The guest directory

Every guest, one page.

97 educators, researchers, and school leaders featured across 14 K–12 podcasts. Full profiles and the episodes they appear on.

97 of 97

A

9 guests
AM

Aaron Makelky

Educator & Descript education advocate

📍 Wyoming, USA

Aaron Makelky is a high school social studies teacher and AI-in-the-classroom advocate who now also partners with Descript to help educators tell better stories with audio, video, and AI. He's known for grounded, classroom-tested takes on agentic AI and creator tools.

AE

Ann Elise Record

Elementary math consultant, coach & co-author of the Fluency Doesn't Just Happen series

📍 United States

Ann Elise Record is an elementary math consultant and coach, co-author of the Fluency Doesn't Just Happen series, and the educator behind the Math Running Records and Math Intervention Matters communities. She helps teachers move students from counting to flexible, relational reasoning through manipulatives, coherent intervention, and joyful instruction.

AL

Ashlee Livingstone

Breathwork coach for educators & athletes

📍 Canada

Ashlee Livingstone is a breathwork coach who works with teachers, students, and adolescent athletes on nervous-system regulation. Her micro-practices — including her signature 'driveway breathing' — give educators fast, repeatable tools to come out of survival mode and hold space for struggling learners.

B

5 guests
BK

Becky Keene

Author & education consultant (AI Optimism)

📍 United States

Becky Keene is an education consultant and the author of AI Optimism: A Guide to Redefining Artificial Intelligence in Education. She helps educators and leaders see AI as a tool that can transform learning, address equity and access, and prepare students for an unknown future — starting with practical first steps and a mindset of optimism over fear.

BK

Dr. Boris Konrad

Neuroscientist, memory champion & trainer (Donders Institute)

📍 Nijmegen, Netherlands

Dr. Boris Konrad is a neuroscientist at the Donders Institute and an international Memory Champion who studies how memory training changes brain connectivity. He trains memory athletes and educators in evidence-based memorization techniques.

BR

Brooklyn Russell

Educator, St. Vrain Valley Schools

📍 St. Vrain Valley, Colorado

Brooklyn Russell is an educator with St. Vrain Valley Schools and a frequent Vrain Waves collaborator, contributing classroom-tested perspective to conversations on AI, scaffolding, and instructional design.

C

7 guests
CH

Charlie Huynh

Director of Teaching and Learning, OneSchool Global (North America)

📍 North America

Charlie Huynh leads teaching and learning for OneSchool Global's North American region, building a Learning to Learn framework that helps students take accountability for their own learning and connecting classrooms across borders through programs like the Perfect Pitch Competition.

CP

Dr. Chelsea Polis

Reproductive health researcher (Guttmacher Institute)

📍 United States

Dr. Chelsea Polis is a reproductive health researcher at the Guttmacher Institute whose work focuses on fertility awareness, contraceptive access, and the regulation of femtech. She advocates for evidence-based reproductive health information and stronger oversight of reproductive health technologies.

CS

Cooper Sved

Author, Blaschke report for CoSN

📍 United States

Cooper Sved authored the Blaschke report for CoSN, exploring what the research actually says about screen use in schools and challenging common assumptions driving current conversations about screen time in education.

D

4 guests
DW

Dr. Dan Werb

Epidemiologist, author & professor (IHPME, University of Toronto / UC San Diego)

📍 Toronto, Canada & San Diego, USA

Dr. Dan Werb is an epidemiologist and author whose research focuses on the intersection of urban environments, animal health, and human disease. His books include City of Omens, The Invisible Siege, and Our Wild Familiars.

DW

Dr. Daniel Winters

Director of Research, Evaluation & Educational Technology, Sweetwater Union High School District

📍 San Diego County, California

Dr. Daniel Winters is a district leader whose career spans coaching, school administration, and system-level direction. He reflects on how emotional intelligence shapes leadership decisions, the realities of opening new schools, and what it takes to sustain leadership in education over decades.

DT

Debbie Tannenbaum

School-based technology specialist, Saratoga Elementary

📍 Fairfax County, Virginia

Debbie Tannenbaum is a school-based technology specialist in Fairfax County, an author, and a sought-after speaker on meaningful technology integration. She is best known for reframing 'screen time' as 'screen value' and championing creative, purposeful tech use in elementary classrooms.

DT

Derek Tranchina

Creator, TrafficLiteEdu

📍 United States

Derek Tranchina is the creator of TrafficLiteEdu, a practical framework that helps schools bring clarity to AI use through a simple, shared language for what is acceptable, what is not, and what falls somewhere in between.

