302 - Kim Smith on Creating Schools, Companies and the Pahara Institute

In this week's episode, Tom virtually sits down with Kim Smith, founder of the Pahara Institute and co-founder of NewSchools Venture Fund and Bellwether Education Partners. Kim Smith is widely recognized as an innovative and entrepreneurial leader in education and has been featured in Newsweek 's report, "Women of the 21st Century," as the kind of woman who will shape America's new century. Kim was also a founding team member at Teach for America, created and led an Americorps program for community-based leaders and education, managed a business startup, and completed a brief stint in early online learning at Silicon Graphics. She has helped to incubate numerous education and social change organizations and has served on a range of boards. In Tom and Kim's conversation today, they discuss investment opportunities, Kim's impressive career in identifying and supporting innovations in education, and her advice for this year. Key Takeaways: [:09] About today's episode with Kim Smith. [1:03] Tom Vander Ark welcomes Kim to the podcast! [2:19] Kim shares how both of her parents were also educators and how they influenced her career. [3:49] How long was Kim at Teach for America? [3:57]...