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Join hosts Alex Sarlin, Ben Kornell, and guest co-host Matt Tower from Whiteboard Advisors for a back-to-school edition of Week in EdTech, covering market shifts, Big Tech’s push into education, the GPT-5 rollout, and the rising challenge of deepfake abuse in schools.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:40] Back-to-school funding uncertainty and “back-to-basics” mentality
[00:06:40] B2C vs. B2B: consumer learning grows while institutions tighten
[00:09:31] Big Tech moves from infrastructure to competing in applications
[00:13:40] GPT-5 rollout backlash and prioritization of B2C users
[00:17:34] Rethinking schools’ role: raising the floor vs. raising the ceiling
[00:19:52] School choice and flexible student pathways through ESAs
[00:20:58] Proposal for an AI user Bill of Rights
[00:27:36] Media panic: critiques of AI in education from major outlets
[00:34:19] SoftBank executive buys stake in UK university
[00:38:10] Workforce training gap: Google and Microsoft invest billions
[00:39:12] Google’s Gemini leads in image and video generation 

Plus, special guests:
[00:49:18] Evan Harris, President of Pathos Consulting Group, on deepfake abuse in schools and crisis response
[00:56:02] Becky Keene, author of AI Optimism, on AI literacy for teachers and classroom integration
[01:03:47] Max Spero, Co-Founder and CEO of Pangram Labs, on building future-ready schools with emerging tech

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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🎉 Presenting Sp

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

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.

Tuck Advisors is 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.

Send us a text

Drew Bent leads Education as part of Anthropic's Beneficial Deployments. He also co-founded the tutoring non-profit Schoolhouse.world with Sal Khan. Prior to that, he wrote code at Khan Academy, taught high school math, and has been tutoring students for over a decade. Drew has degrees in physics & CS from MIT, and an education master's from Stanford.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why Anthropic made education one of Claude’s first real-world focus areas
2. Insights from Anthropic’s Education Report on how students actually use AI
3. How Claude’s “learning mode” fosters Socratic dialogue and reduces “brain rot”
4. The tension between LLMs as answer machines vs. pedagogically sound tutors
5. What the future of AI tutoring, peer learning, and collaborative tools could look like

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:01:13] Drew Bent’s journey from teaching and tutoring to leading education at Anthropic
[00:02:50] Why education emerged as a top use case for Claude
[00:04:20] Findings from Anthropic’s Education Report: how students really use AI
[00:06:59] Claude and Bloom’s Taxonomy—strengths, gaps, and risks of cognitive offloading
[00:09:22] Building learning modes: shifting from answer machines to Socratic dialogue
[00:12:53] How Drew’s tutoring background informs AI product design
[00:17:26] The role of AI in fostering—not replacing—human-to-human learning
[00:21:00] Students’ call for “learning mode” to avoid brain rot
[00:26:41] Sneak peek: Anthropic’s upcoming learning mode for Claude Code

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

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.

Tuck Advisors is 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.

Send us a text

Julia Stiglitz is the CEO and Co-Founder of Uplimit, an AI learning platform helping companies equip their talent with the skills of tomorrow. She previously was a Partner at GSV Ventures, where she invested and partnered with some of the most innovative entrepreneurs in edtech. Prior to GSV, Julia was one of the first hires at Coursera and led many groundbreaking initiatives, mostly notably as Vice President of Enterprise, where she founded and led Coursera's enterprise business, growing it from concept to over 1400 organizations across the globe.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. How AI is transforming corporate learning & development
2. The move from catalogs to custom AI academies
3. Why SMEs are becoming company instructors
4. The new role of L&D teams in an AI workplace
5. How rapid AI innovation drives upskilling

✨ Episode Highlights

[00:02:22] Julia on moving from teaching to Coursera and founding Uplimit.
[00:04:29] Pivoting from B2C courses to an AI-powered enterprise platform
[00:06:44] Introducing Uplimit’s suite of AI agents for program management, skill-building, and teaching assistance.
[00:12:32] How small L&D teams can create custom, interactive learning experiences at scale.
[00:18:35] Leveraging subject matter experts to teach and drive business-aligned learning.
[00:23:21] Building AI academies to enable entire organizations.
[00:27:39] Using AI for real-time sales enablement and rapid product updates.
[00:31:47] AI as a tool for making learning experiences more human, not less.
[00:33:54] Julia’s vision for achieving quality education at scale in the AI era.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

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.