E

3 guests

G

1 guest
GT

Dr. Gina Tesoriero

Researcher & former middle school special education teacher

📍 United States

Dr. Gina Tesoriero is a researcher and former middle school special education teacher whose dissertation work explores how young adults with special education experiences use AI tools like ChatGPT, and the ethical considerations of AI in special education settings.

I

3 guests
IJ

Dr. Inaya Jaafar

Educational psychologist, elementary school AP & adjunct faculty

📍 United States

Dr. Inaya Jaafar is an educational psychologist with over 23 years of experience spanning middle school teaching, special services supervision, and elementary school administration. She has published research on educational technology, trauma-informed practices, and teacher resilience.

J

10 guests
JC

Jack Churchill

Assistive technology leader & dyslexia advocate

📍 United Kingdom

Jack Churchill is an assistive technology leader, dyslexic learner, and great-grandson of Winston Churchill. He builds and advocates for tools that make reading, writing, and learning accessible — arguing that assistive tech isn't cheating, it's access.

JM

Jeanne Marrazzo

Infectious disease physician & former NIAID director

📍 United States

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo is an infectious disease physician, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and now leads the Infectious Disease Society of America. She is a vocal advocate for evidence-based public health policy and scientific integrity.

JR

Jeff Riley

Day of AI / MIT RAISE

📍 Cambridge, Massachusetts

Jeff Riley leads work at Day of AI and MIT RAISE, helping schools, families, and students engage with AI safely and ethically through curriculum and large-scale learning events.

JV

Dr. Jennette Vanderpool

Education strategist, CDW

📍 United States

Dr. Jennette Vanderpool is an education strategist with CDW whose experience as a teacher, administrator, and board member shapes her approach to efficient spending and smart decision-making in schools. She guides leaders on balancing innovation with responsibility in areas like AI, cybersecurity, and sustainable classroom modernization.

JE

Dr. Jessica Evans

Higher education assessment & accreditation leader

📍 United States

Dr. Jessica Evans has nearly 15 years of experience in higher education, specializing in assessment, accreditation, policy development, and strategic planning. She holds an EdD in Educational Psychology and Technology and is a member of the Steering Committee for Human Rights Educators USA.

JM

Joe Merrill

Teacher, author & co-creator, InterACTIVE Class

📍 United States

Joe Merrill is a teacher, author, and the co-creator of the InterACTIVE Class series. He blends emerging AI tools with meaningful, student-driven creation to meet every learner where they are.

JM

Dr. Joey Mendoza

South Texas educator & CTE leader

📍 South Texas, USA

Dr. Joey Mendoza is a South Texas educator and CTE leader who works on the unglamorous moving parts — certifications, pathways, tutoring, attendance — that make Career & Technical Education actually work for students.

K

6 guests
KD

Karle Delo

AI Strategist, Michigan Virtual

📍 Michigan, USA

Karle Delo is an AI Strategist at Michigan Virtual and a former district curriculum director. She helps schools across Michigan move past pilot fatigue into coherent, statewide strategy for AI in teaching and learning.

KB

Dr. Kelly B. Renner

Assistant Dean & Program Chair, Franklin University

📍 Westerville, Ohio

Dr. Kelly B. Renner is the Assistant Dean and Program Chair of Psychology and Social Sciences at Franklin University. Her research, speaking, and publications focus on burnout, motivation, and team building in educational and organizational contexts.

KG

Dr. Kip Glazer

Principal, Mountain View High School

📍 Mountain View, California

Dr. Kip Glazer is the principal of Mountain View High School and the author of Ready to Lead With AI. She helps school leaders move from anxious experimentation to confident, principled AI leadership.

KM

Kristen Merrill

Teacher, author & co-creator, InterACTIVE Class

📍 United States

Kristen Merrill is a teacher, author, and the co-creator of the InterACTIVE Class series. She designs classroom strategies that move students beyond passive consumption into authentic creation using modern tools.

KS

Kyle Sumrow

Director of Outreach, Tech My School

📍 United States

Kyle Sumrow is the Director of Outreach at Tech My School and leads work on Relief Roster, a substitute-management and volunteer coordination platform built for the realities of today's staffing chaos.

