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PODCAST

The TechEd Podcast

Bridging the gap between technical education & the workforce 🎙 Hosted by Matt Kirchner, each episode features conversations with leaders who are shaping, innovating and disrupting the future of the skilled workforce and how we inspire and train individuals toward those jobs.STEM, Career and Technical Education, and Engineering educators - this podcast is for you!Manufacturing and industrial employers - this podcast is for you, too!

education careers

All Episodes

48:23

Cultural Mapping: How to Build Trust and Influence In...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2026/01/27

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

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54:08

Reframing Higher Education: A Connected Model for...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2026/01/20

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

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48:09

How Amazon Trains the Techs that Keep their Automated...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2026/01/13

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...

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47:35

The Rise of State-Backed VC: Michigan’s Bet on...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2026/01/06

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

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73:53

13 Predictions for Technical Education in 2026

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/12/30

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,

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46:40

Ask Us Anything: Workforce ROI, AI Hallucinations,...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/12/23

Watch the episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/f5gWUVQI0jIMelissa Martin and Matt Kirchner are back to answer your questions, covering everything from university curriculum design, to AI in the classroom, to what employers actually expect when they invest in education.This one moves fast, but it’s focused: how do you build programs that truly prepare students for modern work? How do you keep education from falling behind as technology accelerates? Along the way, Matt and Melissa break down what

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60:12

At the Reagan Ranch: The Life & Legacy of One of...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/12/16

The clearest way to understand Ronald Reagan’s leadership may not be from a podium, but from a saddle, a woodpile, and a quiet table where he worked through the ideas that shaped an era.In this on-location episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner sits down with former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker inside the Reagan Ranch Center, recorded at the same table and microphones Reagan used for his radio addresses. The conversation moves beyond “Reagan the icon” and into Reagan at Rancho del

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54:26

Using Values and Customer Experience to Guide an AI...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/12/09

In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner sits down with Irv Blumkin, Chairman of Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM), and Ryan Blumkin, Executive Vice President, to unpack nearly 90 years of retail innovation, from Mrs. B’s pawn-shop beginnings to multi-acre campuses in Omaha, Kansas City, Dallas, and soon Austin. They explore what it’s like to partner with Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, build massive destination developments, and still obsess over every single SKU and cust...

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61:52

Six Days in China: The Speed, Scale and Strategy...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/12/02

What if you could get a behind the scenes look at China's most innovative tech companies, factories and logistics hubs—seeing how they really run and asking the questions most Americans never get to ask?This week, you do. Matt Kirchner and Todd Wanek, CEO of Ashley Furniture, sit down to debrief the trip they took together to China. In a candid, off-the-cuff conversation, they trade questions and challenge each other’s assumptions as they compare what they saw there with what’s happening in

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46:28

Applied AI on the Edge Proves There’s More to AI Than...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/11/25

With artificial intelligence stepping off the laptop and out onto job sites, factory floors, and flight decks, are we preparing students for the AI that sees, senses, and acts in the real world, not just the kind that chats back?Matt Kirchner sits down with Lieutenant General Brian Cavanaugh, USMC (Ret.), CEO of VigilanteX. After decades commanding Marines and integrating emerging tech into national defense, Cavanaugh now leads a company building applied AI platforms at the edge: solar- and

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55:23

What Is Your Region's Economic DNA? Lessons for CTE...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/11/18

How can CTE listen to regional economic and workforce needs and build a vision so big that others can't help but support it?Watch this episode on YouTube Matt Kirchner sits down with Adam Snoddy, Principal of the Butler Tech Aviation Center, to explore how one district used its regional economic identity to design a world-class CTE program. Located between Cincinnati and Dayton—home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Amazon’s CVG air hub, a web of regional airports, and one of the densest

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53:38

Technical Colleges: Breaking Generational Poverty and...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/11/11

With technical colleges serving as the front line for breaking generational poverty, one question rises to the surface: how do we design education that truly creates economic mobility? In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner digs into that question with Dr. Anthony Cruz, President of Milwaukee Area Technical College — the largest nonprofit technical college in the country and one of the most diverse institutions in the Midwest. Dr. Cruz brings a compelling mix of lived exper...

