With soaring student debt, innovative technology, and new-fashioned careers—we wanted to ask the question: does college still matter? The second season of “Does College Matter?” will bring you insights from role models who have navigated a variety of worlds – from college and entrepreneurship to coding academies and the work place. With thought leaders such as Google’s Chief Education Evangelist, Jaime Casap; the CEO of Remind, Brett Kopf; and Sarah Green-Carmichael from Harvard Business Review chiming in, we ask entrepreneurs, podcasters, educators, and students alike: did college matter for you?
#48 Love What You Do: An Interview with Joselyn Cousins
In our interview with Joselyn Cousins, first generation college student and community development practitioner, you’ll learn about Joselyn’s journey as a first-gen student, two key mentors who changed her trajectory, and why she thinks college is essential.
9/18/2017 • 20 minutes, 55 seconds
#47 Reimagining High School for a High Tech World: The Phoenix Coding Academy
Reimagining High School for a High Tech World: The Phoenix Coding Academy Description: We visit a new kind of high school that’s blurring the lines between school, college, and work. In this episode, you’ll learn about how a novel coding academy works in a large urban district, where the idea for the school came from, and why the kids love it.
9/5/2017 • 24 minutes, 36 seconds
#46 Redefining Education: An Interview with Nikhil Goyal
In our interview with Nikhil Goyal (journalist, activist, and author of Schools on Trial), you’ll learn about what makes him an extreme learner, whether he believes college still matters, and how his desire to see a more just world continues to motivate him.
8/28/2017 • 24 minutes
#45 Don't Be Afraid to Not Know: An Interview with Alivia Blount
In our conversation with Alivia Blount, a Code2040 fellow, Data Analytics intern at Intuit, Winner of the 2015 USC "Hack the Gender Gap", and sophomore at UC Davis, you'll learn about how she pivoted into tech, what makes her an extreme learner, and the value of accidental mentors.
8/14/2017 • 23 minutes, 42 seconds
#44 The Future of Work & Learning : An Interview with Parminder Jassal
In our interview with Parminder Jassal (Learn & Work Futures Group Director at Institute for the Future), you'll learn about why she thinks the future of work and learning is already here, how to prepare for a world of automation, and why the future is coming faster than it ever did before.
8/7/2017 • 33 minutes, 42 seconds
#43 How Gaming Can Make You a Better Problem Solver: An Interview with Jane McGonigal
In our interview with Jane McGonigal (Chief Creative Officer, SuperBetter Labs and Research Affiliate at Institute for the Future), you'll learn about how gaming can help you become a better problem solver, why games are transforming the way we lead our real lives, and how a brain injury lead her to some unexpected insights.
7/31/2017 • 35 minutes, 4 seconds
#42 Imagining Possibilities for the Future: An Interview with Marina Gorbis
In our interview with Marina Gorbis, Executive Director for the Institute for the Future, you'll learn about how IFTF helps people imagine the possibilities of what's to come, how to spot signals of the future, and whether Marina thinks college still matters.
7/24/2017 • 34 minutes, 42 seconds
#41 Your Financial Well-Being: An Interview with Jason Young
In our conversation with Jason Young, the founder of Mindblown Labs, you'll learn about how gamification can help millennials make better financial decisions, the importance of empowering communities, and why in today's world, college still acts as a gatekeeper for opportunity.
7/17/2017 • 32 minutes, 45 seconds
#40 There Are No Throwaway People: An Interview with Kenyatta Leal
In our conversation with Kenyatta Leal, you’ll learn about his transformative journey from former convict to management, how education turned his life around, and why ultimately, in life, there are no throwaway people.
7/10/2017 • 36 minutes, 2 seconds
#39 Learn to Code with Her: An Interview with Laurence Bradford
In our conversation with Laurence Bradford, the creator of Learn to Code with Me, you’ll hear about Laurence’s own transformation from non-techie to programmer, techniques she uses to keep herself accountable, and how men and women differ, when learning to code.
7/3/2017 • 24 minutes, 17 seconds
#38 Welcome to Change: An Interview with Dr. Teri Delane
In our conversation with Dr. Teri Delane, the founding principal of Life Learning Academy Charter School, you’ll learn about Teri’s own journey as an everyday hero, why students who may not have been successful in traditional settings are thriving at the school, and how Teri has changed the lives of hundreds of Bay Area students over the past 20 years.
6/25/2017 • 24 minutes, 51 seconds
#37 Special Episode: Exploring the Power of Texting with Up Next
Believe it: 10 text over the summer can increase college enrollment by 10%. A joint effort between digital creative agency Huge, non-profit Civic Nation & the White House’s Office of Public Engagement, UP NEXT is a texting program designed to provide students with guidance on college. Today, you’ll hear from a professor whose research on texting inspired the Up Next program as well as a student who used Up Next during her senior year.
