Lean Lab leaders dissect recent politics spurring U.S. education engagement

March 17, 2017  |  Startland News Staff

Lean Lab co-founder Katie Boody

Editor’s note: In partnership with the Wide Ruled podcast hosted by Brainroot Light and Sound, Startland News hopes to offer its audience more avenues to learn about innovators in Kansas City. Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone.


Wide Ruled is a podcast on equality in education. Each episode showcases a struggle or triumph in working toward a better education system. In this episode, host Nathaniel Bozarth talks with Katie Boody and Aditya Voleti of the Lean Lab about the recent appointment of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education, and how it’s caused a spike of interest and activism regarding education. 

Nathaniel Bozarth

Nathaniel Bozarth

The Lean Lab works closely with KC Social Innovation, Village Capital and the City of Kansas City, Mo. The program has supported 16 startups and granted over $100,000 to support ideas that have the potential to disrupt the education system.

Launched in 2013, the Kansas City-based education tech incubator engaged over 900 individuals in conversation on education innovation in 2016. In addition, last year marked the organization’s first step to go international, attracting entrepreneurs that hail from 28 different cities and three countries.

Listen to what Boody and Voleti recommend on what you can do to engage with education in your neighborhood.


Nathaniel Bozarth is a regional Emmy-award winning producer with Brainroot Light and Sound. Over the past three years he’s teamed up with Christopher Cook to create engaging documentary content on how race and immigration impact opportunity in America. Wide Ruled is Brainroot’s newest production on this trajectory. @bo_nathaniel

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2017 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Glitter and gratitude: Pipeline celebrates a decade of family in style

        By Tommy Felts | January 27, 2017

        Glitz and glam; bold and gold; audacious and, more than ever, gracious. Each January, powerhouse businesspeople from around the Midwest venture to Kansas City to see if Pipeline Entrepreneurs can once again top its enchanting evening of entrepreneurial energy, now known as the Innovators. Hosted at the Midland Theater, the gala is a veritable smorgasbord…

        Pipeline recognizes the Innovator of The Year, announces 2017 class

        By Tommy Felts | January 27, 2017

        St. Louis entrepreneur Michelle Faits was dubbed Pipeline Entrepreneurs’ Innovator of the Year at last night’s culminating event, The Innovators. Faits is the founder of Pro-Arc Diagnostics — a medical startup that is developing a next-generation laboratory test for patients at risk of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) which is caused by the John Cunningham Virus.…

        How Kansas City’s accelerators are fueling area innovation

        By Tommy Felts | January 25, 2017

        In partnership with Think Big Partners, the Innovation Exchange offers Kansas Citians context and behind-the-scenes details on newsmakers in the area entrepreneurial ecosystem. This month, area leaders — including the Techstars Kansas city managing director Lesa Mitchell — discussed the impact that accelerators have on the metro’s entrepreneurial community. If you missed the event, you…

        Events Preview: Pipeline’s Innovator of the Year, Rise Fast Summit

        By Tommy Felts | January 24, 2017

        There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Weekly Events Preview Innovation Exchange When: Jan. 24, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Where: Think Big Coworking *** This month, Startland editor…