Tuck Advisors is 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.

Send us a text

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and guest host Claire Zau of GSV Ventures as they unpack a huge week for AI in education, major edtech mergers, and new funding opportunities.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Claire Zau on AI tutor memory, personalization, and data contamination risks
[00:01:58] Google Guided Learning Mode vs OpenAI Study Mode – Socratic AI tools compared
[00:14:07] Google Classroom integration and the personalization edge from LMS data
[00:15:16] Instructure and OpenAI partnership as a counter to Google’s advantages
[00:25:20] GSV Summit and BETT merge to create the world’s largest edtech events network
[00:27:35] Acquisition roundup: Curriculum Associates, Top Hat, Alpha School, Torch
[00:31:44] VR and AI content creation with Praxis Labs, Torch, and Google Genie 3

Plus, special guests:
[00:34:04] Derwin Sisnett, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Cambiar Education and CEO of Adaptive Commons on Cambiar Education’s Thrive Big Ideas Challenge
[00:54:39] Dr. Alan Bekker, Co-Founder and CEO of eSelf AI on scaling AI English tutors in Israel and building guardrails
[01:15:22] Andrea Pasinetti, Co-Founder and CEO of Kira on Kira Learning’s approach to AI-powered STEM education

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
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  • Spotify
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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

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.

Tuck Advisors is 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.

Send us a text

Amir Nathoo is CEO of Outschool, a marketplace for live online classes for K-12 learners, and an advocate for expanding education access.  Previously, he led product development at Square and co-founded Trigger.io, a platform for creating native mobile apps. Amir holds an MEng in Electrical and Information Sciences from The University of Cambridge and lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.

Justin Dent is the founding Executive Director of Outschool.org. Justin was previously the Founder and Executive Director of Ethos, a nonprofit that provided career education to 18,000 low-income, first generation, or minority students annually. An active voice in the dialogue around education equity, Justin's writing has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and he's appeared on Fox Business, CNBC and Cheddar.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why personalized learning remains elusive in traditional education systems
2. The overlooked frictions families face when given more choice
3. How Outschool uses a marketplace model to serve diverse learner needs
4. The role of community and trust in enabling educational autonomy
5. How AI and tech can simplify decision-making for families

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:00] Amir explains how traditional education systems block personalization
[00:06:00] Justin breaks down the real friction points for low-income families
[00:11:00] How Outschool’s variety increases motivation and access
[00:16:00] Why free resources don’t always lead to usage
[00:23:00] Community-driven guidance as a key to family engagement
[00:28:00] Outschool’s approach to neurodivergent learners
[00:34:00] Systemic flaws in standardization and learning lanes
[00:41:00] ESAs and why trusting families is essential
[00:45:00] Preventing marketing dollars from skewing family choices
[00:49:00] How AI can help families navigate education options

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

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.

Tuck Advisors is 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.

Send us a text

Katy Knight is President and Executive Director of Siegel Family Endowment, where she leads bold, systems-focused philanthropy at the intersection of technology and society. Since 2017, she has advanced equity, flexible funding, and inquiry-driven grantmaking grounded in the scientific method, and centered on reframing big questions and learning alongside grant investments. 

Dr. Allison Scott is CEO of the Kapor Foundation, leading work at the intersection of racial justice and technology. She drives research, programs, and advocacy to expand equity in tech and entrepreneurship. A national PI on major CS equity grants, she also co-leads CSforCA, advancing access to K-12 computer science across California.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why AI literacy isn’t enough for future-ready students
2. Coding vs. computer science vs. computational thinking
3. How philanthropy can modernize education
4. The surprising role of “unsexy tech” in schools
5. Real paths to public-private collaboration in edtech

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:04:40] Allison Scott on AI and tech equity
[00:06:39] Katy Knight on Siegel’s AI readiness
[00:11:06] Barriers to equitable CS education
[00:14:15] Rethinking school systems for CS reform
[00:25:46] Tech overload fears for kids
[00:30:52] Philanthropy’s bet on public interest tech
[00:51:49] Why backend tech matters in schools
[00:52:46] The risk of ed workforce disruption

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
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• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

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.

Tuck Advisors is 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.

