Reimagining Education Without Borders with Katie Kelly & Sarah Merkt

Reimagining Education Without Borders with Katie Kelly & Sarah Merkt

Author: BE Podcast Network September 16, 2026 Duration: 40:25

Host Eric Makelky sits down with Katie Kelly and Sarah Merkt, of Cresconova Global, an online (and in-person, via Cresconova Labs) enrichment program serving students across five continents. Katie and Sarah unpack their concept of "inspired learning" — designing classes around curiosity-sparking questions rather than rigid skill-based standards — and share real examples, from a class on designing alien life to a lesson born from a power outage. They discuss how they train teachers to follow student curiosity, how classes are structured for different age bands, and how they support parents navigating homeschool and supplemental education choices, including free consultations and their monthly "Student Sparks" webinar series.


Ever wonder who’s actually building the tools that are changing classrooms and online learning? EdTech Startup Showcase, from the BE Podcast Network, goes straight to the source. Each episode is built around candid conversations with the founders and CEOs behind emerging educational technology companies, but it doesn’t stop there. To get the full picture, we also talk to the partner organizations that help scale these ideas and, most importantly, the educators on the ground who are implementing these products with real students. What you’ll hear isn’t just polished theory; it’s about practical solutions to persistent challenges in education and the opportunity-expanding ideas that are pushing learning into uncharted directions. This podcast digs into the stories behind the startups, examining not just what they built, but why they built it and the tangible difference it’s making. If you’re curious about the future of learning technology and the people driving it, this series offers an essential, ground-level view you won’t find in a press release. Tune in for genuine dialogue that connects the vision of creators with the everyday realities of teaching and learning.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 36

EdTech Startup Showcase
Podcast Episodes
Trading the Classroom for a Startup with Mike Cronley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:55
In this episode of the EdTech Startup Podcast, host Jeff Bradbury interviews Mike Cronley, co-founder and CEO of Class Composer and former third-grade teacher. Mike shares his journey from the classroom to entrepreneursh…
Family Engagement Lab with Vidya Sundaram & Elisabeth O'Bryon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:15
In this EdTech Startup Showcase episode, host Jethro Jones interviews Vidya Sundaram (CEO) and Elisabeth O'Bryon (Chief Impact Officer) from Family Engagement Lab. The conversation explores how their platform bridges the…
Jamie Rosenberg, Founder & Executive Chairman of ClassWallet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:46
Jamie Rosenberg is a two-time founder of technology platforms, including education philanthropy platform AdoptAClassroom.org, and the subject of today’s conversation, ClassWallet. We discuss:Jamie's entrepreneurial backg…