Edtech Insiders

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] Matt Miller [https://www.linkedin.com/in/millermatt/] is the CEO and Co-Founder of OKO Labs [https://www.okolabs.ai/], an innovative EdTech company developing human-centric, pro-social AI to power collaborative learning in K-12 classrooms. With a background as CTO and VP of Labs at Amplify Education and VP of Product at Flatiron School, Matt brings deep technical expertise and a passion for leveraging technology to solve real-world educational challenges. Holding BS and MS degrees in Computer Science and Intelligent Systems from Columbia University, Matt co-founded OKO in 2020 to address the critical need for scalable, engaging, and equitable small-group learning solutions, starting with a focus on math intervention. He leads OKO's mission to foster not only academic growth but also essential skills like teamwork and communication, driven by a commitment to evidence-based practices and rigorous R&D.  💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: 1. Why small group learning is a critical—and underserved—area in K-12 education 2. How OKO uses AI to foster real-time collaboration and discourse among students 3. The benefits of integrating AI to support, not replace, educators 4. How rigorous research and efficacy studies shaped OKO’s product design 5. Insights into OKO’s 30x classroom growth and founder-led sales strategy ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:03:07] Origin of OKO: Solving the challenge of small group instruction [00:05:17] Using AI bots to facilitate collaborative student learning [00:10:18] What a typical AI-powered OKO math session looks like [00:14:47] Research partnership with WestEd shows strong early results [00:19:42] Making efficacy a sales advantage in founder-led growth [00:25:59] Combining grant funding and equity to scale responsibly [00:31:37] Defining a new edtech category: small group AI instruction [00:36:22] Future plans for subject expansion and deeper SEL integration [00:40:14] Vision for AI-enabled, pro-social, human-centered classrooms 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. 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 [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], 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 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell for a thought-provoking summer edition of Week in Edtech, featuring headline debates on AI in education, a rare look into PBS KIDS’ funding crisis, and grassroots innovation in ocean learning from Ecuador. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:03:16] MIT study raises alarms about AI's impact on student thinking [00:07:42] AI cheating scandal hits national debate championships [00:12:33] Teachers vent frustration as AI disrupts classroom dynamics [00:14:45] Educators face a crossroads: ban AI or embrace it as a teaching tool Plus, special guests: [00:19:09] Sara DeWitt [https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradewitt/], SVP & General Manager of PBS KIDS [https://pbskids.org/], on funding cuts, educational media, and AI experiments in public broadcasting [00:41:38] José Francisco Ochoa Ordóñez, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jos%C3%A9-francisco-oo1102/] Co-founder of Academia del Oceano [https://academiadeloceano.com/], on democratizing ocean education through hybrid EdTech in Latin America 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. 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 [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], 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 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] Jerome Pesenti [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpesenti/] is the founder of Sizzle AI [https://web.szl.ai/], an AI-for-learning company whose mission is to make learning amazing for everyone. Jerome has worked in AI for the past 25 years, including as VP of AI at Meta, co-CEO of BenevolentAI, VP at IBM Watson, and co-founder of Vivisimo (sold to IBM). 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: 1. How Sizzle AI uses bite-sized, adaptive learning to help students study more effectively. 2. Why Jerome left big tech to tackle educational challenges with AI. 3. The evolving role of homework and assessments in the age of generative AI. 4. How AI can personalize learning paths and study plans for individual learners. 5. The future vision for AI as a lifelong learning companion across school, work, and personal interests. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:02:21] Sizzle AI turns study guides into personalized learning paths. [00:03:10] Jerome shares why he left Meta to focus on AI for learning. [00:05:45] Test prep mode boosts readiness with smart study plans. [00:06:51] Students love Sizzle for making hard content manageable. [00:08:18] Gamification features are coming soon to enhance engagement. [00:09:16] Why Sizzle chose a direct-to-learner approach over schools. [00:11:00] AI shows steps, not just answers, to promote real learning. [00:14:36] AI can assess student readiness, not just complete tasks. [00:17:29] Future of testing: both AI-assisted and AI-free formats. [00:20:14] Sizzle already supports learning beyond the classroom. [00:23:04] The role of personality in AI study companions. [00:25:03] Using data to drive learning science at scale. 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. 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 [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], 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 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Matt Tower as they explore the evolving edtech landscape—from rising AI use to old-school solutions for modern challenges. ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:00:20] Banning AI boosts student engagement and brings back handwritten assessments [00:03:23] Gallup finds AI use in the workplace has doubled in two years [00:06:15] OpenAI’s college push sparks backlash over trust and cheating concerns [00:09:30] Professors turn to blue books and flipped classrooms to fight AI plagiarism [00:13:20] Meta’s $15B investment in Scale AI reshapes the AI training data market [00:21:40] Poor sleep linked to tech use and lower student performance, says new data [00:29:01] Study finds most students rely on parents for post-high school plans—and parents don’t know the options ➡️ Go to Part 2 to listen to the guest interviews this week 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. 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 [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], 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 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1877869/open_sms] For this Week in EdTech Part 2, Alex Sarlin interviews two visionary founders tackling early education and classroom AI from the ground up—with a focus on teacher support, inclusive innovation, and practical AI implementation. [00:02:12] Yesi Sevilla, CEO of CHALK on why early education must start with supporting teachers [00:30:55] Ed Buckley and Marlee Strawn, Co-founders of Scholar Education on how AI-powered dog bots support students and teachers 🎧 Missed Part 1? Go back to hear the latest edtech headlines from AI to college guidance gaps. 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!  * Follow our Podcast on: * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edtech-insiders/id1592196859] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4PeMaMtSPgIBYXhxoqAyik] * Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f4dcf294-1a0d-48aa-b2b2-45bb57392937/edtech-insiders] * Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter [https://edtechinsiders.substack.com/]. * Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtech-insiders/]! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s: This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge [https://tinyurl.com/5d66m4y5]. 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 [https://www.tuckadvisors.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=edtech], 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.