Send us a text

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down a pivotal week in EdTech, from AI breakthroughs to Roblox’s education push and the future of personalized learning.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:33] Quizlet report shows 85% of students and nearly 90% of teachers using AI, with different adoption patterns.
[00:02:24] International Math Olympiad highlights AI’s reasoning advances, earning a gold medal and raising assessment questions.
[00:11:16] OpenAI agents and AI-native browsers signal a major shift in tech workflows and task automation.
[00:16:58] Roblox launches a centralized learning hub featuring educational games from Google, Sesame, and others.
[00:20:55] Pearson unveils an AI and XR innovation lab, sparking debate on whether incumbents can truly innovate.
[00:29:13] U.S. Department of Education outlines new AI funding priorities for instruction, tutoring, and career navigation.
[00:36:12] Preply challenges Duolingo with “Better Duo” campaign, framing human vs. AI tutoring as a key market battle.
[00:37:31] McGraw Hill IPO and new funding rounds for Honor Education and Galaxy Education mark a busy week in EdTech finance.

Plus, special guests:
[00:39:50] Brad Carson, President of Americans for Responsible Innovation on AI policy and its impact on education.
[01:04:44] Ryan Trattner, CTO and Co-Founder of StudyFetch on personalized learning tools and their rapid user growth.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Amazon Music
• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

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.

Tuck Advisors is 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.

Send us a text

Vijay Thakkar is a visionary entrepreneur, educator, and the CEO & Co-founder of FotonVR. He’s transforming the way children learn by bringing immersive Virtual Reality experiences into classrooms around the world. With a deep passion for innovation in education, Vijay has pioneered immersive Virtual Reality solutions designed specifically for school learning. 

Nisha Panchal is the Head of Global Business Development at fotonVR. With a strong focus on international business development and global expansion, Nisha plays a pivotal role in bringing fotonVR’s innovative classroom technology to schools across the world.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How VR transforms abstract science concepts into tangible, engaging experiences
2. Why localization and customization are key for global adoption of EdTech
3. Measurable academic improvements linked to immersive learning
4. How VR and AI are merging to create adaptive, real-time educational experiences
5. What the future of globally connected VR classrooms looks like

 ✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:03:44] Vijay on bringing immersive science experiences to 450+ schools globally
[00:06:52] Nisha explains how VR content is localized for different countries and curricula
[00:10:14] Entering a leaf: How VR makes photosynthesis unforgettable
[00:15:53] Making electricity flow visible: VR helps students see the invisible
[00:19:48] Inspiring the next generation: A child decides to be a scientist after a space simulation 
[00:23:39] Balancing scientific accuracy with storytelling for maximum engagement
[00:28:49] Integrating AI into VR for adaptive, conversational learning experiences
[00:32:01] The vision of global multiplayer VR classrooms with real-time collaboration
[00:37:26] Tackling the digital divide with government partnerships and mobile AR
[00:42:00] Building volcanoes in the classroom: A mixed reality future for immersive teaching 

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Amazon Music

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

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.

Tuck Advisors is 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.

Send us a text

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Claire Zau, a Partner and AI Lead at GSV Ventures as they explores the latest developments in education technology, from AI agents to teacher co-pilots, talent wars, and shifts in global AI strategies.

 ✨ Episode Highlights 

[00:00:00] AI teacher co-pilots evolve into agentic workflows.
[00:02:15] OpenAI launches ChatGPT Agent for autonomous tasks.
[00:04:24] Meta, Google, and OpenAI escalate AI talent wars.
[00:07:38] Privacy guardrails emerge for AI agent actions.
[00:10:20] ChatGPT pilots “Study Together” learning mode.
[00:14:40] Teens use AI as companions, sparking debate.
[00:19:58] AI multiplies both positive and negative behaviors.
[00:29:11] Windsurf acquisition saga shows coding disruption.
[00:37:18] Teacher AI tools gain value through workflow data.
[00:42:48] DeepMind’s rise positions Demis Hassabis as key leader.
[00:45:32] Google offers free Gemini AI plan to Indian students.
[00:49:39] Meta builds massive AI data centers for digital labor. 

Plus, special guests:
[00:52:42] Matthew Gasda, a writer and director, on how educators can rethink writing and grading in the AI era.
[01:13:30] Marc Graham, founder of Spark Education AI, on using AI to personalize reading and engage reluctant readers.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

• Follow our Podcast on:
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Amazon Music
• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

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.

Tuck Advisors is 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.