The TechEd Podcast

The TechEd Podcast sits at the intersection of technology, industry, innovation and the people who make progress possible. Hosted by Matt Kirchner, each episode features builders, executives, educators, and policymakers shaping what’s next—AI, automation, advanced manufacturing, energy, and the systems behind them. If you care about the future of work, the future of tech, and how talent actually gets built, you’re in the right place.

The TechEd Podcast is a technology podcast hosted by Matt Kirchner, with 281 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Matt Kirchner hosts The TechEd Podcast, a technology show with 281 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #281

  How to Fund a Million-Dollar Idea: Inspiring Philanthropic Investment in Education - Michael Frohna, Founder & VP of Humaner

  Aug 18, 202656 min

  In 2025, Americans gave $617 billion to charitable causes. If your school has a bold vision for students, the money may be out there. The bigger question is whether you have an idea people want to invest in. Too many organizations approach philanthropy by leading with what they need, chasing the biggest perceived “deep pockets,” or treating the conversation like a transaction. That can make fundraising feel uncomfortable for the person asking and uninspiring for the person being asked. Michael Frohna has spent three decades helping organizations raise millions of dollars, and his approach challenges many of those assumptions. He shares what actually drives people to give, what separates a routine request from a transformational opportunity, and how education leaders can build the kind of vision and relationships that attract serious philanthropic support. In this episode: Why one donor was upset Michael didn’t ask for enough What $617 billion in annual giving means for education Why philanthropists fund a vision, not an equipment list What makes some education initiatives inspire major investment while others fall flat How to move philanthropy from a transaction to a long-term partnership 3 Big Takeaways from this Episode: 1. You raise a million dollars by having a million-dollar idea. Philanthropists aren’t looking to fund a need. They’re looking for a vision that shows what their investment can make possible. Before asking for a transformational gift, make sure the idea itself is transformational and that your organization is prepared to deliver on it. 2. The great paradox of fundraising: People dread asking for money, but people love to give. Michael has had million-dollar donors apologize that they couldn’t do more, and the only donor he ever upset was upset because Michael didn’t ask for enough. Stop viewing the ask as taking something from someone and recognize that you may be giving them an opportunity to make an impact they deeply value. 3. The goal isn’t to make someone your donor. It’s to become one of their organizations. Major philanthropy isn’t transactional. Listen for what matters to the giver, bring them close enough to experience the impact for themselves, and continue engaging them long after the gift so they see your mission as part of their own. Get access to more resources! Check out the official episode page for additional resources, links, videos and more. We want to hear from you! Send us a text. Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

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  Episode #280

  How FAME is Rebuilding America’s Manufacturing Talent Pipeline – Tony Davis, National Director of FAME USA (Manufacturing Institute)

  Aug 4, 20261h 1m

  Every manufacturer says they need people. So why, after decades of talking about the skills gap, do so few workforce development models consistently deliver the talent employers actually need? Tony Davis believes the answer is surprisingly simple: employers have to stop sitting on the sidelines. As Assistant Vice President of Program Scaling and National Director for FAME USA, Tony is helping manufacturers across the country build talent pipelines by putting industry in the driver’s seat alongside education. The result is a model that blends paid work experience, technical education and professional behaviors into one employer-led system. In this episode, Matt and Tony explore how the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) grew from Toyota’s workforce strategy in Kentucky into a national initiative of the Manufacturing Institute, why professional behaviors deserve the same emphasis as technical skills, what visitors experience inside the flagship Kentucky FAME facility, and how employer collaboration is helping scale one of the country’s most successful advanced manufacturing workforce models. In this episode: Why Toyota was the perfect place to launch an efficient, lean, and optimized workforce development model The "soft skills vs. hard skills" debate The unbelievable impact of treating a classroom or lab like a workplace Inside the flagship FAME chapter in Kentucky Why every manufacturer - not just large enterprises - should get involved in these programs 3 Big Takeaways from this Episode: 1. Manufacturers should lead workforce development, not simply participate in it. The most effective workforce programs begin with employers defining the skills they actually need, rather than reacting to a curriculum after it’s already been built. FAME flips the traditional model by making manufacturers true partners in recruiting, curriculum and continuous improvement. 2. Professional behaviors are developed through culture, not coursework. Communication, accountability, leadership and critical thinking aren’t mastered in a single class. They’re reinforced every day through immersion, expectations and real workplace experiences alongside technical training. 3. Building a workforce model is one challenge. Scaling it is another. Expanding from a successful local program to a national network requires more than enthusiasm. Systems, quality assurance and continuous improvement ensure students in every chapter receive the same high standard of preparation. Resources in this Episode: FAME USA The Manufacturing Institute National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Inside Jefferson County Community & Technical College FAME AMT Program Connect with our guest online: FAME USA on LinkedIn | Connect with Tony on LinkedIn Find more notes & resources on the episode page! We want to hear from you! Send us a text. Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

