EdTech Startup Showcase

Host Eric Makelky talks with Christine Braun, Chief Creative Officer at Cresconova, about the framework behind Cresconova Labs, the organization's new in-person innovation space. Christine shares her path from furniture designer to Harvard Makerspace director to leading Cresconova Labs, then unpacks the core teaching philosophy: starting with beautiful, open-ended questions, moving through systems thinking, and into design thinking. The conversation turns to AI in education, where Christine introduces a practical human-AI interaction process—question, frame, unpack, own—that helps students engage with AI critically rather than accepting outputs at face value. She offers guidance for both AI-fearful and AI-permissive parents, emphasizing that understanding how AI works (and its built-in biases) empowers families to use it thoughtfully. The episode closes with book recommendations and a preview of the next conversation on experiential learning and flexible thinking.

In this episode of the Cresconova Global podcast, host Eric Makelky sits down with Katie Kelly and Sarah Merkt to explore how Cresconova Global's online enrichment program fits into a child's broader educational journey. Katie and Sarah dive into the personalized support parents receive—from initial learning consultations to ongoing communication and student-facing narrative feedback reports that put kids at the center of their own learning. The conversation covers common parent concerns (screen time, technology readiness, trial classes), how the program serves both traditional-school and homeschool families, and a deep dive into why conceptual, curiosity-driven math instruction beats worksheet-based enrichment. They close with an impressive 78% returning-student rate and practical first steps for curious parents, including free monthly "Sunday Sparks" webinars and low-commitment summer workshops.

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.

Summary What if education began with the child—not the factory model, the timetable, or a standardized ceiling? In this episode of the EdTech Startup Showcase, Eric Makelky talks with Cresconova founders Yen How Tai and Barbara Yu about building a more personalized, creativity-centered learning experience for children. Yen and Barbara explain why they created Cresconova Global and Cresconova Lab, how small cohorts and carefully selected master teachers make deeper learning possible, and why their model is designed to complement schools rather than replace them. They also share how multidisciplinary courses, design thinking, hands-on making, and hybrid learning help students move from consuming knowledge to creating something meaningful in the world. Chapters 0:00 — Welcome to the EdTech Startup Showcase 0:57 — The moment Cresconova began 3:50 — Why the traditional school model leaves a gap 7:19 — Personalization at scale and the importance of creativity 9:13 — Why Cresconova starts with elementary learners 14:22 — Cresconova Global and Cresconova Lab 19:26 — From curiosity to prototypes: biomimicry, making, and design thinking 23:24 — Why the courses are multidisciplinary and high-ceiling 28:02 — Maintaining quality, small cohorts, and a nonprofit mission 33:22 — Partnering with schools instead of replacing them 39:19 — The future of hybrid learning 42:45 — Helping children become creators, not just consumers 47:52 — A future where creativity is a basic part of being human 49:20 — Closing thoughts Show Notes Guests: Yen How Tai and Barbara Yu, founders of Cresconova. Cresconova Global: Online learning built around small-group discussion, personalization, curiosity, and experienced master teachers. Cresconova Lab: A London-based hands-on learning environment where students combine deep subject knowledge with design thinking, systems thinking, prototyping, robotics, VR, 3D printing, and laser cutting. A central idea: Schools do not have to be replaced for students to receive learning experiences that are more personalized, creative, and globally connected. Cresconova website: Cresconova.org

Today we're sharing part three of the implementation series from Family Engagement Lab. Elisabeth O'Bryon of Family Engagement Lab and Rayna Flye of Illustrative Mathematics join us to discuss:When families say "this isn't how I learned math," what are they really reacting to?What teachers understand about today's math instruction that families never get to seeWhy the disconnect often starts with the day-one communication that goes homeThe difference between informing families about instruction and helping them participate in itWhat family math nights and bite-sized, curriculum-aligned communication actually changeWho owns this work — teachers, school leaders, or curriculum providers?The risk a district takes when it adopts a strong curriculum but doesn't bring families alongListen to Implementation Series, Part 1: The Missing Instructional Layer: https://etss.bepodcast.network/episodes/implementation-series-part-1-the-missing-instructional-layer-with-vidya-sundaram-and-elisabeth-obryonListen to Implementation Series, Part 2: Why Good Ideas Fail Quietly in Schools: https://etss.bepodcast.network/episodes/implementation-series-part-2-why-good-ideas-fail-quietly-in-schools-with-vidya-sundaram-and-elisabeth-obryonLearn more about Family Engagement Lab: https://www.familyengagementlab.orgLearn more about Illustrative Mathematics: https://www.illustrativemathematics.orgAbout the guestsElisabeth O'Bryon is co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of Family Engagement Lab. Elisabeth was previously the Director of Research and Evaluation at GreatSchools where she worked to design and implement evaluation projects, with a particular focus on rapid-cycle research approaches. Before GreatSchools, Elisabeth was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence where she contributed to the development and evaluation of school-based social and emotional learning programming for children, teachers, and families. Elisabeth has a doctorate in psychology and experience providing school psychological services to preschool through high school-age students in both English and Spanish. Elisabeth recently co-authored 45 Strategies that Support Young Dual Language Learners, a resource that provides practical, developmentally appropriate strategies for supporting children and families from diverse backgrounds and creating inclusive early childhood classrooms that foster the success of young DLLs. Elisabeth is enjoying the many adventures of parenthood with her husband and sons.Rayna Flye, PhD, is Senior Specialist in Market and User Insights at Illustrative Mathematics, where she leads research with families, teachers, and district leaders to understand how high-quality math curriculum is experienced in classrooms and at home. A social scientist by training, Rayna specializes in research design, survey development, focus group facilitation, and qualitative and quantitative analysis, and her work on family focus groups informs how curriculum providers and schools communicate instructional change to the families they serve.About the hostDavid Cicero is the host of Education Talk Radio on the Be Podcast Network.Listen to Education Talk Radio at https://edutalk.bepodcast.networkLearn about more shows at https://bepodcastnetwork.com