L

9 guests
LK

Laura K. Spencer

Chief Academic Officer, Elite Academic Academy · former President, CALIE/CUE

📍 California

Dr. Laura K. Spencer is Chief Academic Officer at Elite Academic Academy and a former President of CALIE through CUE. She shapes vision, culture, and responsibility at the field level, helping leaders pursue innovation without chasing trends — particularly in AR, VR, and AI-supported learning.

LF

Dr. Lauren Fullmer

Educational learning experience designer (SEL, equity & math)

📍 United States

Dr. Lauren Fullmer is an educational learning-experience designer working at the intersection of social-emotional learning, equity, and mathematics. She supports educators in recognizing dyscalculia and designing classrooms where diverse learners build positive math identities.

LR

Dr. Leslie Rutkowski

Professor of Quantitative Research Methodology, Indiana University

📍 Indiana, USA

Dr. Leslie Rutkowski is Professor of Quantitative Research Methodology at Indiana University. Her research focuses on international large-scale assessment models and methods, and she serves as chair of the PISA Technical Advisory Group.

LM

Liesl McConchie

Cognitive-neuroscience educator & author

📍 United States

Liesl McConchie is a cognitive-neuroscience educator, speaker, and author of Building a Positive Math Identity: A Brain-Science Approach. Her work helps teachers understand the emotional 'watercolors' students carry into math class and design experiences that build durable, positive math identities.

LS

Lindsey Shah

Director of Content and Curricula, Parents as Teachers National Center

📍 United States

Lindsey Shah is the Director of Content and Curricula at Parents as Teachers National Center. She supports the development of research-informed methodologies and resources that emphasize the importance of family engagement in early childhood education.

LH

Lindy Hockenbary

K–12 EdTech advisor & podcast host

📍 Rural Montana, USA

Lindy Hockenbary is a former classroom teacher turned K–12 EdTech advisor and host of Make EdTech 100. Based in rural Montana, she helps districts make AI literacy and digital literacy part of the work itself — not one more thing.

LR

Lolita Rico

Coordinator of Innovation, Chula Vista Elementary School District

📍 Chula Vista, California

Lolita Rico is Coordinator of Innovation at Chula Vista Elementary School District. She advances digital citizenship as a foundation for student identity and wellness, approaches AI as a thought partner for teachers, and designs professional learning that avoids initiative fatigue while maximizing student impact.

LG

Dr. Lord Giddie

Director of Learning Experience Design, National Louis University

📍 United States

Dr. Lord Giddie is the Director of Learning Experience Design at National Louis University, where he leads a team dedicated to innovating course design and instructional methodologies. He is a passionate advocate for the intentional use of AI in education to enhance course content creation.

M

9 guests
MS

Marnie Stockman

Co-founder & CEO, Lifecycle Insights

📍 United States

Marnie Stockman is co-founder and CEO of Lifecycle Insights and a former district leader. She works with schools on what it really means to graduate students who are 'ready' for life beyond school — not just finished with it.

MS

Merissa Sadler-Holder

French teacher & AI fluency advocate

📍 United States

Merissa Sadler-Holder is a high school French teacher who has become a leading voice for AI fluency in world language classrooms — refusing to cast technology as hero or villain and instead modeling thoughtful, daily use with students.

N

5 guests
NI

Dr. Nadia Iftekhar

Founder, Modal Education · instructional design & accessibility specialist

📍 United States

Dr. Nadia Iftekhar is an alumna of the Educational Psychology and Technology program, specializing in instructional design and accessibility. She is the founder of Modal Education, an inclusive learning platform designed to support Deaf and Hard of Hearing students through visual, accessible math practice.

NW

Natalie Wexler

Education journalist & author (The Knowledge Gap, The Writing Revolution)

📍 Washington, D.C., USA

Natalie Wexler is an education journalist and author of The Knowledge Gap and The Writing Revolution. Her work explores the connection between background knowledge, writing instruction, and equity in American education — including the risks of over-reliance on generative AI.

N

Nick

Co-author & education partner

📍 United States

Nick partners with Marnie Stockman on the 'Ready Beats Finished' work, bringing a leader's lens to portrait-of-a-graduate design and the everyday practices that move students toward real-world readiness.

NN

Dr. Nicki Newton

Math educator, author & founder of Guided Math in Action

📍 United States

Dr. Nicki Newton is a math educator, author of more than 20 books on guided math, math workshop, and number sense, and a sought-after consultant. Her work champions joyful, inquiry-based math teaching and a more vulnerable, curious posture in front of students.