10/12/2016 • 16 minutes
#36 Special Episode: Overcoming the Odds with Reach Higher
The Reach Higher initiative is the First Lady's effort to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university. In our conversation with Reach Higher's Exec. Director Eric Waldo, Better Make Room's Don Yu & college student Darius Wesley, we talk about the inspiration behind the program, the impact that school counselors and mentors can have, and what advice they would give high school students today.
10/5/2016 • 28 minutes, 1 second
#35 Reflecting on Education & This Season: Conversations with Mary Daly and Our Team
In our final episode of Season 2, we talk to Mary Daly, “the people’s economist,” about what roles economic mobility and economic inequality play in education. Also in the episode: Jody’s own college story and reflecting on this season with our producer, Ellen Chan.
6/16/2016 • 38 minutes, 37 seconds
#34 The Truth About Higher Ed Debt: An Interview with Isabel Sawhill & Beth Akers
In our interview with Isabel Sawhill and Beth Akers, two Research Fellows from the Brookings Institution, we talk about college affordability, why college debt is usually worth it (though it’s not without risks), and what advice they would give to a room full of high school students.
6/9/2016 • 18 minutes, 45 seconds
#33 Demystifying Student Debt: An Interview with Susan Dynarski
In our interview with Susan Dynarski, a professor at the University of Michigan and writer for the New York Times’ Upshot column, she dispels commonly held myths about college debt and explains how she stays innovative with her research.
6/1/2016 • 19 minutes, 40 seconds
#32 The Well-Educated Barista: An Interview with Jaison Abel
In our conversation with economist Jaison Abel, he talks about the “well-educated barista” and how new grads fare in the job market.
5/25/2016 • 16 minutes, 40 seconds
#31 The Art of Smart Apparel: An Interview with Maddy Maxey
In our conversation with Maddy Maxey, the Co-Founder and President of The Crated, she talks about how she came up with her company’s name, her experience as a Thiel Fellow, and why the ah-ha moment is a myth.
5/19/2016 • 21 minutes
Taking a Break This Week
We’re taking a quick break from “Does College Matter?” this week. We’ll be back next week with the founder of The Crated, Maddy Maxey.
5/12/2016 • 1 minute, 40 seconds
#30 The Power of Storytelling: An Interview with Matt Lieber ft. Vanessa Ishii
In this interview, guest-host Vanessa Ishii (from Stitcher Radio) and Matt Lieber (co-founder of Gimlet Media) explore the world of storytelling, the power of audio, and what role podcasts will play in the future.
5/5/2016 • 16 minutes, 34 seconds
#29 Being Honest About Your Biases: An Interview with Teuila Hanson
In our conversation with Teuila Hanson, SVP of HR, Diversity and
Inclusion at the San Francisco Fed, she talks about what’s at stake
in conversations about diversity and why we need to be honest about
our own biases.
4/27/2016 • 26 minutes, 17 seconds
#28 Accelerate Your Career: An Interview with Kathleen Mullaney
In our conversation with Kathleen Mullaney, Udacity’s VP of Careers, she talks about Udacity’s mission, her mentors, and what advice she would give to career switchers and
4/20/2016 • 27 minutes, 57 seconds
#27 Exploring What's Possible: An Interview with Steve Davee
In our interview with Steve Davee, Maker Ed's Chief Maker Educator, we talk about the power of play, what inspires people to learn, and how he thinks the modern maker movement can impact college.
4/14/2016 • 16 minutes, 44 seconds
#26 Inside a Reporter’s Head: An Interview with Tyler Kingkade
In our interview with Tyler Kingkade, Senior Editor and Reporter at Huffington Post College, we ask him about hot topics on campus and whether he thinks college still matters.
4/7/2016 • 22 minutes, 43 seconds
#25 Don't Doubt Yourself: An Interview with Scholar Match Staff & Students
Scholar Match is a non-profit, founded by author Dave Eggers. Designed to guide low-income students through the college application process, they continue to be a resource to students after high school, steering them through college and on toward a career. In our interview with the staff and students from Scholar Match, we talk about what problems they're trying to solve and what kind of impact Scholar Match has on their students' lives.
3/31/2016 • 27 minutes, 58 seconds
#24 Your Passion is Right in Front of You: Talking to Riley Ennis
In our conversation with the CEO of Immudicon, Riley Ennis, he talks about what life as Thiel Fellow was like, where the idea for Immudicon came from, and what advice he gives people, trying to find their passion.
