The TechEd Podcast

Most leaders have a vision, a plan, and the authority to move it forward, but real momentum shows up when you understand how culture is being shaped through trust and influence behind the scenes.
Host Matt Kirchner sits down with Dr. Ben Johnson, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools at Bismarck Public Schools, and Bobby Dodd, Assistant Principal at May River High School, co-authors of Intentional Influence. They break down how influence really spreads inside an organization, in schools, in business, and in industry, and why the people with the most impact are often not the ones with the biggest titles.
At the center of the conversation is their cultural mapping framework—making the invisible influence network visible. You’ll hear how to identify formal and informal influencers, classify commitment on a five-point scale, and invest your time where it will actually shift the culture instead of just managing noise.
In this episode:
How to move a team from compliance to commitment—without pressure, politics, or performative buy-in
Why “trust is the currency of culture,” and how to build it in everyday leadership moments
The cultural mapping basics: formal vs. informal leaders, a five-point commitment scale, and understanding how influence flows throughout your organization
The difference between positional power and personal power, and why titles can create action without creating true alignment
“Energy vampires” and the “pinging effect”: how attitudes spread through a team, and how strong leaders respond in a way that protects momentum
3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:
1. Lasting change is a culture outcome, not a plan outcome. Compliance can produce short-term execution, but commitment is what sustains new behaviors when nobody is watching. The work is to build alignment and trust so people internalize the “why” and carry the standard forward.
2. Cultural mapping helps you lead the real organization, not just the org chart. Influence runs through informal networks of credibility and relationships, and the highest-impact people often do not have the biggest titles. When you identify formal and informal influencers and where people sit on a commitment scale, you can invest your time where it will actually shift the culture.
3. Influence spreads fast, so leaders have to manage energy and momentum intentionally. “Energy vampires” and the “pinging effect” are real, and unchecked negativity multiplies through the network. The goal is not to label people, but to understand what’s driving resistance, address it directly, and redirect influence toward the commitments the organization is trying to build.
Resources in this Episode:
Get the book Intentional Influence: Harnessing Cultural Mapping to Build Commitment
More resources on the show notes page: https://techedpodcast.com/influence
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Higher education is shifting toward a connected model where colleges and universities function as one learner ecosystem. The goal is simple: make credentials stackable, transfer predictable, and pathways flexible enough for learners to move in and out of education as their careers evolve.
In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, Matt Kirchner speaks with Dr. Katherine Frank (Chancellor, University of Wisconsin–Stout) and Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia (President, Chippewa Valley Technical College) about how their institutions have developed streamlined pathways for learners that support lifelong learning.
They break down how institutions can design on-ramps and off-ramps, align programs across tech/community college and university systems, expand credit recognition, and keep partnerships active so transfer works in real life (no more "credits to nowhere"). The conversation also expands to what this shift means nationally as technology and workforce needs change faster.
Watch this episode on YouTube!
In this episode:
What a connected model for colleges and universities actually requires in program design and policy
How to make transfer predictable and student-friendly without lowering academic standards
Why stackable credentials and credit for prior learning matter more as learners move in and out of education
How to get around the red tape that has traditionally prevented colleges and universities from creating streamlined transfer pathways
What higher education leaders should do next if they want to build the new model in their own region
3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:
1. A connected model keeps learners moving across colleges and universities. Stackable credentials, credit for prior learning, and predictable transfer reduce the stop-and-start pattern that derails working adults and career-changers. When pathways are designed for entry, exit, and return, education becomes a long-term system learners can use throughout their careers.
2. Transfer works at scale when it becomes an operating habit, not a one-time agreement. The UW–Stout and CVTC alignment shows what changes when institutions treat pathway design as ongoing work with shared ownership and recurring check-ins. That consistency is what makes transfer feel clear to students and sustainable for faculty and staff.
3. This model makes it easier to keep programs aligned as technology and jobs change. Modular, competency-aligned pathways let institutions update portions of a program without rebuilding the entire structure. It is a practical way to respond faster to industry signal while protecting rigor and program quality.
Resources in this Episode:
Read the op-ed co-written by Drs. Frank and Beaton-Garcia: "Reframing Higher Education"
➡️ Find more resources on the episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/disruption/
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What actually happens inside those massive Amazon facilities—and how do products arrive at your door with such astonishing speed?
In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner explores these questions with Amanda Willard, Strategic Workforce Development, and Logan Schulz, Senior Manager of Reliability & Maintenance Engineering at Amazon. They take us behind the scenes of the advanced robotics, mechatronics, and automation systems that power Amazon’s fulfillment network—and the skilled technicians who keep the entire operation running.
