Best Harvard Innovation Labs Podcasts (2025)

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From math teacher to hybrid school founder in Louisiana 34:42

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1h ago34:42

34:42

Today's guest is Kate Lundquist, founder and principal of Northshore Prep Academy. A former public high school math and physics teacher, Kate opened her secular K-8 hybrid school in Mandeville, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, in 2015. Today, Northshore Prep Academy has 75 students enrolled. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter …

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From physician to founder, with Barbara Jauregui Wurst of Acton Academy Falls Church 32:48

3d ago32:48

32:48

Today's guest is Barbara Jauregui Wurst, a medical doctor and adjunct professor at George Washington University who cofounded Acton Academy Falls Church in Northern Virginia in 2021. Read Courage To Grow by Acton Academy cofounder, Laura Sandefer. Check out this new article at our Education Entrepreneurship Lab by a recent graduate of an Acton Acad…

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Closing the Loop by Recycling Apparel: Reju CEO Patrik Frisk 45:43

8d ago45:43

45:43

Patrik Frisk, CEO of ReJu, joins Climate Rising to discuss his company’s mission to recycle textile waste and build circular supply chains for apparel made of polyester fabric. Patrik brings his prior experience leading Under Armour and other global brands across the textile and footwear industry for over 35 years. Patrik describes how ReJu turns d…

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Pre-launch plans: A former special education teacher prepares to open a new school 24:08

6d ago24:08

24:08

Today's guest is Cassandra Orozco, the founder of Beacon of Hope Academy, a faith-based microschool serving K–5th grade students with special needs in Lake Worth, Florida, set to open this fall. As a certified special education teacher with experience in both charter and private schools, Cassandra is passionate about reimagining education to better…

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Alexandra Batista Rodriguez on creating a microschool for students with special needs 44:02

10d ago44:02

44:02

By Kerry McDonald

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Why a former public school teacher launched an Ohio Acton Academy 36:44

13d ago36:44

36:44

Today’s guest is Sara James, a former public school teacher who founded Spark Christian Academy, an Acton Academy affiliate in Harrison, Ohio, near Cincinnati, in 2022. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.By Kerry McDonald

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An Apogee Network Micro-High School Takes Root in Texas 37:55

17d ago37:55

37:55

Today’s guest is Sarah Pevehouse, founder of Apogee Dripping Springs Micro High School in Dripping Springs, Texas, west of Austin, which she launched in 2024. With a background in Waldorf and alternative education, Sarah has served as a teacher, administrator, and enrollment director, shaping real-world learning experiences for students. She has ta…

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Extending Apparel Lifespan: ThredUp CEO James Reinhart 40:02

21d ago40:02

40:02

James Reinhart, CEO of ThredUp, one of the largest online resale platforms for secondhand clothing. James co-founded the company while he was a Masters’ student at Harvard and has spent the last 15 years scaling a national logistics and digital infrastructure platform for resale. In this episode James describes why the company decided to handle phy…

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Why more families of color are choosing homeschooling, with Homeschool Our Way founder, Elan Page 43:12

20d ago43:12

43:12

Today's guest is Elan Page, the founder of Homeschool Our Way based in Dallas, Texas. She created Homeschool Our Way in 2023 to help other families of color avoid the overwhelm she had experienced in starting something new. Homeschool Our Way offers a weekly podcast, an online course called the Homeschool Launch Blueprint, homeschool coaching servi…

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A longtime Florida hybrid homeschool founder reflects on today’s innovative education movement 41:25

24d ago41:25

41:25

Today's guest is Ali Kaufman, a longtime education entrepreneur who began offering tutoring services more than two decades ago and has since built a thriving hybrid homeschool program, Space of Mind, in Delray Beach, Florida that today serves dozens of K-12 students with both full-time and part-time enrollment options. *** Sign up for Kerry's free,…

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Public microschooling gains popularity and support 40:13

