LiberatED Podcast

What matters most in education can't always be measured on a test. Frannie Tunseth, North Dakota's 2026 Teacher of the Year, joins host Kelsy Achtenberg, a Senior Contributor at the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, to discuss why relationships, listening, and student voice are foundational to learning. From inviting lawmakers into a sixth-grade Socratic seminar on screen time to advocating for trauma-informed teacher preparation, Frannie shares how classroom experiences can shape education policy—and why educators should help lead the conversation. *** Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab at edentrepreneur.org for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.

Arizona mom Melissa Shah joins Arizona-based Entrepreneur-in-Residence Denise Lever to share her journey of finding an education that fit her neurodivergent son—from Montessori and online learning to gifted programs and community college dual enrollment. Along the way, she discovered that finding the optimal educational fit for her child required flexibility, persistence, and a willingness to pivot. That experience inspired Melissa to create the Arizona Education Vendors Directory, helping families discover and organize educational options across the state. Melissa and Denise discuss how Arizona's Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) expand a family's choices, why freedom must be paired with knowledge and accessible options, and how parents can build learning paths around their children's strengths, interests, and needs. *** Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab at edentrepreneur.org for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.

What if help in running the business side of a school left more time for education? Lab Entrepreneur-In-Residence Kym Kent welcomes Brett Kopf, founder and CEO of Omella to LiberatED. Brett shares how his experiences as a student with learning disabilities inspired him to build tools that make educators' lives easier—from a school communication app that reached 30 million users to a payment platform designed to simplify school operations. They explore Omella's transparent, optional-tip pricing model and its expanding tools for payments, e-signatures, approvals, and registration. Kym also shares her experience using Omella at her homeschool center, where it has helped cut costs and free up time. Whether you run a microschool, homeschool center, or other educational program, this conversation offers a look at making everyday administration simpler and more affordable. *** Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab at edentrepreneur.org for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.

What happens when education prioritizes mastery and real-world learning? The Lab's Denise Lever talks with Hannah Langdon of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) about her K–12 homeschool experience and how it shaped her work. They explore critical thinking, respectful disagreement, and FEE's resources and fellowships for educators—including homeschoolers and school founders. *** Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab at edentrepreneur.org for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.  

Kym Kent, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the FEE Education Entrepreneurship Lab, is joined today by Chris Stolte, founder of The Lemonade School, an online curriculum designed to teach children how to build real businesses from the ground up. Chris shares how his own entrepreneurial background and the experience of raising three young kids led him to create a program that takes children from basic business lessons all the way to running a real business with real customers, real products, and real profits. Kym and Chris talk about why homeschoolers and microschoolers are especially primed for this kind of hands-on learning, how the platform builds financial literacy skills like budgeting and reinvestment, and why starting entrepreneurship education early sets kids up for tomorrow's economy. This is a great listen for any parent looking to spark their child's inner entrepreneur! *** Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.