shares insights on the evolution of social media, comparing the organic, authentic nature of early platforms to today's noise, algorithms, and ad-heavy environments. Drawing from her public health background, she touches on the importance of critical thinking, research methods, and ethical communication when navigating online echo chambers, misinformation, and the rising role of social platforms and LLMs in search (AEO/GEO). Closing out the episode, Belyn advises students and prospective career-changers to stay curious, experiment early, and build an authentic career without being afraid to take risks or make mistakes.

  2. Sep 9

    Interview with Rob Gnaedinger

    Archeology to technology In this episode of The Education Road, we chat with Rob Gnaedinger, a Principal Product Education Specialist who summarizes his learning and career path as "proactive in its reactivity". Rob reflects on his childhood dream of becoming an archaeologist, inspired by a love for Egyptian and Roman history, which led him to earn a combined Honors Bachelor's degree in English Literature and Ancient History at Carleton University. Realizing that field archaeology and academia were not his true callings, he took a non-linear turn into computer science and technical writing at Algonquin College, laying the groundwork for a long career bridging technology, communication, and education. Throughout the episode, Rob walks through his diverse professional experience, starting as a trademark searcher for the Canadian Intellectual Property Office before spending nearly twelve years at Nortel as a technical writer and project manager. Over his career, Rob earned professional credentials, including the PMP (Project Management Professional) designation, and shifted into roles across international trade training, sales enablement, global customer learning, and enablement at tech companies like Halogen Software, Ciena, JSI Telecom, and Snyk. Rob shares key insights on what makes product education effective, emphasizing the transition from outdated, long-form e-learning to bite-sized, in-app guidance tailored to a customer's specific moment of need. He highlights how modern customer education must be measured through product adoption and business outcomes rather than simple course completion metrics. The conversation closes with a discussion on the evolving role of AI tools in learning and development, the importance of maintaining strong critical thinking and fundamental communication skills, and Rob's advice to always remain curious regardless of where your path leads.

  3. Aug 12

    Interview with Katie DeMatteis

    In this episode of The Education Road, we chat with Katie DeMatteis, the Director of Content and Brand at GitGuardian, who describes her educational path as both linear and nonlinear. Katie reflects on her early years balancing high academic achievement with intensive musical theater and dance training. Wanting an institution that valued her academic accomplishments rather than strictly her performance skills, she attended Vassar College. There, she earned a double major in Drama and Political Science (a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science), completing a study abroad program at BADA in London. Her time abroad helped her realize that while she loved performing, she did not want to rely on theater for her primary livelihood or risk losing her passion for it. The conversation explores Katie's transition into marketing, which began with summer internships in language strategy, social media, and digital marketing. Driven by a desire for career stability and continuous learning alongside non-traditional, intelligent colleagues, she transitioned into the tech sector. She built a specialized career in cybersecurity content marketing through roles at companies such as Zylotech, Carbon Black (VMware), Okta, and Snyk, while also consulting for early-stage startups. Katie shares her approach to content strategy, brand messaging, and navigating the evolving landscape of digital search and AI. She emphasizes using AI tools for process optimization rather than creative creation. She highlights the importance of preserving an authentic, distinct human brand voice without relying on AI clichés. Closing out the episode, Katie touches on her personal creative endeavors outside of work, including writing, playing tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), and co-hosting a D&D actual-play podcast. She advises young people to stay curious, explore their passions without overthinking the future, and always maintain creative outlets outside of their professional lives. Check out Amateurish Productions here: https://amateurishproductions.libsyn.com/ And her dad's latest novella on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Future-J-M-DeMatteis-ebook/dp/B0G5KLL1TX

  4. Aug 5

    Interview with Scott Wheeler

    A journalist's education story In this episode of The Education Road, we speak with Scott Wheeler, a national NHL reporter for The Athletic, who describes his learning journey as "never-ending". Unlike many who navigate uncertainty during their high school years, Scott knew from a very young age that he wanted to pursue sports journalism. He chose Carleton University for its strong academic foundation, minoring in law as a potential backup plan while benefiting from the school's prestigious journalism program and extensive internship network. During the interview, Scott highlights the critical role early hustle played in shaping his career. Coming up during the dawn of sports blogging and Twitter, he aggressively pitched local newspapers as a teenager, built a personal online following, and secured high-profile internships at The Globe and Mail, The National Post, and The Toronto Star. His time at The Toronto Star exposed him to fast-paced newsroom dynamics, covering everything from real estate to court cases, which ultimately taught him how to bring deep humanity and compelling storytelling into his sports writing. Now a decade into his career at The Athletic, Scott shares valuable insights on honing a distinct writing voice, learning to embrace criticism, and transitioning to a more conversational, listening-focused interview style. He also reflects on modern challenges in the field, including online hostility from fans, the public perception gap surrounding mainstream media, and the rising threat of AI generative tools on basic literacy, critical thinking, and authentic human expression. Closing out the conversation, Scott advises aspiring writers to start small, build an online presence early, and continuously pursue hands-on experience wherever possible.