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  Episode #279

  The Skills-Based Organization: A New Architecture for Talent & Career Growth - Liz Eversoll, CEO of Career Highways

  Jul 28, 20261h 3m

  Static career maps, spreadsheets and disconnected HR systems can't keep pace with how quickly jobs are changing. Today’s leading employers are rebuilding their workforce architecture around skills. As companies rethink talent, career growth and workforce strategy, becoming a skills-based organization is emerging as a fundamental shift in how enterprises structure roles, create career pathways and develop their people. In this episode, Matt sits down with Liz Eversoll, CEO of Career Highways, to explore how a skills-based approach can help large enterprises solve one of their biggest workforce challenges: understanding the talent they already have and responding to change faster. They discuss how organizations can map and continuously improve role architecture in a fraction of the time, deliver personalized learning aligned to each employee’s career goals, and give people greater visibility into lateral moves, upward mobility and entirely new career pathways across the enterprise. At the same time, leaders gain real-time intelligence into workforce capabilities, emerging skills gaps and where learning investments will have the greatest business impact. The conversation also explores the technology making this possible. Liz explains why deterministic AI, grounded in business context rather than public data alone, is essential for trusted workforce intelligence. She argues that as AI automates more routine work, people with deep business context become even more valuable. The future isn’t about replacing employees. It’s about giving them better information, accelerating career growth and freeing them to focus on the work where human judgment creates the greatest value. In this episode: Why 3,500 roles and 230 career pathways can’t live in spreadsheets anymore The career lattice: Finding your next role with an 80% skills match SIGN, Canon and Liquid Insights: The technology behind deterministic AI Why business context becomes more valuable as AI automates routine work “Talk to your data”: The future of decision-level workforce intelligence 3 Big Takeaways from this Episode: 1. Becoming a skills-based organization changes how enterprises compete. Managing talent through job titles and static career paths is no longer enough. Skills-based job architecture gives organizations a living view of their workforce, helping leaders adapt faster, make better workforce decisions and align learning, hiring and internal mobility with changing business needs. It’s a fundamental shift in how large enterprises understand and develop talent. 2. Career health is a competitive advantage. When employees can clearly see where they can go, understand the skills they need and access personalized learning, they’re more likely to build their careers within the organization. That improves retention, preserves valuable business context and helps employers fill critical roles with people who already understand the business instead of constantly competing for outside talent. 3. AI works best when it’s grounded in business context. AI isn’t replacing workforce strategy. It’s making it smarter. Deterministic AI and enterprise knowledge give leaders trusted workforce intelligence while automating repetitive work that slows people down. As AI handles more routine tasks, employees with deep business context become even more valuable because they’re the ones who can interpret insights, improve processes and create lasting business value. Resources in this Episode: Career Highways - Learn more about their technology, solution, AI services and more Find more on the show notes page! https://techedpodcast.com/eversoll/ Connect with our guest online: Career Pathways LinkedIn | Connect with Liz on LinkedIn We want to hear from you! Send us a text. Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

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  Episode #278

  Digital Twins & Engineering Technology in Women's Health - Dr. Kristin Myers, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University