27d ago40:13

40:13

Today's guest is George Philhower, Superintendent of the Eastern Hancock Public Schools in rural Charlottesville, Indiana, who is launching and leading the new Indiana Microschool Collaborative, a non-profit network designed to bring the microschooling model into the public education system. Read more about public microschooling in Kerry's latest F…

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A former public school teacher launches a new Mississippi microschool 41:13

1M ago41:13

41:13

Nefertiti Harris is a former public school teacher, mom of five, and founder of Empowered Prep Academy, a microschool located in Jackson, Mississippi for students in grades 3-12 who desire a flexible and more individualized learning environment. As a certified special education teacher, Nefertiti focuses specifically on helping dyslexic students an…

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Designing for Circularity at Scale: A Conversation with Karen Pflug of Ingka Group 48:27

1M ago48:27

48:27

In the latest episode of Climate Rising from Harvard Business School, Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ingka Group (IKEA), shares how IKEA is embedding circularity throughout its business model. She discusses how IKEA is redesigning iconic products like the Billy bookcase to make them easier to disassemble and repair, how secondhand ret…

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Encouraging new educational models in New Hampshire 38:03

1M ago38:03

38:03

Today's guest is Jody Underwood, the founder and president of EdOpt, a platform offering information, support, and connections to New Hampshire families who want to explore their education options. Jody has spent most of her professional life involved in education, including getting a Ph.D. in science and technology education to complement her Mast…

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Exploring alternatives to college 37:58

1M ago37:58

37:58

My guest today is Connor Boyack, founder of the Libertas Network, prolific author, creator of the wildly popular Tuttle Twins book series, and now the new president of Praxis, the decade-old apprenticeship preparation and placement program that the Libertas Network recently acquired. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly e-newsletter on education en…

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Who needs college and who doesn’t, with author Kathleen deLaski 45:49

1M ago45:49

45:49

Today's guest is Kathleen deLaski, author of the thought-provoking new book: Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining A Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter. Kathleen spent 20 years as a journalist, including time as an ABC News White House correspondent. In the second half of her career, she has focused on education reform, cofounding or founding several…

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A former public school teacher shares why she launched a Virginia microschool 38:30

2M ago38:30

38:30

Today's guest is Crystal Goins, a mom of 5 and founder of Heartwise Scholars Microschool in Chesapeake, Virginia. A public school teacher for over 13 years, Crystal joined the Kaipod Catalyst microschool accelerator program to help get her microschool off the ground, and opened her microschool last August. She shares insights and information for pa…

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Advancing the Circular Economy: A Conversation with Lauren Rodriguez of Closed Loop Partners 43:45

2M ago43:45

43:45

Lauren Rodriguez, who leads partnerships at Circular Services, a Closed Loop Partners company, joins host Mike Toffel to discuss building the infrastructure and investment models needed to scale the circular economy. Lauren explains how Closed Loop Partners supports the transition from a linear to a circular economy through capital management, inno…

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Since 2013, the Agile Learning Centers (ALC) network has been a leader in self-directed education 47:26

2M ago47:26

47:26

My guest today is Tomis Parker, cofounder of the Agile Learning Centers (ALC) network that launched more than a decade ago. Since 2014, Tomis has led business operations at ALC Mosaic in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he recently founded a new project called Prism, which is a web application designed to make it easier to document and communicate th…

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How two homeschool moms created a North Carolina microschool 41:55

2M ago41:55

41:55

Today's guests are Laura Greene and Angela Ruth, cofounders of Harmony Homeschool Academy, a secular homeschool hybrid solution for middle and high school students in the greater Raleigh-Durham-Cary, North Carolina area. Laura is a licensed psychologist with a background in school psychology. She is also a homeschool parent. Angela is also a homesc…

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The enduring popularity of homeschooling among US military families 49:09