  5. Jul 28

    Interview with David Alter

    Navigating a turbulent career in media with a positive outcome In this episode of The Education Road, we chat with David Alter, a sports journalist, Maple Leafs reporter, and Toronto site manager for The Hockey News, who describes his academic and career path as ongoing and never-ending. David reflects on his initial plans to pursue a career in statistics and actuarial science at Western University, driven by a strong aptitude for math and a desire for financial stability coming from an immigrant family. However, his trajectory shifted dramatically when he fell in love with Western's campus radio station, eventually switching his major to economics to focus his energy on broadcasting and finding his true passion. Throughout the conversation, David details his transition from an energetic campus volunteer into a versatile media professional with experience across radio, television, print, and digital platforms. He shares stories from his early days at The Fan 590, covering Olympic Games in Vancouver and London, and navigating the harsh realities of the media industry. David highlights how combining his mathematical background with an early adoption of technology allowed him to build a unique edge, whether it's breaking down complex NHL collective bargaining agreements, understanding travel economics to run his own business, or engaging audiences through modern digital formats like Twitter and TikTok. Now operating in an entrepreneurial structure that gives him the freedom to cover the game on his own terms, David emphasizes the irreplaceable value of boots-on-the-ground, human-to-human reporting in a world increasingly filled with AI aggregation. He offers valuable advice for the next generation of journalists, encouraging them to find their personal edge, set continuous six-month goals, and maintain a resilient, positive mindset through industry turbulence.

  6. Jul 21

    Interview with Clinton Herget

    The most important learning is meta In this episode of The Education Road, we chat with Clinton Herget, a principal analyst at Forrester who summarizes his academic and professional journey as "meta" in the most classic sense. Clinton explains how his formal education taught him very little about what he actually does day-to-day in his career, but everything about how to think, question, and navigate the world. He discusses his non-traditional path into tech, which began at William & Mary with a double major in government and philosophy. While he originally envisioned a political career as a presidential speechwriter in Washington, D.C., his self-taught coding skills quickly pulled him into technical roles for political campaigns and advocacy organizations, setting the stage for a unique career at the intersection of technology, humanities, and communication. Throughout the conversation, Clinton reflects on how his background in critical theory, linguistic philosophy, and theater shaped his approach to software engineering and technical leadership. He shares insights from his time running a digital consulting firm, leading engineering teams for federal science agencies like NASA, and serving as a field CTO in cybersecurity. Rather than relying on a traditional computer science background, Clinton emphasizes that the vast majority of technology work involves interacting with people, organizing information, and telling compelling stories, making clear communication and logical thinking the ultimate skill sets in an era increasingly dominated by AI tools. The episode also features a deep dive into the modern technological landscape, where Clinton offers a skeptical, highly disciplined perspective on artificial intelligence, tech bubbles, and the ethical responsibility of public policy in regulating private digital power. Now evaluating the industry as an analyst, Clinton reflects on the importance of maintaining an authentic point of view, holding strong opinions loosely, and encouraging the next generation to never stop questioning authority or authority's narratives.

  7. Jul 8

    Interview with Hope Thompson

    Night School, etcetera In this episode of The Education Road, we chat with Hope Thompson, a Toronto-based screenwriter, author, and instructor who describes her unique academic and professional journey as mysterious. Hope shares how her lifelong dream of being an artist led her to a classic fine arts undergraduate degree at Mount Allison University. However, the reality of making a living in the arts prompted her to weave a thread of continuous learning through her life, relying heavily on night school courses in graphic and computer design to build a sustainable career while staying connected to her creative drive. Over time, Hope transitioned from visual arts into the world of storytelling, exploring theater, filmmaking, and ultimately screenwriting. This evolution was supported by prestigious writing residencies in Italy and Banff, as well as a remote master's degree in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. These experiences helped her build a strong community of fellow artists, landing her exciting opportunities like working in the writer's room for a CBC comedy series. Currently, Hope is channeling her love for classic film noir and crime fiction into prose writing, with a true crime book co-written alongside a private investigator set to release next spring. She balances this heavy creative load with a strict discipline of writing one thousand words a day and teaching screenwriting online for OCAD. Check out her previous novel, Dark Thoughts & Other Stories!

  8. May 18

    Interview with Jaclyn Manishen

    Hustle never stops! In this episode of The Education Road, we explores the wild adventure of Jaclyn Manishen, a creative professional whose career has spanned advertising, freelance producing, and business development. Jaclyn shares how her childhood ambition that was inspired by the movie Sweet November and encouraged by her grandfather that led her to pursue a career as a creative director. Her path took her from a communications program at the University of Ottawa to a specialized postgraduate copywriting certificate at Humber College, where she eventually found her people and began the rigorous process of building a professional portfolio. The conversation dives into the often brutal reality of the advertising industry, as Jaclyn describes her early experiences navigating high-stakes internships at major agencies like Leo Burnett. She speaks candidly about the steep learning curve of receiving harsh creative feedback and how those formative years taught her to build a thick skin. Today, Jaclyn balances roles as a freelance producer and the managing director of Good Counsel, a business she co-founded with her father to create educational video content. Her journey serves as a powerful reminder that the hustle never stops and that being open to pivots can lead to unexpected and rewarding opportunities.

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About

This podcast will talk to interesting people who will share their journey from the classroom to where they are now. How did their education play a role in who they are today and where they ended up? The education road is windy because there isn’t necessarily one path that leads you on your journey.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Biocchi
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mike Biocchi
  • Show Website
    The Education Road