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54:38

Moving from “Just-in-Case” Education to a...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/11/04

Higher education can’t keep teaching “just in case” knowledge. In an era where technology evolves faster than curriculum, universities must align directly with industry needs — and that’s exactly what Paul Lavoie is doing at the University of New Haven.In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner sits down with Paul, the university’s Vice President of Innovation and Applied Technology and former Chief Manufacturing Officer for the State of Connecticut. Together, they explore what it

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47:22

How to Get Started with AI in Your Business...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/10/28

Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/UbNr7vF4CC8?si=VqX2owW86GNq7OdsWhat does it really take to get started with artificial intelligence in a small or mid-sized company right here in the U.S.?In Part 2 of this two-part series, Matt Kirchner continues breaking down A Manufacturer’s Guide to AI Tech — exploring the final 7 technologies reshaping how organizations operate, automate, and make decisions.From autonomous mobile robots and smart drones to AI-powered industrial robots, next-gen

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52:52

How to Get Started with AI in Your Business...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/10/21

What does it really take to get started with artificial intelligence in a small or mid-sized company right here in the U.S.?We're breaking it down in this two-part series.In part 1, Matt Kirchner shares lessons from his recent trip overseas and what he learned visiting 26 advanced tech companies in six days. From open-source innovation and mandatory AI education to the work ethic driving global competition, Matt explains why the time to act on AI is now, and how American business leaders can

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49:34

The $1 Trillion Workforce Opportunity for Rural...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/10/14

Rural America is on the brink of an economic transformation. With more than $1 trillion in advanced manufacturing investments (and nearly two-thirds of that flowing into rural regions) this moment represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalize local economies, strengthen school-industry partnerships, and empower students with career pathways in advanced manufacturing.Matt Kirchner sits down with Duwain Pinder, Partner at McKinsey & Company and a leader of the McKinsey Institute for

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63:00

A Vision Built on Alignment: Wanek Center of...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/10/07

When the founder of the world’s largest furniture manufacturer partners with one of the nation’s most innovative technical colleges, you get one of the most unique learning centers in the world. This week, host Matt Kirchner is joined by the visionaries behind the landmark Wanek Center of Innovation at Western Technical College: Ron Wanek, Founder of Ashley Furniture Industries, Dr. Josh Gamer, Associate Vice President of Workforce Partnerships and Innovation, and Dr. Roger Stanford, President of

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46:04

Finding STEM (and Purpose) in Unexpected Places: Why...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/09/30

When we think of STEM, we often picture engineers, chemists, or programmers. But what about someone who patents a piece of clothing, challenges the textile industry, and builds a company around purpose-driven innovation?In a very unique episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner sits down with Michael Drescher, Founder of Vibrant Body Company. Drescher’s career has spanned cable TV, logistics, and media before leading him to unexpected innovations in fabric science and apparel. His story

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46:44

Ask Us Anything: Early Career Choices, the War for...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/09/23

You asked...we answered!In this first-ever “Ask Us Anything” episode, producer Melissa Martin flips the script and poses your biggest questions to host Matt Kirchner. The result is a candid, wide-ranging conversation that covers career decisions, workforce challenges, and the future of artificial intelligence.From elementary classrooms to C-suite hiring struggles to the role of AI in disrupting education, this episode explores the most pressing questions in STEM and technical education today. Matt

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55:52

How Technical Colleges Are Redefining Learning for...

The TechEd Podcast ·

2025/09/17

Haven’t been to a technical college in the last 3 years? The transformation is striking, and it’s only a glimpse of the reinvention higher education faces in the next decade.In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner talks with Layla Merrifield, President of the Wisconsin Technical College System, about why the future of higher education depends on bold innovation. Merrifield doesn’t mince words: credit loss should be a thing of the past, neurodivergent inclusion is an imperative, and

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254 results

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