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CT Turner is President of GED Testing Service and VP at Pearson’s Enterprise Learning and Skills division. A recognized leader in workforce development, he champions equitable economic opportunities for underserved populations. CT supports adult education and workforce initiatives, holding degrees from Indiana University and Wichita State University.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How the GED has evolved over 80 years to serve a changing learner population
2. The role of GED in bridging education, workforce, and economic opportunity
3. How technology, gamification, and AI are transforming GED preparation
4. Stories of GED graduates who turned barriers into breakthroughs
5. The future of skills-based pathways and credentials beyond the high school diploma

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:02:23] CT Turner’s journey from higher ed to leading the GED
[00:05:42] How GED bridges education, workforce, and opportunity
[00:09:08] Shifts from degrees to skills in today’s job market
[00:13:03] GED success stories from the U.S. and abroad
[00:16:10] Tech tools transforming GED prep, from AI to apps
[00:23:49] Higher persistence and pass rates with the GED app
[00:25:59] Gamification and nudges keeping learners engaged
[00:32:43] AI as a safe space for motivation and guidance
[00:37:28] Building direct pathways from GED to careers
[00:44:08] Future of contextualized tests and digital credentials
[00:48:19] Why “non-traditional” learners are now the norm

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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.

As a tech-first company, Tuck Advisors has developed a suite of proprietary tools to serve its clients better. Tuck was the first firm in the world to launch a custom GPT around M&A.

If you haven’t already, try our proprietary M&A Analyzer, which assesses fit between your company and a specific buyer.

To explore this free tool and the rest of our technology, visit tuckadvisors.com.

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Ivan Crewkov is the CEO and Co-Founder of Buddy.ai, the leading AI tutor for kids under 12, reaching over 20 million students annually from all over the world. Buddy is not just a chatbot. It’s an AI-powered talking animated character in a mobile app teaching English as a foreign language to students all over the world. Buddy is unique because it operates in a highly regulated environment where most off-the-shelf AIs like Chat GPT can't be used.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. From voice AI experiment to global learning companion
2. Building child-focused speech recognition in a regulated space
3. Blending gaming, storytelling, and education to engage kids
4. Buddy.ai’s growing adoption in classrooms worldwide
5. The future of Buddy.ai as a personalized, adaptive tutor

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:02:11] Ivan Crewkov’s journey from building smart speakers to founding Buddy.ai.
[00:04:24] Designing Buddy.ai as more than a chatbot—a gamified, lovable learning companion.
[00:07:27] How kids around the world discover and champion Buddy.ai themselves.
[00:11:02] Expanding Buddy.ai into classrooms in Latin America and beyond.
[00:16:41] Building proprietary speech recognition for children where others struggled.
[00:20:56] Buddy.ai’s unexpected role in speech therapy for kids with special needs.
[00:25:50] Why Buddy is designed as a study buddy, not an authority figure.
[00:33:37] Using generative AI to accelerate content creation and storytelling.
[00:39:00] Guardrails for safe, child-centered AI companions.
[00:42:01] Lessons EdTech can learn from the entertainment and gaming industries.

😎 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

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.

As a tech-first company, Tuck Advisors has developed a suite of proprietary tools to serve its clients better. Tuck was the first firm in the world to launch a custom GPT around M&A.

If you haven’t already, try our proprietary M&A Analyzer, which assesses fit between your company and a specific buyer.

To explore this free tool and the rest of our technology, visit tuckadvisors.com.

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Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down the latest shifts in education technology, from Google’s aggressive AI push to early childhood challenges and new federal initiatives.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:04:48] Google’s AI surge disrupts Duolingo with gamified language learning in Google Translate
[00:12:14] Google’s edge in practical AI tools versus the AGI race
[00:17:28] Competitive landscape across OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and predictions for Chinese challengers
[00:22:14] Presidential AI Challenge invites students to showcase projects nationwide
[00:24:01] 70% of parents oppose student data going into AI tools, raising regulatory concerns
[00:33:29] AI shifting from “what it is” to “how it enables” daily tasks and learning
[00:36:53] Uptake struggles in early childhood education despite universal pre-K expansion
[00:38:52] Oak National Academy opens curriculum API and University of Phoenix prepares for IPO
[00:40:53] Michael Horn highlights optimism for innovation inside and outside school systems

Plus, special guest:
[00:41:15] Karim Meghji, Chief Product Officer of Code.org on the Hour of AI, AI-powered teacher tools, and CS education for all students

😎 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.

As a tech-first company, Tuck Advisors has developed a suite of proprietary tools to serve its clients better. Tuck was the first firm in the world to launch a custom GPT around M&A.

If you haven’t already, try our proprietary M&A Analyzer, which assesses fit between your company and a specific buyer.

To explore this free tool and the rest of our technology, visit tuckadvisors.com.