Shows
The Education RoadInterview with Ian KalmanPrepare to be disappointed!In this episode of The Education Road, we chat with Ian Kalman, founder and creative director of Bald Guy Greetings, the irreverent, hilarious, and wildly relatable greeting card company found in hundreds of stores across North America.Ian kicks things off with what he calls “a road full of questionable choices that somehow worked out,” and that phrase couldn’t sum up his story better. From dreaming of writing witty ad copy in college to running a nationally recognized greeting card business, Ian’s journey proves that the best careers often start as...
2025-11-0742 minThe Education RoadInterview with Jacob RobinsonHow to find what doesn't feel like work!In this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Jacob Robinson, an attorney turned sports writer for The Athletic, whose winding journey from law school to becoming a writer covering the NFL is a testament to the power of following your curiosity and doing the reps.Jacob’s story begins in Ontario, where a dual-degree business program at Brock University led him to Germany for two years of study abroad. That experience, he says, changed everything: living in a tiny village outside Frankfurt, learning to be...
2025-10-3055 minThe Education RoadInterview with Ariella RaccoSolving the problem of isolationIn this episode, we sit down with Ariella Racco, CEO and co-founder of CoLab Education, to explore her fascinating journey from teacher to edtech entrepreneur and how she’s redefining what collaboration means for educators.Ariella never planned to become a teacher. Drawn first to art and culture, she stumbled into education almost by accident. It was a backup plan that quickly became a calling. After earning her degree from McGill, she spent nearly a decade in classrooms in Canada and abroad, teaching everything from kindergarten to middle school science. Al...
2025-10-231h 00The Education RoadIntervew with David A. WheelerThe Education Roads: everybody has their own!In this episode of The Education Roads, we talk with David A. Wheeler, a lifelong learner, engineer, and current Director of Open Source Supply Chain Security at the Linux Foundation, who also teaches as an adjunct at George Mason University. David’s path isn’t a single straight line; it’s a series of deliberate experiments driven by curiosity, hands-on tinkering, and a stubborn appetite for solving real problems. David traces his start to an early obsession with electronics and the thrill of taking apart and rebuil...
2025-10-161h 04The Education RoadInterview with Eric MistryUnconventional Paths Lead to Interesting PlacesIn this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Eric, whose career journey proves that a degree in history can lead just about anywhere, including into the world of AI, automation, and customer education.Eric describes his path as serendipitous, and it’s hard to disagree. From studying History and Technology Studies to becoming an AI and Automation Transformation Lead at Zapier, his story is a masterclass in how curiosity, communication, and creativity can open unexpected doors.After graduating, Eric dove into the tech world. Bu...
2025-10-1050 minThe Education RoadInterview with Ash MathewA journey that doesn’t stop!In this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Ash, Director of Event Marketing at VulnCheck, whose journey from English and linguistics major to cybersecurity marketing leader is full of unexpected turns and inspiring lessons.Ash shares how her parents, breaking the cultural stereotype, encouraged her to follow her passions rather than a traditional pre-med path. That decision led her to major in English and linguistics at Wayne State University, where a professor spotted her talent and invited her to become an undergraduate writing tutor. From there, he...
2025-10-0452 minThe Education RoadInterview with Daniel AppelquistIt’s All About Ecosystems: Dan Applequist on Open Source, Standards, and Lifelong LearningIn this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Dan Applequist, Open Source Strategist and longtime advocate for the open web. Dan shares how he nearly dropped out of university, why discovering cognitive science saved his academic journey, and the lasting lessons from courses in decision-making and creative writing that still guide his leadership today. He reflects on teaching himself to code as a teen, discovering the power of community through early internet bulletin boards, and eventually building a ca...
2025-09-2657 minThe Education RoadInterview with Rob FioccaThe love of photography and film!In this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Rob Fiocca, a Toronto-based photographer and commercial director whose career spans from the early days of darkroom film processing to high-budget ad campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands.Rob shares his journey, starting from Humber College’s Creative Photography program, and how early co-op placements with catalog and fashion photographers gave him his first taste of the industry. From those beginnings, he worked his way up through catalog studios, honing his craft, developing a style, and...
