LiberatED Podcast
by Education Entrepreneurship Lab
Latest episode
Preserving Culture and Personalizing Learning at Tonto Apache…
Preserving Culture and Personalizing Learning at Tonto Apache…
About this podcast
The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. It is a project of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab at the Foundation for Economic Education. Learn more at edentrepreneur.org.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 417 episodes
- Preserving Culture and Personalizing Learning at Tonto Apache Community School · 37 min · Season 6 Episode 416What happens when a homeschooling mom helps create her tribe's first school? The Lab's Entrepreneur-In-Residence Denise Lever talks with Tawnee Johnson, founder of Tonto Apache…
- Homeschooling With Special Needs: More Options Than You Think · 26 min · Season 6 Episode 415Can families homeschool children with special needs and still access the support they need? Keisha Berry, founder of Spectrum Education and Therapy Center, joins Kym Kent…
- A Conversation with North Dakota's 2026 Teacher of the Year · 30 min · Season 6 Episode 414What 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…
- Education Freedom for Neurodivergent Kids: One Mom's Journey · 40 min · Season 6 Episode 413Arizona 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…
- Less Admin, More Education: Brett Kopf on Building Omella · 20 min · Season 6 Episode 412What 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…
- From Homeschooling to FEE: Hannah Langdon on Learning and Liberty · 35 min · Season 6 Episode 411What 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…
- Inspiring Youth Entrepreneurs with Lemonade School · 19 min · Season 6 Episode 410Kym 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…
- Microschool Makers Series #3: Leading A Thriving School · 55 min · Season 6 Episode 409Welcome to the Microschool Makers Series, a three-part September series in collaboration with KaiPod to equip aspiring school founders with the inspiration and information needed…
- Saving Recess with Dr. Cathy Ramstetter · 50 min · Season 6 Episode 408What if recess isn't a break from learning, but an essential part of it? The Education Entrepreneurship Lab's Nasiyah Isra-Ul talks with health educator Dr. Cathy Ramstetter…
- Microschool Makers Series #2: Building A Sustainable School · 54 min · Season 6 Episode 407Welcome to the Microschool Makers Series, a three-part September series in collaboration with KaiPod to equip aspiring school founders with the inspiration and information needed…
- Building the School Her Son Needed with Mily Pérez · 34 min · Season 6 Episode 406What does it take to turn more than 20 years in education—and one child's experience of not thriving in traditional school—into a new kind of learning environment? Host Kerry…
- Microschool Makers Series #1: Developing Your Vision · 1 h 1 min · Season 6 Episode 405Welcome to the Microschool Makers Series, a three-part September series in collaboration with KaiPod to equip aspiring school founders with the inspiration and information needed…
- School's Out: An Interview with Mickey Revenaugh · 38 min · Season 6 Episode 404What changes when the way we think about education starts to shift? The Education Entrepreneurship Lab's Nasiyah Isra-Ul speaks with Mickey Revenaugh, an author, innovator, and…
- School in a Yurt: Building a Co-Learning Community in Maryland · 24 min · Season 6 Episode 403What does it take to build a learning community rooted in support, opportunity, and love? Entrepreneur-In-Residence Kym Kent speaks with educator and entrepreneur Tatiana…
- From Teacher to Founder: Creating Limestone Community School · 29 min · Season 6 Episode 402After a decade in public education, Madeline Herrera reached a crossroads: compromise her vision for meaningful, project-based learning—or build a new kind of school. In this…
- Dr. James Tooley on Low-Cost Private Schooling · 38 min · Season 6 Episode 401Education Entrepreneurship Lab Entrepreneur-in-Residence Kym Kent talks with renowned education researcher and author Dr. James Tooley to explore the power of parent-driven…
- Our 400th episode—and a special announcement! · 4 min · Season 6 Episode 400LiberatED celebrates its 400th episode! Since launching in February 2022, the podcast has featured inspiring conversations with the entrpreneurial parents and teachers who are…
