The TechEd Podcast
Bridging the gap between technical education & the workforce 🎙 Hosted by Matt Kirchner, each episode features conversations with leaders who are shaping, innovating and disrupting the future of the skilled workforce and how we inspire and train individuals toward those jobs. STEM, Career and Technical Education, and Engineering educators - this podcast is for you! Manufacturing and industrial employers - this podcast is for you, too!
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What happens when K-12, higher education, manufacturing, and a startup tech company sit around the same table to talk about AI? This episode brings that rare collaboration to life. Recorded live at TitletownTech—the venture studio founded by Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers—this panel features four leaders from dist
A Finance Pioneer’s Take on Education, Inclusion and Opportunity - Mary Ellen Stanek, Founder and Chief Investment Officer Emeritus of Baird Asset Management
Building tomorrow’s workforce starts with more than just technical skills—it requires access, mentorship, and leaders willing to invest in students long before they enter the job market. In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, Mary Ellen Stanek, Co-Founder and CIO Emeritus of Baird Asset Management, shares how one of th
Could We Really Make Anything, Anywhere, Anytime? - Dr. Charles Johnson-Bey, ERVA Co-Principal Investigator
Distributed manufacturing allows goods to be produced closer to where they’re needed — but enabling that future requires a complete rethink of infrastructure, systems, and workforce development. In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, Dr. Charles Johnson-Bey joins host Matt Kirchner for a deep dive into Engineering the
The $10 Million Workforce Experiment That Could Redefine Apprenticeships in America - Lindsay Blumer, CEO of WRTP | BIG STEP
Workforce systems are often fragmented—built around short-term funding, disconnected programs, and a lack of coordination between industry, education, and community. But a different model is taking shape - one that’s not only working in practice, but has the potential to scale across states and regions. In this episode
Love It or Hate It: A Surprisingly Human (And Very Fun) Conversation About Math - Dr. Jordan Ellenberg, Mathematics Professor at the University of Wisconsin
What happens when a world-class mathematician meets ’80s college radio, Bill Gates’ top-10 favorite books, and a host with an algebra redemption arc? A surprisingly funny, fast-moving conversation. Dr. Jordan Ellenberg—John D. MacArthur Professor of Mathematics at UW–Madison and author of How Not to Be Wrong—swaps stor
The Smart Farm Era Is Here—and It’s Changing How America Grows Food - Dick Pavelski and Andy Diercks, Food + Farm Exploration Center
If you still picture farming as dusty tractors and endless manual labor, think again. Today’s agriculture runs on GPS-guided equipment, drones, real-time soil sensors, and data systems that look more like Wall Street trading floors than old barns. In this episode, lifelong farmer and innovator Dick Pavelski and Andy Di