  Jul 21, 202646 min

  Imagine a future where healthcare consists of engineers working alongside medical researchers and clinicians to build better ways to measure the body, model disease, predict risk and design more effective diagnostics and treatments. That's what Dr. Kristin Myers is doing in the field of women's health. Digital twins have transformed manufacturing by allowing engineers to simulate systems, predict failures and optimize performance before making changes in the real world. Dr. Kristin Myers believes those same engineering principles could fundamentally reshape healthcare. As a mechanical engineering professor at Columbia University, Myers is applying computational modeling, AI and biomechanics to one of medicine’s most complex frontiers. In this episode, Myers explains why women’s health has historically been difficult to study, how engineering disciplines are beginning to fill decades-long research gaps, and why technologies like digital twins, wearable sensors, machine learning and computational models may dramatically improve diagnosis, treatment and long-term patient outcomes. She also explores what this emerging field means for engineers, educators and the next generation of healthcare innovation. In this episode: Why digital twins could become as important in healthcare as they already are in manufacturing. The engineering challenges that have slowed progress in women’s health research for decades. How AI, wearable devices and longitudinal patient data could transform diagnosis and personalized medicine. Why mechanical, electrical and software engineers all have a role to play in the future of healthcare. What engineering educators should teach today to prepare students for tomorrow’s biomedical breakthroughs. 3 Big Takeaways from this Episode: 1. Engineering is becoming a core driver of healthcare innovation. The future of medicine won’t be built by clinicians alone. Myers explains how mechanical engineers, computational modelers, AI researchers and device designers are bringing new tools and ways of thinking to problems that traditional medical research has struggled to solve. 2. Digital twins are moving from factories to patients. The same technologies manufacturers use to simulate equipment and optimize production are beginning to model organs, pregnancies and disease progression. While clinical implementation remains years away in many applications, digital twins are already accelerating biomedical research and medical device development. 3. Tomorrow’s engineers will need both technical fundamentals and AI fluency. As AI reshapes engineering education, Myers argues that foundational engineering principles remain essential. Students must still learn how systems work from first principles while using AI to accelerate analysis, design and innovation rather than replace critical thinking. Resources in this Episode: ERVA (Engineering Research Visioning Alliance - NSF) Report: Transforming Women's Health Outcomes through Engineering Connect with our guest online: ERVA Facebook | ERVA LinkedIn | Connect with Kristin on LinkedIn More notes & resources on the episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/columbia/ We want to hear from you! Send us a text. Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

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  Episode #277

  A Boxing Champion-Turned-CEO's 5 Virtues for Leadership - Héctor Colón, President & CEO of Lutheran Social Services

  Jul 14, 20261 hour

  How do you redefine success when the dream you fought for is no longer your highest calling? Rising from poverty and racism, Héctor Colón became a seven-time national boxing champion who competed around the world with Team USA, shared the international stage with some of the sport’s biggest names and defeated fighters who would later become professional world champions. Boxing taught him how to prepare under pressure, absorb setbacks, change strategy in real time and keep pursuing excellence when the outcome was uncertain. But at the point when a professional career was within reach, Colon began to reconsider what success, purpose and impact should look like over the course of a life. That decision launched an entirely new chapter. Education became the bridge between two very different arenas, beginning at Milwaukee Area Technical College and ultimately leading to advanced degrees, public service and executive leadership. Today, Colon leads an $85 million organization serving approximately 30,000 people each year, translating the mindset of an elite athlete into the demands of leading people, managing complexity and delivering measurable impact at scale. In this episode, Colon shares the five virtues that have guided him from the boxing ring to the boardroom and explains why courage is built through preparation, why composure matters when the original strategy fails and why perseverance requires a willingness to risk failure. He also reflects on the role of faith in redirecting ambition, the power of education to open an entirely new future and the responsibility leaders have to turn personal success into service. 3 Big Takeaways from this Episode: 1. The strongest leaders know when to redefine success. Héctor Colón had the talent and résumé to pursue a professional boxing career, but faith changed what he wanted his life to accomplish. His story shows that leadership is not only about staying committed to a goal; it is also about recognizing when a higher purpose demands a different one. 2. Composure is what turns discipline into leadership. In the ring, getting hit cannot become an excuse to abandon the strategy or retaliate emotionally. Colón carries that same principle into leadership: stay calm, assess what changed and make the next move with intention. 3. Education can be the bridge between potential and impact. Milwaukee Area Technical College gave Colón a starting point for a completely new chapter after boxing. That foundation ultimately led to advanced degrees, public service and the leadership of an $85 million organization serving 30,000 people each year. Resources in this Episode: My Journey from Boxing Ring to Boardroom: Five Essential Virtues for Life and Leadership by Héctor Colón Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan LSS Love Big Campaign Follow Hector on LinkedIn More notes & resources on the episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/hector We want to hear from you! Send us a text. Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

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