- Building a Thriving Faith-Based Microschool with Emma Rodriguez · 37 min · Season 5 Episode 399Guest host Denise Lever talks with Emma Rodriguez, a former public school teacher and founder of Lighthouse Christian Academy, a faith-based K–8 microschool in Frisco, Texas…
- How One Community Is Connecting Schools, Students, and Employers · 27 min · Season 5 Episode 398In this episode of LiberatED, host Kerry McDonald speaks with Melody Rider, president of ConnectED Polk, a Florida nonprofit helping build stronger connections between education…
- Navigating Legal Challenges as an Education Entrepreneur, with ERC's Lynn Swanson · 37 min · Season 5 Episode 397Starting a microschool or other innovative learning environment is about far more than curriculum and community. Founders also have to navigate a maze of zoning rules, fire…
- From Democratic School Founder to Urban Nature Educator · 36 min · Season 5 Episode 396For years, Maysaa Bazna led Pono, an innovative outdoor democratic school in New York City, where children followed their curiosity and developed deep connections with the…
- What If Learning Started with Curiosity Instead of Curriculum? · 47 min · Season 5 Episode 395Guest host Jennie Jones, an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, interviews Tanner Bowman, founder of Optio, a quest-based learning platform that…
- Inside a Youth-Run Microschool in Virginia · 36 min · Season 5 Episode 394Special Summer Episode! Kym Kent, an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, is the guest host for today's LiberatED Podcast! Listen in as she interviews…
- When A Microschool Founder Has To Step Away · 36 min · Season 5 Episode 393When Niki Harris and her husband launched Farm School on their working farm in Northern California in 2018, they were simply looking for a better educational option for their own…
- How Summit School Grew from 50 to 140 Students in 3 Years · 33 min · Season 5 Episode 392In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Peter Holmstrom, Head of School at Summit School in Waco, Texas. Peter shares his journey from social work to public…
- Let 1,000 Flowers Bloom: The Future of Educational Freedom with Cato's Colleen Hroncich · 33 min · Season 5 Episode 391On this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Colleen Hroncich, policy analyst at the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom, about her new report, Let 1,000…
- The Ins & Outs of Launching a K-8 Hybrid Learning Community · 34 min · Season 5 Episode 390In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Katelynn Stone, founder of EverRoot Academy, a new K-8 hybrid learning community set to launch in August 2026 in…
- How a Family Crisis Led to a New Educational Calling · 35 min · Season 5 Episode 389On this episode of LiberatED, LaRae Hulsey tells host Kerry McDonald about her remarkable journey from enrolling her children in a Prenda microschool in rural Apache County…
- Inside A Nature-Based School Near Boston · 30 min · Season 5 Episode 388This week on the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Serena Wilkie Gifford and Kate Walker of the Birches School, a nature-based K–8 independent school in the Boston…
- Bellwether's Mary Wells on AI, Education Innovation, & the Future of Learning · 39 min · Season 5 Episode 387Kerry McDonald talks with Mary Wells, co-founder and senior partner at Bellwether, a national nonprofit focused on expanding educational opportunity and innovation. Mary shares…
- Why Families Are Flocking to this Project-Based Pennsylvania Homeschool Program · 33 min · Season 5 Episode 386What happens when homeschooling families want more connection, collaboration, and hands-on learning? In this episode, Kerry McDonald talks with Danika Dunn and Kelly Clearkin of…
- How the Yass Prize Powers Permissionless Education · 37 min · Season 5 Episode 385In this episode, Kerry McDonald talks with Caroline Allen, Chief Program Officer at the Center for Education Reform and Founding Director of the Yass Prize, about how this prize…
- In North Dakota, a small school makes a big impact · 30 min · Season 5 Episode 384Kerry McDonald talks with Kelsy Achtenberg, founding teacher and Executive Director of The Innovation School, a private K-8 school in Bismarck, North Dakota. They discuss the…
- What 23,000 Parents Are Telling Us About School Choice · 27 min · Season 5 Episode 383Kerry McDonald speaks with Marc Porter Magee, CEO and founder of 50CAN, about the organization's nationwide efforts to expand education choice and empower families. Drawing on a…