NE

Noelle Ellerson Ng

Policy expert & federal education advocate

📍 United States

Noelle Ellerson Ng is a policy expert who joins the IETL Podcast for federal updates, exploring how shifting political dynamics may impact school districts nationwide and what education leaders should watch closely.

O

1 guest

P

4 guests
PW

Patrick Wyman

Historian, author & podcaster (Lost Worlds, The Fall of Rome, Tides of History)

📍 United States

Patrick Wyman is a historian and author of Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World. He is also the creator of The Fall of Rome and Tides of History podcasts, known for making deep history accessible and vivid.

PS

Pejman Salehi

Vice President Academic, Conestoga College

📍 Ontario, Canada

Pejman Salehi is Vice President Academic at Conestoga College, where he leads work on how esports, gaming, and immersive technologies reshape higher education — building digital skills, strengthening collaboration, and increasing student engagement while keeping equity and future readiness at the center.

R

5 guests
RM

Ru Marshall

Author & artist

📍 United States

Ru Marshall is an author and artist whose book American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda pulls back the curtain on one of the 20th century's most fascinating literary frauds, revealing the real lives, lies, and losses buried beneath the myth.

S

8 guests
ST

Dr. Samantha Tackett

Faculty & Director of PRE Program, Florida State University

📍 Florida, USA

Dr. Samantha Tackett is a faculty member at Florida State University and Director of the Proactive Referral & Engagement Program. Her research focuses on students' academic recovery and the retention of first-generation and underrepresented student populations.

SM

Sean McLaughlin

Adobe for Education UK — Community & Partnerships Lead

📍 United Kingdom

Sean McLaughlin leads UK community and partnerships for Adobe for Education. He works with schools, MATs, and government partners to use Adobe Express and purposeful AI to put creativity at the center of learning.

SH

Dr. Stacy Hawthorne

District leader & learning advocate

📍 United States

Dr. Stacy Hawthorne is a district leader and national speaker who helps K–12 systems lead with learning first and technology second. She partners with school systems across the country to design forward-leaning programs that put student possibility ahead of compliance.

SG

Dr. Stephanie Grach

Physician & researcher (Mayo Clinic)

📍 Rochester, Minnesota

Dr. Stephanie Grach is a physician at Mayo Clinic whose research and clinical work focus on complex chronic conditions, including Long COVID. She advocates for individualized patient care and evidence-based treatment.

SW

Dr. Steve Webb

School safety & technology leader

📍 United States

Dr. Steve Webb brings experience and insight on the real-world implementation challenges and opportunities that districts face at the intersection of school safety and technology, including surveillance systems, access controls, and emergency communication tools.

T

6 guests
TT

Tara Thomas

Registered lobbyist, AASA, The School Superintendents Association

📍 United States

Tara Thomas is a registered lobbyist for AASA, The School Superintendents Association, providing federal policy updates focused on the issues that matter most to K–12 education leaders.

Featured on

TD

Ted Dintersmith

Education author & filmmaker (Aftermath, What School Could Be)

📍 United States

Ted Dintersmith is the author of Aftermath and What School Could Be, producer of three Sundance education films, and a tireless advocate for reimagining school in an age of machine intelligence. He argues that math education must shift from rote mechanics to the powerful ideas adults actually use.

TB

Tim Belmont

Language Arts teacher & Technology Coordinator, Lyndhurst HS

📍 Lyndhurst, New Jersey

Tim Belmont teaches Language Arts and coordinates technology at Lyndhurst High School. He builds programs that give student voice a real stage — podcasting, publishing, and public speaking included.

TN

Tim Needles

STEAM teacher, K–12 Technology Integration Specialist, ISTE author

📍 United States

Tim Needles is a STEAM teacher, K–12 Technology Integration Specialist, and ISTE author who explores the intersection of art, technology, and student voice — championing concept-driven tool selection and using digital tools to democratize creativity in classrooms.

TR

Tisha Richmond

Veteran CTE educator & author

📍 Oregon, USA

Tisha Richmond is a veteran CTE educator, instructional technology coach, and author whose framework for Career & Technical Education centers joy, identity, and human connection alongside skill-building.

V

1 guest
VB

Valerie Brock

Curriculum Lead, Day of AI

📍 Cambridge, Massachusetts

Valerie Brock leads curriculum for Day of AI, the MIT RAISE initiative bringing AI literacy to millions of K–12 students worldwide. Her work focuses on what AI literacy actually means for young learners — well beyond prompt engineering.

W

1 guest