District Leaders on What K-12 Schools Will Look Like Post-Pandemic

For Doug Roberts, Co-Founder and CEO of The Institute for Education Innovation (IEI), it was go big or go home in 2020 with hosting actual in-person events, with actual school district leaders. With some of his and his team’s own use of innovation, they pulled it off. In this episode of EdTech Today, Doug talks about both the pivots they made to survive, as well as the moves education executives continue to make as districts prepare for the fall.

IEI Summits bring together instructional leaders, solution providers, and edtech investors to develop effective, sustainable solutions to real-world, right-now issues in K–12 public education.

Due to Covid-19, the organization transitioned their summits to regional, hybrid events with virtual and on-site attendees. The health and safety of our members and guests was crucial but work still needed to be done.

Doug has worked with leading ed-tech entrepreneurs and district administrators for almost 20 years, developing partnerships that improve outcomes for students and help nascent organizations get their “sea legs.”

As Founder and President of Educational Solutions Consulting, Doug found that there was a piece of the puzzle missing, a barrier between those who run school districts and those who start companies to help school districts. He partnered with some of the nation’s most innovative educational leaders to form IEI to bridge that gap.

A Princeton graduate, Doug is a former public high school social studies teacher and ed-tech business development executive who earned his Ed.M. in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Upcoming events include:

2021 Spring Summit

The Broadmoor | Colorado Springs, CO

April 18 – 20, 2021

2021 Summer Symposium

The Biltmore | Asheville, NC

July 14 – 16, 2021

2021 Fall Summit

Naples Grande Beach Resort | Naples, FL

November 11 – 13, 2021

Listen to Previous Episodes of EdTech Today Right Here!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

solo sailing
Solo Sailing Around the World Demands Reliable Communication, Sound Judgment, and a Respect for Risk
February 4, 2026

For most people, crossing an ocean by sail sits firmly in the realm of the dangerous and impractical. Doing it alone, on a small boat, means weeks without land, crew, or margin for error. While modern adventure is often designed to feel safe and predictable, solo ocean sailing offers none of that—only isolation, consequence, and…

Read More
NFL Linebacker
Former NFL Linebacker Thomas R. Williams Talks about Life after Football
February 4, 2026

On this episode of the Through the Storm podcast with Dr. Travis Hearne, Travis sits down with former NFL linebacker, leadership expert, author, and all-around amazing human, Thomas R. Williams.  Since 2018, Thomas R. Williams has been a proud member of The Jon Gordon Speaking Team, dedicated to developing positive leaders and fostering stronger,…

Read More
Energy
Buy, Build & AI: Your New Software Strategy for Energy Leaders
February 3, 2026

Energy companies are running into a hard truth: the old “buy vs. build” debate no longer fits today’s reality—especially as AI moves from experiment to expectation. A modern software strategy must now account for cloud-native, modular ecosystems, where open APIs, integrations, and AI-ready interfaces determine how quickly teams can launch, adapt, and scale. Early…

Read More
filmmaking
Lights, Camera, Authenticity: Why Trusting Your Voice Is the Most Radical Move in Filmmaking Today
February 3, 2026

The entertainment industry is at a crossroads, where questions of access, authorship, and technological disruption are reshaping who gets to tell stories—and how those stories get made. From the rise of AI-assisted tools to ongoing conversations about representation and gatekeeping, filmmaking today is as much about identity and equity as it is about craft….

Read More