2025-09-1850 minThe Education RoadInterview with Susan DaoudAccidental careerIn this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Susan, whose path has been anything but linear. What began as a philosophy major at McGill turned into a detour where she found herself working alongside pioneers of the early internet. That unexpected turn launched a career in technical writing, content creation, and eventually customer education! Fields that she never planned to enter but came to love.Susan reflects on her years as a technical writer and her transition into leadership roles that taught her the messy, rewarding art of managing people.
2025-09-1150 minThe Education RoadInterview with Randall DeggesOptimizing for fun!In this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Randall, whose education road is anything but traditional. After dropping out of UC Santa Cruz, Randall carved his own path through sheer curiosity, hustle, and a relentless drive to learn by doing.He shares how tinkering with DOS systems and hacking as a kid sparked his lifelong passion for programming. Early on, Randall dove deep into telecom, building open source distros, scaling services to millions of users, and even creating one of the first API services for caller ID data.
2025-09-0544 minThe Education RoadInterview with Joe McManusHow to accidentally be an academicIn this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Joe McManus, CISO at Grafana, whose circuitous educational journey led from dreams of being a professional mountain biker to becoming a cybersecurity leader and passionate educator. Joe's transition into technology happened organically during the dot-com boom when a consulting opportunity introduced him to Unix system administration. A pivotal moment came early in his career when a compromised web server at the City of Boulder sparked his interest in cybersecurity. After he earned a Master's...
2025-08-2950 minThe Education RoadInterview with Gary OlsonLifelong learning from the skiesIn this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Gary Olson. He is now a Chief Revenue Officer, but his remarkable journey began at the United States Air Force Academ,y where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a minor in Political Science. This was a combination that would prove foundational to his future success in both technical and people-focused roles.After serving as a pilot and transitioning into military intelligence, Gary faced a life-changing decision where he chose his family over a military career...
2025-08-2147 minThe Education RoadInterview with Naomi ThibaultIn this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Naomi Thibault! She set out to be a teacher and waited for postings that never came. But one unexpected opportunity changed everything. She stepped into a city service role, discovered a calling, and never looked back. Inside the fire department, Naomi moved through roles that now inform her leadership: emergency management, public education, fire prevention, inspection, and investigation. She chased every course she could and learned as much as she could from every available resource.Today, she serves as Deputy Chief, Fire Prevention, Education...
2025-08-1442 minThe Education RoadInterview with Seeyew MoIn this episode of The Education Road, we speak with Seeyew Mo, an advocate working at the intersection of data, education, and social impact. Seeyew shares his unexpected path from completing his computer science degree and working as a developer, to completing his Master's in Public Administration, Political Science, and Government, and being appointed as the first-ever Assistant National Cyber Director on Workforce, Education, and Economic Advancement!He opens up about his early influences in public service, the transition from being a developer to working with policies and governance. Seeyew offers an honest look at...
2025-08-0751 minThe Education RoadInterview with Ryan StrynatkaIn this episode of The Education Road, we dive deep into the dynamic career of Ryan Strynatka, a geography major turned COO! Ryan shares candid reflections on his early days in education, how he transitioned to product, and how his passion for solving problems led him to where he is today.Ryan talks openly about the emotional challenges of entrepreneurship and what it means to rediscover curiosity. If you've ever wondered what happens after you leave a structured career path, Ryan’s story offers both guidance and heart.
2025-07-3141 minThe Education RoadInterview with Tony SlevaSomehow, Tony ended up in marketing.In this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Tony Sleva to explore his winding journey from a computer science student to a content leader shaping the voice of innovative tech companies. Tony opens up about his early days building computers in high school, his shift from computer science to information systems, and how a hidden passion for writing ultimately pulled him into marketing.We talk about the art of crafting a company’s voice, the challenge of translating technical concepts into engaging stories, and why embracing cr...
2025-07-2144 min
The Security Student PodcastINFOSEC & Finding Creative Security Projects with Dr. Michael Biocchi#013 - In this episode I was excited to be joined by Dr. Michael Biocchi. He teaches university courses on a variety of Computer Science topics. His courses on Udemy have been taken by 30,000+ professionals and he’s even authored several books. Leading up to his current projects, Mike studied Computer Science during his undergrad, graduate, and post-graduate studies. Plus, he’s got his CISSP and a ton of practical experience from working his way up from help desk to IT Director and onto security leadership roles.During our chat, Mike shared some wonderful ideas about the advantage of pu...
2022-06-2744 min