AI isn’t just for large corporations.

Small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) can—and should—leverage the power of AI, too.

Not sure how to start? Ben Schreiner, head of the Business Innovation team at AWS, is here to help.

Ben joins guest host Justin Bolles to dive into AI’s effects on SMBs and lay out practical steps for getting started with it. He explains what SMB leaders need to know about security and data privacy, shares examples of real-world applications of AI, and demystifies concepts like AI models and hallucinations.

Interested in learning more from AWS? You can find more information in this blog post.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to maximize AI’s impact on your business
• Why data infrastructure is crucial to successfully using AI
• How to leverage existing AI models for cost-effective solutions

Things to listen for:

• [00:00] An introduction to the episode
• [02:45] How to start leveraging AI
• [07:00] How to train AI models on your data
• [12:45] How to choose a cost-effective model
• [19:10] How to mitigate the risks of AI
• [22:35] The future impact of AI
• [26:35] Setting a foundation with data

What keeps formerly incarcerated individuals in their communities and out of prison?

The Michigan Department of Corrections set out to answer that question.

The key, they discovered, is education.

Kyle Kaminski, offender success administrator at Michigan Department of Corrections, and Ben Wories, director of public sector services at Resultant, join this episode to share their story. They explain how introducing technology and education in Michigan’s prisons not only transformed attitudes but also reduced recidivism rates. Their story demonstrates the effectiveness of bold leadership, the importance of public-private partnerships, and the significance of data in measuring success.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How data has driven MDOC’s reduction in recidivism
• How public-private partnerships enable innovation
• How bold leadership leads to positive change

If you're a parent, you know how critical it is to connect with teachers. And research backs this intuition up. From Harvard to the Journal of Education Research, numerous studies show that family engagement in education boosts student learning outcomes.

So, how do we engage families in learning? It all starts with clean data and interoperability.

Here to explain the relationship between tech and family engagement in learning is Strategy and Marketing Officer Dr. Chad Stevens. Chad shares what he’s learned from his career in the education industry, including his work at ParentSquare, and the innovative ways the right technology seamlessly brings families and educators together.

Chad explains the importance of clean data, interoperability, and connecting applications like ParentSquare to other forms of data to give educators and parents the information they need at the right time. He also shares his insights on making data-driven decisions as an EdTech leader and emphasizes the need to stay focused on learners.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How interoperability enables family engagement in learning
• Why empathy and active listening pave the way for tech that supports education
• How to leverage both intuition and data in decision-making

Things to listen for:

[00:00] An introduction to the episode

[06:45] The importance of data interoperability

[11:45] Bridging the gap between technology and instruction

[16:30] How interoperability impacts family involvement in education

[20:45] Balancing intuition with data

[28:30] Staying focused on learners as technology evolves

How does trust in data shape educational policy?

We’re diving into this question today with Dr. David Ramadan, a seasoned executive and international consultant with over 25 years of advocacy, business, and government relations experience.

Dr. Ramadan discusses the need for educational policies to embrace a data-driven approach for enhanced student outcomes and more effective resource allocation. He explains the factors contributing to the politicization of data and shares the importance of trust in creating a data-driven culture.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why there’s a lack of data-driven leadership in education today
• How to build a data-driven culture
• How technology can advance education

Education change-makers know that when data empowers, it’s much more powerful than data that merely meets compliance requirements.

Chief Information Officer for the Georgia Department of Education, Dr. Keith Osburn, and Chief Data Officer Nicholas Handville are doing just that by giving data back to educators across the state in formats that facilitate its use as a valuable decision-making tool.

In this episode, they share how they’re providing accessible, timely, and actionable data products that teachers and education leaders can use to make the best decisions for their students. They explain the critical role of system interoperability, modernizing data infrastructure, and establishing trust with all stakeholders.

Throughout the conversation, we explore tangible ways data reshapes educational landscapes by shifting from a compliance to a value-driven model, particularly post-COVID. Keith and Nicholas emphasize the need for an accessible approach tailored to support schools and districts regardless of their starting capacity.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The importance of enabling system interoperability
• How to shift data’s purpose from compliance to empowerment
• What modernization means for educational data and infrastructure

Collecting good data is only half the battle.

The next major hurdle?

Getting that data into the hands of the people who need it.

Data Quality Campaign (DQC) Executive Vice President Paige Kowalski is on a mission to do just that: Get education data to students, families, and educators.

As a first-generation college student herself, Paige understands the high stakes of making informed decisions about post-secondary education. She joins us to share her insights on the need for accessible and reliable data to guide students and parents through the complex journey from high school to college and beyond.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How longitudinal data empowers students and educators
• The importance of easy access to educational data
• Why data-driven leaders need to embrace risk

Data is not just a tool. It’s a transformative force, shaping our present and defining our future.

As we reflect on season three, host Jess Carter reveals how the power of data extends far beyond the business realm. From unemployment mitigation to sports innovation, data serves as a guiding force for positive change in every facet of our lives.

We’re also looking forward to what’s next for the podcast: an education mini-series with Dr. Curt Merlau. He’ll shed light on how policy is influenced, the players involved, and the role of data in policy formation.

Whether or not you’re in the education space, this mini-series will provide new perspective on data-driven innovation. You don’t want to miss it!

In this episode, you will learn:

• What to expect from the upcoming education mini-series with Dr. Curt Merlau
• Jess’s takeaways from each episode of season three
• How data acts as a transformative force in every facet of our lives

Data-driven decisions are the future of employment.

In this conversation, Indiana Department of Workforce Development Chief of Staff Josh Richardson shares how data can shape employment strategies and personal career paths.

Josh shares his journey of working on the development of Pivot, an innovative tool designed to empower individuals experiencing job loss. He explains the importance of data sharing, collaboration, and feedback in launching the tool.

Throughout the conversation, we explore the intersection of data, leadership, and public policy in Indiana's approach to workforce readiness.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How Indiana's DWD is leveraging data to connect people with jobs
• How to manage skeptical feedback (and why it’s actually a good thing)
• How to minimize the effort required by users to achieve meaningful outcomes