An Educated Guest

In this episode of An Educated Guest , host Todd Zipper sits down with Rob Holmes, co-founder of ForgeNow, to discuss the revolutionary "Micro-College" model. As traditional higher education faces a crisis of cost and duration, ForgeNow is providing a high-speed, high-ROI alternative by training students in the essential trades—HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, and Facilities Maintenance—in ju...

On this episode of An Educated Guest , host Todd Zipper sits down with Mark Milliron, President of National University, to explore how higher education can better serve the majority of today's learners: non-traditional, working, and military students. Mark breaks down National University's unique 54-year history and its innovative four-week course model designed to reduce cognitive load...

Are we handing the keys of AI to a generation of "passengers"? In this episode of An Educated Guest , host Todd Zipper talks with Rebecca Winthrop , Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of The Disengaged Teen . Rebecca shares her journey from refugee camps to the halls of Brookings, explaining why she believes the current risks of generative AI for K-12 learners outweigh...

What happens when you apply the principles of design thinking to the Ivy League career journey? In this episode of An Educated Guest , host Todd Zipper talks with Joe Catrino, the Executive Director of the Dartmouth Center for Career Design. Joe shares his "circuitous" journey from first-gen history major to ESPN and Yale admissions, eventually finding his calling in "Life Design&qu...

Can the emotional power of a blockbuster movie actually help a student master organic chemistry? In this episode of An Educated Guest , host Todd Zipper talks with Josh Reibel, CEO of Dreamscape Learn, about the radical redesign of the learning experience. Josh shares his "circuitous" 35-year journey from being a high school teacher in the late 80s to serving as the CEO of Amplify Learni...

Is a liberal arts degree actually the secret weapon in the age of AI? On this episode of An Educated Guest , Todd Zipper sits down with Dr. David Watts, the Director of the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby College. David recently made headlines by leaving a top executive role at IBM to lead this initiative at a small liberal arts college. They discuss why the future of the work...

Why does a bachelor’s degree take four years? Is it because that is how long it takes to learn, or is it just a historical accident? On this episode of An Educated Guest , Todd Zipper sits down with Madeleine Green of the "College in 3 Exchange" to discuss the movement that is challenging the 120-credit hour monopoly. Madeleine explains how the four-year standard was originally created n...

How does a university reach 180,000 students while maintaining a billion-dollar research engine and a "perpetual" culture of innovation? In this episode of An Educated Guest , Todd Zipper sits down with Dr. Chris Howard, EVP and COO of Arizona State University, to explore the "Public Enterprise" model that is shaking the foundations of higher education. Chris shares his remarka...

Is the United States facing a new "Sputnik moment" in education? On this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper sits down with Jeff Riley, the leader of Day of AI, to discuss the urgent need for AI literacy in our schools. Jeff, a veteran educator with over three decades of public service, argues that AI is no longer optional—it is the "Fourth R" of education, as fundamental...

What happens when you stop asking kids to sit in 45-minute "silos" and instead ask them to solve real-world problems for their community? In this episode, host Todd Zipper sits down with Jeremy Lugbill, CEO of the Career Academy Network of Public Schools (CANOPS) in Indiana, to discuss the radical redesign of the American high school. Jeremy shares how his network achieved a staggering 9...

It is an all-too-common story: a student graduates with a degree but is rejected from entry-level jobs because they lack "real-world experience." On this episode of An Educated Guest , Todd Zipper sits down with Dana Stephenson , co-founder of Riipen , to discuss how his company is dismantling this barrier. Dana shares how Riipen connects universities with a global network of employers t...

Sabari Raja, Managing Partner at JFF Ventures, joins us to discuss her unique journey from founder (NEPRIS, now Pathful) to leading a pioneering venture fund focused on economic mobility. JFF Ventures operates at the intersection of philanthropy and venture scale, proving that investments focused on the middle and low-wage worker can achieve both high returns and massive social impact. In this pow...

In this insightful episode, host Todd Zipper sits down with Jeanne Allen , Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform (CER). Jeanne walks us through her three decades of relentless advocacy, tracing the evolution of education reform from the dawn of the charter school movement to today's rapidly accelerating landscape of school choice. They discuss the principles of the Yass Prize&apo...

Join us on Educated Guest as we sit down with Dr. Shaun McAlmont , a true visionary in the education sector. With an extraordinary career spanning three decades, Shaun has impacted every level of learning, from K-12 to higher education and workforce development. In this episode, Shaun shares his journey, beginning with his early days advising students at Stanford and his core belief that every stu...

The AI Agent Revolution: Mark Naufel on Why the $1.8T Higher Ed System Must Change Now Mark Naufel is not just talking about the future of education; he’s building it. As the Founder of Axio Education and the President of the University of Silicon Valley, Mark has a unique, radical view of how Agentic AI is finally forcing higher education to innovate. In this explosive conversation, Mark details...

In this insightful episode, we sit down with Karin Athanas , Executive Director of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) . Karin shares her strategic vision for the organization, focusing on how FCS professionals are uniquely positioned to empower individuals, families, and communities for a better quality of life. We dive deep into AAFCS's crucial advocacy efforts...

In this insightful episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with Katie Boody Adorno , Founder and CEO of LEANLAB Education. Katie shares her journey from the front lines of a middle school classroom to becoming a national voice for community-led innovation. She explains the genesis of LEANLAB, which was born from the frustrating realization that conventional reform efforts were fai...

In this exclusive episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with John Baker , the visionary Founder and CEO of D2L . John shares the remarkable 25-year journey of D2L, tracing its evolution from a student startup into a publicly traded global learning platform. The conversation explores the massive industry shift from simply managing content to building a "true perpetual learni...

In this deeply personal and timely episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with Shaka Mitchell , Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children. Shaka shares his compelling journey from the classroom and the courtroom into the heart of the school choice movement. He explains why his advocacy is driven by his core belief that education is the "surest way to access Whate...

In this powerful episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with Michael Moe , Founder and CEO of GSV Ventures, to discuss the seismic shifts occurring across the entire learning ecosystem. Michael, who was a key figure in analyzing the first online education boom, shares his perspective on the current state of education, which he describes as a mix of "chaos and dynamic opportu...

In this fascinating episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with Matthew Pittinsky , a true pioneer in education technology. Matt, the co-founder of Blackboard and former CEO of Parchment, shares his incredible journey from the dawn of the internet to the age of AI. He takes us back to 1997 to reveal the core problem he and his co-founder, Michael Chasen, were trying to solve with...

In this illuminating episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with Sari Factor , the Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer of Imagine Learning, to discuss the monumental shifts occurring in K-12 education. With a career spanning several decades, Sari shares the powerful journey of Imagine Learning, from its early days as a credit recovery provider to its current position as a leade...

In this powerful episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with Carl Madi , the founder and CEO of Stepful. Carl shares his journey from Uber and Handy, where he developed a passion for creating career mobility for workers, to building a company that is radically transforming how the healthcare workforce is trained. He explains how Stepful's innovative model addresses chronic s...

In this eye-opening episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with Matt Sigelman , CEO of the Burning Glass Institute, to decode the seismic shifts occurring in the labor market. Matt shares data-driven insights from his groundbreaking research, including the "experience paradox," which reveals why so many entry-level jobs now demand prior experience, and what that means f...

In this engaging episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with Raoul-Gabriel Urma , the founder and CEO of Cambridge Spark. Raoul shares his unique journey from a self-taught coder to leading a company at the forefront of the AI education revolution. The conversation explores how Cambridge Spark is helping individuals and organizations prosper in the age of AI by equipping them wit...