2M ago49:09

49:09

Natalie Mack is a homeschooling mom of 5 children who has been serving military homeschooling families for more than two decades. Her husband is a US Navy chaplain who recently retired after 34 years of service. Through her business, Natalie Mack LLC, she offers consultations to homeschoolers. She is also the founder of the nonprofit Military Homes…

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A retired education entrepreneur shares tips for new school founders 52:07

2M ago52:07

52:07

David Jackson is an entrepreneur and longtime executive director and president and CEO of Fairmont Schools, a large, secular private school located in Orange County, California serving students in preschool through 12th grade. Fairmont was founded in 1953 by Kenneth Holt, David’s stepfather, and then David joined the school in a leadership role in …

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Scaling Reuse with Vytal: A Circular Economy Conversation with CEO Fabian Barthel 46:49

2M ago46:49

46:49

Fabian Barthel, Co-Founder of Vytal, a circular economy packaging-as-a-service startup, joins host Mike Toffel to explore the innovation, behavioral science, and regulations shaping the market for reusable containers for take-out food and beverages. Fabian shares how Vytal is tackling packaging waste by building a reusable container system for rest…

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A Florida farm-based, faith-filled Acton Academy 35:10

2M ago35:10

35:10

Today's guest is Michael Bonifacio, the founder of Acton Academy Estero in Fort Myers, Florida. Part of the global Acton Academy network of learner-driven schools, Acton Academy Estero operates on a 32-acre working farm. It opened in January 2024 with 9 learners, and today has over 40—with more than 60 students projected for this fall. *** Sign up …

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Homeschooling To College: Two Seniors Talk About Which College to Attend 56:20

2M ago56:20

56:20

In the final episode of our 4-part series on Homeschooling To College, Kym Kent and I are joined by our two homeschooled high school seniors as they reflect on their homeschooling experience, what the college admissions process has been like, and how they are narrowing down their many college acceptances to choose the one that is right for them by …

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Why a homeschooling mom in Washington, DC created Kids & Culture Camp 35:06

2M ago35:06

35:06

Today’s guest is Jania Otey, a homeschooling mom and founder of Kids and Culture Camp, an educational enrichment program for homeschoolers and conventionally-schooled children located in Washington, DC. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends and entrepreneurial stories at fee.org/liberated.…

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An online learning community for self-directed teens 35:24

2M ago35:24

35:24

Today's guest is Terry Travers, the founder and director of Astrolabe Academy, a unique high school experience and teen community that supports self-directed learners on their individual learning journeys. Terry has a background in communication design, ocean science, and sustainable farming. Passionate about alternative education, she began homesc…

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Carbon Credit Ratings and Market Integrity: A Conversation on the Calyx Global Case 42:21

3M ago42:21

42:21

In this bonus episode of Climate Rising, we share an episode from Harvard Business School’s Cold Call podcast, featuring HBS professor Mike Toffel and Duncan van Bergen, Co-Founder of Calyx Global. The discussion focuses on Mike’s recent HBS case study, Calyx Global: Rating Carbon Credits, which explores how the company is helping improve transpare…

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What is "school choice"? 36:36

3M ago36:36

36:36

Today's guest is Colleen Hroncich, a policy analyst with the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom. She maintains the Private Schooling Status Tracker, which tracks private school openings and permanent closures along with tuition and demographic information when available. Each week in the Friday Feature blog series, Colleen shares inter…

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Homeschooling To College: Insights from a College Admissions Counselor 55:49

3M ago55:49

55:49

In part 3 of our 4-part series on Homeschooling To College, Kym Kent and I talk to Rebecca Stuart-Orlowski, an independent college admissions counselor based in Southern California who helps students and families navigate the college admissions process. A former public school teacher, Rebecca homeschooled for 25 years, sending her own three childre…

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Our 300th episode! Celebrating founders & families 4:45

3M ago4:45

4:45

Welcome to the 300th episode of the LiberatED Podcast! That’s hundreds of conversations, stories, and insights all centered around one core mission: reimagining education and helping families, educators, and innovators discover what’s possible beyond the conventional classroom. Check out Kerry's forthcoming book: Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedo…

