Join Luke Callier and Matthew Irving on this insightful episode of the Ed Leaders podcast as they sit down with Deepanshu Arora, a co-founder and CEO of Toddle, the pioneering force in educational technology. Delve into Deepanshu's transition from McKinsey consultant to entrepreneur, and discover how Toddle revolutionizes K -12 education with streamlined teacher workflows and AI integration.
Explore Toddle's journey into the Australian market and their collaborative approach with educators to refine their tools based on real-world feedback. Deepanshu shares his leadership journey, Toddle's founding principles, and their relentless pursuit of educational innovation in the digital age.
Don't miss the quick-fire segment where Deepanshu offers valuable leadership insights and recommendations for future podcast guests.
Tune in now!
Highlights:
(01:32) Deepanshu's journey from McKinsey to founding Toddle.
(05:30) Founding Wonderbox, a subscription box for preschoolers, before moving into school management and technology integration.
(07:43) The organic growth of Toddle from a solution for their own schools to serving over 1500 schools worldwide.
(09:13) The challenges teachers face with fragmented technology solutions in education.
(15:10) The milestones in Toddle's growth, including customer feedback and scaling beyond their initial school.
(19:09) The evolution of Deepanshu's role as CEO from hands-on tasks to strategic leadership and culture-building.
(24:42) Formation of the founding team and discussion of the CEO role.
(25:39) Team dynamics and strategic alignment among co-founders.
(29:43) Importance of strategic thinking and innovation in their approach.
32:22) Establishment of a culture focused on continuous innovation.
(40:36) The role of AI in shaping the future of education.
(46:33) Market Differences and Growth During COVID.
(48:23) Similarities among educators worldwide
(49:30) Ideal Employees and Hiring Strategies.
(58:59) Book recommendation: "Same as Ever" by Morgan Housel.
(01:08:16)Importance of trust among co-founders and team members.
You can also connect with us personally at LinkedIn:
Luke Callier - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljcallier/
Mathew Irving - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-irving-b6b91430/
Deepanshu Arora Links:
Website:https://www.toddleapp.com/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepanshuarora88/
Special thanks to our partners:
Peoplebench help take the guesswork out of school workforce strategy & decision-making. Check them out at peoplebench.com.au.
Paperly - simplifying administrative processes and removing the paperwork for teachers. Check them out at https://paperly.education/
Sign up to the Edleaders Newsletter: Head on over to edleaders.com.au to hear more about our journey. If you'd like to know more about being a guest or would like to sponsor our show - check out https://www.edleaders.com.au/collabs
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Go Well.