- A Conversation with Prenda Microschool "Superguides" · 33 min · Season 5 Episode 382In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Lexi Hanson and Kayla Phipps, two "superguides" at Prenda, a national microschooling network founded in 2018 by Kelly…
- Inclusive by Design: How Brainforest Academy Supports Neurodiverse Learners · 33 min · Season 5 Episode 381In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Frish Waller, founder of Brainforest Academy, a Montessori microschool in Florida designed to serve both neurodiverse and…
- From Public School Teacher to Founder of a Self-Directed Learning Center · 37 min · Season 5 Episode 380In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Ken Trautwein, founder of Current Education Center, a secular, self-directed learning community outside Philadelphia…
- A Two-Day, Tuition-Free Microschool With Full-Time Impact · 30 min · Season 5 Episode 379In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Marta MacBan, founder of Sonoran Learning Collective, a hybrid microschool in Cave Creek, Arizona, that's reimagining how…
- Reinventing High School: Entrepreneurship & Personalized Learning in Utah · 27 min · Season 5 Episode 378On this week's episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Cory Henwood, innovation coordinator for Utah's Iron County School District and founder of Launch High…
- From 18 Students to Over 100: Why One New Waldorf- and Montessori-Inspired School Is So Sought After · 36 min · Season 5 Episode 377In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with May Jewell, founder of Jewell School in Queen Creek, Arizona. Since launching in 2021 with just 18 students, the Waldorf…
- From Basement Pod to Flourishing Hybrid Homeschool in Michigan · 32 min · Season 5 Episode 376In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Rebecca Thomas, founder of Victory Alliance, a K–12 hybrid homeschool program in Traverse City, Michigan. Rebecca shares…
- The First Online Private School: 30+ Years at Laurel Springs School · 36 min · Season 5 Episode 375What does it take to build the first private online school in the United States—before most families even had internet access? In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks…
- The Past, Present, and Future of Virtual Learning with Julie Young · 47 min · Season 5 Episode 374In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with virtual learning pioneer Julie Young, author of Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America, published…
- Supply, Demand, and School Choice: Lessons from Ohio · 28 min · Season 5 Episode 373Ohio has long been at the forefront of the school choice movement—and today tens of thousands of students participate in one of the state's five scholarship programs. In this…
- Agency, Affordability, and Hands-On Learning at The Village School · 31 min · Season 5 Episode 372What does it look like to build a school around student voice, joyful learning, and real affordability? In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Elizabeth Dean…
- Why More Black Families Are Choosing Homeschooling—and What Comes Next · 48 min · Season 5 Episode 371In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Kalecia Simmons, founder of The Black Homeschools, about how one parent's search for support grew into a thriving…
- Progress in Medicine: A New Kind of Summer Program for Teen Changemakers · 39 min · Season 5 Episode 370In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald is joined by Heike Larson, Vice President of Programs at the Roots of Progress Institute, and Dr. Laura Mazer, a surgeon and…
- A New Orleans Microschool Success Story · 48 min · Season 5 Episode 369On this episode of LiberatED, host Kerry McDonald sits down with Emily Barnitz, founder of Zoe Learning House, a fast-growing hybrid homeschool program in New Orleans, Louisiana…
- Inside NuVu's Studio-Style High School · 39 min · Season 5 Episode 368What if high school was designed more like a creative studio than a traditional classroom? In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald spotlights NuVu High School in Cambridge…
- A Primer on the Push for Educational Freedom, with Cato's Neal McCluskey · 47 min · Season 5 Episode 367In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald is joined by Neal McCluskey, Director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute, and co-editor of the new book…