3/24/2016 • 30 minutes, 37 seconds
#23 Crickets, Lessons & Social Entrepreneurship: An Interview with Rose Wang
In our conversation with the CEO of Six Foods, Rose Wang, she talks about the inspiration behind Six Foods, how she learned to push past barriers, and why eating cricket chips could help improve the environment.
3/17/2016 • 31 minutes, 53 seconds
#22 Having the Courage to Take Risks: An Interview with Adrian Rodriguez
In our conversation with Adrian Rodriguez, SVP of Communications & Community Engagement at the SF Fed, he talks about his experiences growing up in the small barrio town of La Puente, being a first generation college student, and how his parents have inspired him throughout his life.
3/10/2016 • 22 minutes, 2 seconds
#21 Improving the World Through Management: An Interview with Sarah Green Carmichael
In our conversation with Sarah Green Carmichael, the host of Harvard Business Review's Ideacast, we talk about changing the world through management, why she joined HBR, and how she stays innovative.
3/3/2016 • 26 minutes, 11 seconds
#20 Creative Problem Solving with Khan Academy’s Elizabeth Slavitt
In our conversation with Khan Academy’s charismatic VP of Learner Strategy & Operations, Elizabeth Slavitt, we got a behind-the-scenes look at Khan Academy’s creative process and ask Elizabeth what inspired her to join the team and how she stays innovative.
2/25/2016 • 27 minutes, 43 seconds
#19 Dream Big: An Interview with Shai Reshef
University of the People is the world’s first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited online university. In our interview with UoPeople's President, Shai Reshef, we talk about the inspiration behind the online four-year college, what it takes to run the school, and what kind of advice he has for future entrepreneurs.
2/18/2016 • 25 minutes, 33 seconds
#18 Breaking All the Rules: An Interview with Make School Co-Founder Jeremy Rossman
Jeremy Rossman has co-founded a school that’s breaking all the rules. It’s exclusively focused on Computer Science and it’s called Make School - partly because you can’t get accepted if you haven’t made anything and partly because the purpose of the school is to teach students how to make things like mobile apps. Plus, there’s no traditional tuition and no student debt. We’re going to find out why the Make School is so different, learn about the problems it’s trying to solve, and discover how to run a successful school with no tuition and no student debt.
2/10/2016 • 35 minutes, 16 seconds
#17 Entrepreneurs: If You're Not Passionate, You Will Burn Out
The charismatic CEO of Schoology talks about how he stays innovative and what advice he would give to first-time entrepreneurs.
2/3/2016 • 19 minutes, 8 seconds
#16 Find a Way to Figure It Out: An Interview with Brett Kopf
In our interview with the CEO of Remind, Brett Kopf, we ask him about the inspiration behind Remind, his framework for starting a company from scratch, and the impact that an individual teacher has had on his whole life.
1/27/2016 • 19 minutes, 14 seconds
#15 Transforming Education with Google’s Chief Education Evangelist
Google’s Chief Education Evangelist, Jaime, talks about his experience as a first generation college student, what it means to be an education evangelist, and growing up in 1970’s New York.
1/20/2016 • 23 minutes, 43 seconds
#14- The Value of Lifelong Learning: An Interview with SF Fed President John C. Williams
SF Fed President John C. Williams shares his views on the value of college, why education is critical for a healthy economy, the importance of lifelong learning, and what it was like to have Janet Yellen as a mentor.
Show Notes:
President John Williams’ Bio
The Value of Lifelong Learning
The View from Here: The Economic Outlook and Its Implications for Monetary Policy
7/21/2015 • 29 minutes, 9 seconds
#13- Learn Faster: An Interview with Pat Flynn
In our conversation with Pat Flynn, host of the massively popular Smart Passive Income podcast, we talk about how he manages to continuously evolve his thinking, how he fared during the economic downturn, and what the most important thing he learned in college was. Show Notes: Pat’s Website Pat’s Blog Pat’s Film Debut
7/14/2015 • 36 minutes, 49 seconds
#12- Doing the Side Hustle: An Interview with Nick Loper
In our conversation with Nick Loper, host of the Side Hustle Show podcast, we talk to Nick about his views on the value of college, why it’s essential to keep developing opportunities for yourself, and his hypothesis that the next 100 years will be the age of mass entrepreneurship.
Show Notes:
Nick’s Bio
Nick’s Tedx Talk: “The Entrepreneurial Generation”
The Side Hustle Show Podcast
7/8/2015 • 19 minutes
#11- Feeding Your Soul: An Interview with Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson
In our conversation with the hosts of the Being Boss podcast, Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson, we talk creative entrepreneurship, doing work that feeds your soul, and how motherhood fits into it all.
