Our Podcast
Build Momentum for Education:
K-12 Superintendent Series
Welcome to Season 5 of the Build Momentum for Education podcast hosted by Sarah Williamson, the CEO of SWPR Group, an agency that supports public relations, communications strategies, and thought leadership support for school districts, education companies and startups, and Dr. Chad Bolser, Chancellor of Ivy Tech. This season, they explore a particularly unique perspective in thought leadership in K-12 education: humanizing the role of the superintendent.
Throughout the many conversations we continue to have with superintendents, a clear theme has emerged about the need to bring more humanity to the role of the superintendency. In this special podcast series, we interview current and former superintendents and researchers to pursue the core question: how can we better see superintendents as real people navigating complex challenges to provide the best possible education for our K-12 students? We dig deeper into how this important work can help build community, invite collaboration and increase widespread engagement.
Our lineup includes Dr. Susan Enfield of The Network of Distinguished Educators, Dr. Rainey Briggs of the Baraboo School District in Wisconsin, Dr. Randy Mahlerwein of Mesa Public Schools in Arizona, Dr. Adam Clark from Mt. Diablo Unified School District in California and Rachel S. White, the Associate Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy at the University of Texas at Austin (and many others) as part of the “Superintendent Series: Humanizing the Role of the Superintendent.”
Tune in for new episodes every other Thursday, available on Spotify, iTunes, or your preferred listening platform as we explore humanizing the role of the superintendent in K-12 education.
Rural Innovation Series | Aaron Black, Superintendent, Randolph Eastern School Corporation
In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Aaron Black. He is currently the Superintendent at Randolph Eastern School Corporation in Union City, Indiana, and is spearheading the Rural Alliance Zone 32. Aaron was named a semifinalist for the Yass Innovation Prize 2023 from the Yass Center for Education (formerly the Center for Education Reform). The prize recognizes leaders in sustainable, transformational, outstanding, and permissionless education.
Rural Innovation Series | Lauren Marie Hall Riggens, Senior Manager, Empower Schools
In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Lauren Marie Hall Riggins, a senior manager at Empower Schools, a national nonprofit that partners with communities and educators to reimagine local education systems. Lauren is currently the Director of Youth Poet Laureate at VOICES Corporation, an organization offering culturally sustaining programs for young people, where she also serves as a board member and consultant. She is an experienced educator, researcher, and nonprofit leader with many notable achievements.
Rural Innovation Series | Mike Gonzalez, Executive Director, Rural Schools Innovation Zone
In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Michael Gonzalez, executive director of the Rural Schools Innovation Zone out of Premont,Texas. He was also a former principal at Premont Collegiate High School. This is the first episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.
Strategic Community Partnerships Drive Innovative Workforce Development at Tacoma Public Schools | Adam Kulaas
In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Adam Kulaas, the Director of Innovative Learning and Career and Technical Education for Tacoma Public Schools in Washington State. He also founded Jobs 253, which offers the district’s high school students the opportunity to earn credit toward graduation while gaining meaningful work experience.
K-12 to Career: How Community Colleges are Accelerating Workforce Development
In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by a new co-host, Chad Bolser, a Chancellor from Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. In previous roles, he served as vice president of Strategic Operations-Southern Campuses and Chancellor at the Richmond Campus. Chad was the athletic director at Richmond Community Schools for six years and the head coach for boys basketball for 10 years. We also bid farewell to Dr. Katie Lash as she embarks on a new chapter of her career as Ivy Tech’s Vice President for K-14 and Strategic Initiatives.
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Season 4 Trailer: Global Workforce Series!
Hello, Build Momentum listeners. We're excited to kick off season four of the podcast and we have some exciting changes to share this season. We're so thrilled for last season's co-host, Dr. Katie Lash, who recently left the service center to take on the role of VP of K-14 and Strategic Initiatives at Ivy Tech are so happy for her and wish her well as she focuses on her new job. The good news is that we're still keeping our Indiana connection and Chad Bolser and Chancellor from Ivy Tech will be this season's new co-host!
Bridging the gap between edtech organizations and K-12 decisionmakers to solve education's most difficult challenges| Doug Roberts, CEO, Institute for Education Innovation (IEI)
In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Doug Roberts, who is the founder and CEO of the Institute for Education Innovation. IEI specializes in bridging the gaps between individuals and organizations that are committed to seeing students succeed in school and in life. Doug and his team create safe spaces for problem-solving and innovative thinking, including the IEI Summer Summit where this episode was recorded.
Ken Eisner on Global Trends in Education, the Workforce, and Leadership
In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Ken Eisner. Ken is currently a Consulting Advisor with Avathon Capital, a Special Partner at Good Harbor Partners, and a Senior Advisor at New Markets Venture Partners. He is the former Director of Business Development for Amazon Web Services’ Global Learning Systems.