Amanda and Logan share how the Reliability & Maintenance Engineering (RME) team prepares the workforce behind this technology, including Amazon’s mechatronics and robotics apprenticeship. They reveal what today’s technicians actually do, the durable skills that matter most, and how Amazon develops talent capable of maintaining one of the world’s most complex automation ecosystems.
Listen to learn:
How Amazon uses robotics, AMRs, vision systems, and miles of automation to move products at remarkable speed
What actually happens inside the RME apprenticeship, from 12 weeks of training to 2,000 hours of structured mentorship
Why durable skills like troubleshooting, analytics, and system connectivity matter more than any specific technology
How data, AI, and predictive maintenance are reshaping the technician’s role
What technical educators should teach now to prepare learners for next-generation automation careers
3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:
1. Maintenance roles have shifted from mechanical work to high-level cognitive problem-solving. Technicians at Amazon diagnose interconnected networks, sensors, PLC systems, and smart devices alongside mechanical equipment. This evolution requires system-level thinking, the ability to interpret data, and strong analytical abilities—skills that anchor long-term career growth.
2. Apprenticeships are a business strategy that strengthens the entire talent pipeline. Amazon’s mechatronics and robotics apprenticeship builds internal talent, increases employee retention, and prepares the workforce for future technology needs. With industry certifications, structured mentorship, and extensive hands-on training, the program creates a sustainable pipeline of highly skilled technicians.
3. Durable skills prepare learners for technologies that don’t exist yet. Troubleshooting methods, programming fundamentals, data analytics, and understanding how systems interconnect form the foundation technicians will rely on as automation accelerates. As AI, predictive maintenance, and IoT devices expand, adaptability and analytical reasoning will matter more than the specific robots or tools a technician first learned on.
Resources in this Episode:
Learn more about Amazon Reliability & Maintenance Engineering
Learn more about the Amazon RME Mechatronics & Robotics Apprenticeship program
Find more resources on the episode page! https://techedpocdast.com/amazon
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With states stepping directly into the venture capital arena, a major shift is underway in how early-stage companies are funded—and where the next generation of innovation will be built.
In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner dives into this emerging movement with Pete Martin, Director of Portfolio Management at the MSU Research Foundation, and Alison Todak, Vice President of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Together, they unpack why states like Michigan are deploying public capital into startups, how PitchMI became one of the largest pitch competitions in the country, and what this means for founders, investors, educators, and the broader innovation economy.
From filling early-stage capital gaps to catalyzing private investment, Michigan is using public VC models to strengthen its entrepreneurial ecosystem—and the results are showing. Pete and Alison detail the strategy behind PitchMI, the sectors driving the next decade of growth, the role of universities in spinning out new technologies, and how public and private capital partners are increasingly collaborating rather than competing.
Listen to learn:
Why states are stepping into early-stage VC and where private capital is falling short
How PitchMI became a $2M competition drawing 375 statewide applicants
The sectors Michigan is betting on—from mobility to clean tech to AI and health innovation
Why founding teams matter more than anything else at the pre-seed stage
How public VC and private VC now work together to accelerate growth rather than compete
3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:
1. States are stepping into early-stage VC because private capital isn’t meeting the needs of pre-seed founders. Michigan’s earliest-stage companies often start in a funding vacuum, and state-backed dollars are designed to close that first-capital gap. The PitchMI model shows how public investment can de-risk companies enough for private VCs to participate later.  
2. PitchMI is creating a statewide pipeline of founders, companies, and investors. The competition drew 375 applicants in two weeks and activated partners across smart zones, universities, investors, and the private sector. Even companies that didn’t win are already raising capital, hiring talent, and gaining visibility through the program.  
3. Public and private VC are becoming collaborators in building regional innovation economies. Founders backed by public funds gain access to non-dilutive programs, state networks, and industry connections, while private firms gain earlier access to high-potential deals. This shared model is shaping how capital formation and startup ecosystems will evolve over the next decade.
Resources in this Episode:
Learn more about PitchMI: https://msufoundation.org/pitchmi/MSU Research Foundation
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

Find more on the episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/msuresearch/
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With the pace of change in technology, geopolitics, infrastructure, and the economy, what should technical educators and workforce leaders be watching most closely in 2026?
In this year’s annual Predictions episode, host Matt Kirchner shares the fifth edition of a listener-favorite tradition, scoring last year's predictions and looking ahead to the trends and technologies that will shape Tech Ed in 2026.
What's in store for 2026? Energy, defense, materials, biomimicry, AI, smart tech, humanoids, design...and the future of technical education. Listen to the whole episode to hear about these and more!
Full show notes, links & resources on the episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/predictions26
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