Show Notes:
The Being Boss Podcast
Indie Shopography
Braid Creative
7/1/2015 • 33 minutes, 29 seconds
#10- Solving a Problem Other People Have: An Interview with Tony Wan
In our interview with the managing editor of EdSurge, Tony Wan, we talk about the impact of technology in the classroom, his previous start-up Lucky Bird Games, and how his degree in East Asian Studies has shaped the work he does today.
Show Notes:
EdSurge.com
Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Profile on Tony
Tony’s Articles on Fast Company
Tony on Twitter
6/25/2015 • 30 minutes, 32 seconds
#09- Infusing an Entrepreneurial Mindset: An Interview with Mignon Fogarty
In our conversation with Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl and Head of Media Entrepreneurship at the University of Nevada, Reno, we talk Silicon Valley, how to live (and learn) entrepreneurship, and the future of journalism.
Mignon Fogarty’s Bio
The Grammar Girl Podcast
The Reynolds School, University of Nevada, Reno
Other Resources
Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers
List of Colleges with Majors in Entrepreneurship or Small Business (Saint Louis University)
National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship
6/16/2015 • 25 minutes, 36 seconds
#08- Teaching Entrepreneurship: Nature or Nurture? An Interview with Susan Yamada
In our conversation with Susan Yamada, Executive Director of The Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship, she shares her thoughts on collaboration, whether entrepreneurs are born or made, and what an entrepreneurship degree offers.
Susan Yamada’s Bio
The Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship
6/9/2015 • 25 minutes, 54 seconds
#07- Take the First Step: An Interview with Fernando Santos
In our conversation with Fernando Santos, founder of Beast Oakland, he shares his story as a former graffiti artist, explains how his professor inspired him, and how he gets his numbers right.
Beast Oakland
Beast Oakland on Instagram
Fernando Santos’ Bio and Profile with The Pioneer
Chabot Community College
6/2/2015 • 15 minutes, 40 seconds
#06– Getting Used to Set-Backs: An Interview with Divya Nag
In our conversation with Divya Nag, voted “30 Under 30 in Science & Healthcare” by Forbes, she explains how she deals with set-backs, what compelled her to start Stem Cell Theranostics and StartX Med, and why mentors are so important.
DivyaNag.com
Stem Cell Theranostics
StartX Med
Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Program
5/26/2015 • 19 minutes, 28 seconds
#05– Live Vividly: An Interview with Trever Bostrom
In our conversation with Trever Bostrom, co-founder of Vivid Roots, he shares the story behind his apparel start-up, why it was important for them to have a social mission, and how advisors have helped make Vivid Roots a success.
Vivid Roots
Boise State University, Venture College
University of Idaho
Balancing Passion with Practicality: An essay highlighting the investments being made in training entrepreneurs
5/26/2015 • 17 minutes, 26 seconds
#04– Throwing Out the Textbook: An Interview with Aaron Gagleard and Stephen Walden
In our conversation with Aaron Gagleard and Stephen Walden, the co-founders of Bosse Tools, we discuss where they got their idea, what Arizona State University is doing to support their start-up, and the significant roles mentors have played in their success.
Bosse Tools
The Ergonomics behind the Bosse Tools Shovel
Arizona State University's Entrepreneurship Program
Stephen and Aaron's Bios
5/19/2015 • 32 minutes, 50 seconds
#03- Bringing Passion with You: An Interview with Jordan Harbinger
In our conversation with the Art of Charm’s Jordan Harbinger, he shares tips on the power of networking, why bringing passion with you is a great career strategy, and when choosing a work experience over a college experience just might be the best route to follow.
Art of Charm
The Art of Charm Podcast
More info on Jordan and his co-founder, AJ
Balancing Passion with Practicality
5/13/2015 • 36 minutes, 27 seconds
#02- 10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades (While Studying Less). An Interview with Thomas Frank
In our conversation with College Info Geek’s Thomas Frank, he shares his learning journey, the secret to how he paid off his student loans before he graduated, and insights from his book, 10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades.
Get Thomas Frank's book here.
Check out The Value of College Calculator.
5/7/2015 • 22 minutes, 7 seconds
#01- Does College Pay? An Interview with Mary Daly
In our conversation with Mary Daly (an SVP at the SF Fed, who has been described as “The People’s Economist”), Mary shares her thoughts on why a four year degree is still a great investment, how to use a new online tool to calculate your return on college, and just how important mentors are to success.
Read the full report.
Check out The Value of College Calculator.
Check out Mary Daly's bio.