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The Growth and Impact of Sudbury-Model Schools & Spaces 28:34

3M ago28:34

28:34

Today's guest is Ben Draper, Executive Director of the Macomber Center, a self-directed education center for homeschoolers in Massachusetts. Ben is a graduate of the Sudbury Valley School, where he spent most of his childhood and adolescence before attending college at Tufts University and later earning a studio art degree from the Boston Museum Sc…

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Investing in Carbon Markets: A Conversation with Luke Leslie of Key Carbon 43:26

3M ago43:26

43:26

Luke Leslie, Co-Founder and CEO of Key Carbon, joins Climate Rising as part of our series on voluntary carbon markets. Luke has spent over 20 years in carbon markets and finance, working in investment banking, private equity, and structured finance. Luke explains how Key Carbon is financing high-integrity carbon projects and how new overlaps betwee…

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Microschool in a Mall: Dominque Burgess on education entrepreneurship in North Carolina 39:18

3M ago39:18

39:18

Today's guest is Dominque Burgess, a former public school teacher, visionary education entrepreneur, and a national leader in the microschool movement. As the founder of Burbrella Learning Academy Inc. in Burlington, North Carolina she has successfully launched multiple innovative microschools, including transforming an old Foot Locker in a mall in…

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Makenzie Oliver on helping teachers to let their light shine! 48:42

3M ago48:42

48:42

Today's guest is Makenzie Oliver, host of the popular podcast Teacher, Let Your Light Shine! and its associated Facebook community. An award-winning public school teacher, Makenzie decided to leave the conventional classroom to launch her own microschool, Lighthouse Learning Microschool and Homeschool Hybrid, in 2020 in Longwood, Florida. She now h…

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Homeschooling to College: Common Myths Around Admission & Affordability 53:45

3M ago53:45

53:45

In this second episode in our series, Homeschooling To College, Kym Kent and I talk about some of the common myths around college admissions and affordability, as well as how to navigate the Common App as a homeschooling family. "A trend colleges might not want applicants to notice: It's becoming easier to get in" (The Hechinger Report, Nov. 2024) …

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From homeschooling mom of 7 to Kentucky microschool founder 58:33

3M ago58:33

58:33

Today's guest is Lauri Muse, a mom of of 7 children who has been actively homeschooling for 27 years. She recently launched World of Wonder Hybrid Microschool and Homeschool Enrichment Program in Union, Kentucky, near Cincinnati, Ohio. Her weekly homeschool enrichment program now serves over 140 kids, while the 3-day-a-week microschool she opened l…

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Navigating Carbon Markets: A Conversation with Alexia Kelly of High Tide Foundation 58:17

4M ago58:17

58:17

Alexia Kelly, Managing Director of the Carbon Policy and Markets Initiative (CPMI) at theHigh Tide Foundation, joins host Mike Toffel for the fifth episode in our series on voluntarycarbon markets. Alexia has worked for nearly two decades atthe intersection of carbonmarkets, policy, and finance, with roles spanning government, private industry, and…

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How 3 families got together to create Three Cords Academy in Georgia 44:53

3M ago44:53

44:53

Today's guests are Katie Kilgore and Michael Frost who are the cofounders, along with a third family, of Three Cords Academy, a student-focused, Biblically-centered microschool currently serving 2nd-6th grades which they launched in Fall 2024 in Carrollton, Georgia. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at …

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MacKenzie Price on 2-Hour Learning, Alpha School, and AI in Education 42:15

4M ago42:15

42:15

Today's guest is MacKenzie Price, cofounder of 2 Hour Learning and Alpha School, a K-12 private school in Austin, Texas which she launched in 2014. MacKenzie is currently working to scale the Alpha School model nationwide, with additional schools currently operating or opening soon in several states. A graduate of Stanford University, MacKenzie hos…

