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

        RECAP: 1 Million Cups panel offers decision-making advice

        By Tommy Felts | June 3, 2015

        Three entrepreneurs took the stage at 1 Million Cups this week to offer advice on navigating the tough world of entrepreneurship. Alex Altomare, co-founder of BetaBlox, Linda Buchner, co-founder and president of Minddrive, and Ben Kittrell, co-founder and CTO of Doodlekit, all spoke about the variety of hard choices entrepreneurs face. On handling tough decisions……

        Sprint Accelerator startup raises $85K (and counting)

        By Tommy Felts | June 3, 2015

        Hidrate, a startup at the Kansas City-based Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, rapidly surpassed its fundraising goal before a pitch to investors and nearly 2,000 Kansas Citians. The Minneapolis-based company’s Kickstarter campaign has already raised nearly $85,000 in two days, which more than doubles its goal to fundraise $35,000 in 42 days. Hidrate created a Bluetooth-enabled water bottle that tracks…

        Sprint Accelerator Demo Day preview (part III)

        By Tommy Felts | June 3, 2015

        The second class of the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator is gearing up for its much-anticipated Demo Day, which serves as a culminating event and is expected to draw a crowd of nearly 2,000 people. Led by Boulder-based Techstars, the Kansas City-based accelerator is now hosting 10 mobile health tech startups from around the world for its…

        KC finance tech firm Lending Standard nabs nearly $500K

        By Tommy Felts | June 2, 2015

        Kansas City-based Lending Standard recently raised nearly $500,000 to further develop its software and hire additional employees. The financial tech company snagged the funds from regional investors, and with it has hired two additional technical staff, bringing its total headcount to eight people. Lending Standard created a platform on which organizations can receive and collaborate…