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Homeschooling To College: High School Prep and the Pre-Application Process 56:09

4M ago56:09

56:09

In this episode, Kerry chats with Kym Kent, a veteran homeschooling mom of 6 and founder of a Maryland-based homeschooling program who has already graduated 4 of her children and is currently going through the college admissions process with her son Samuel. Kerry's daughter Molly is a lifelong homeschooler who is also going through the college admi…

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How a teacher and Minnesota mom of 4 created Our Village School, serving 150 learners 42:58

4M ago42:58

42:58

Today's guest is Maria Stalsberg, founder of Our Village School, a creative learning environment for homeschooled kids ages 6 and over in Lakeville, Minnesota. Maria holds a Master’s degree in Teaching and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. She began her career in Corporate America before transitioning to becoming a classroom teacher in the t…

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Enhancing Integrity Standards in Carbon Markets: A Conversation with Amy Merrill of ICVCM 42:29

4M ago42:29

42:29

Amy Merrill, CEO of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) joins host Mike Toffel in this fourth episode of the Climate Rising series on voluntary carbon markets. Amy has extensive experience in carbon markets, including leading negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and advising on global carbon finance. Amy explai…

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A Big Announcement! 3:35

4M ago3:35

3:35

I am so excited to share the news with you that my new book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is now available for preorder! Published by the big New York City publisher Hachette, under its PublicAffairs imprint, Joyful Learning is brimming with information and inspiration for parents and t…

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A conversation with the cofounder of the Modern Classrooms Project 27:11

4M ago27:11

27:11

Today's guest is Robert Barnett, a former teacher in both public and private schools, and the cofounder and Chief Product Officer at the Modern Classrooms Project, a nonprofit teaching and professional development resource which he helped to launch in 2018. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/l…

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How one mom unschooled her way to opening a school for unschoolers 45:24

4M ago45:24

45:24

Our guest today is Jennie Jones, a former professional ballerina, turned homeschooling mom of four, turned education entrepreneur. In September 2024, Jennie launched The Treehouse Agile Learning Community as a home-based microschool in St. George, Utah that uses agile learning tools to foster intentional community, natural learning, and independenc…

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The future of the fast-growing Acton Academy network, with Jake Thompson 39:02

4M ago39:02

39:02

Jake Thompson is the founder of Heroes Academy, an Acton Academy in Boise, Idaho that he opened in 2016. Jake is also now the head of the entire Acton Academy network, which includes over 300 learner-driven schools serving thousands of students worldwide. Check out Kerry's LiberatED interview with Acton Academy network cofounder, Jeff Sandefer. ***…

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Strengthening Carbon Claims via the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI): A Conversation with Mark Kenber 54:30

4M ago54:30

54:30

This episode, the third in our series on Voluntary Carbon Markets, features Mark Kenber, Executive Director of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI). Mark has worked in carbon markets and climate finance for nearly three decades, with experience at organizations like WWF, The Climate Group, and Fundación Natura in Ecuador. Mark d…

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Two teachers and a Texas microschool: How to rekindle your love of teaching 53:07

4M ago53:07

53:07

Today's guests are Taylor Munro and Lacey Fickes, cofounders of Peak Academy, a microschool in Richmond, Texas currently serving students in grades K-8, with a high school expansion in the works. They launched Peak Academy in August 2022, but prior to that both founders worked for many years as public school teachers in Texas. *** Sign up for Kerry…

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“I shouldn’t have to sneak around to make my students feel successful and be happy.” A former public school teacher explains why she opened her own school 35:42

5M ago35:42

35:42

Tonya Kipe was an elementary school teacher in Florida public schools for over a decade before launching Kipe Academy, a microschool in Polk City, Florida. She grew her microschool from one student in January 2024 to 26 students today, including those with special learning needs. Read more about Tonya's microschool in Kerry's latest article at The …