DisruptED
Follow along every month as Ron J Stefanski and Dr. Caesar discuss the future education and e-learning.
DisruptED: Education & Upskilling Edition
DisruptED: Advanced Manufacturing Edition
DisruptED: Public Libraries
DisruptED: Education & Upskilling Edition
Digital Learning for Everyone: Disrupting the Norm with Education Technology
Digital learning was a tool prior to Covid-19, a life saver during the pandemic, and through AI, ChatGPT, and other innovative education technology, it’s becoming a powerful resource in the education space. Tech-driven personalized learning is helping reduce educational inequality by giving students, regardless of geographical location or income status, the additional support they need […]
Mental Health and Wellness in Schools Starts with Educators
Almost one in four students between the ages of 12 and 18 reported in 2019 that they experienced bullying. Addressing this disproportionate impact on students is critical because bullying increases the likelihood of developing mental health needs such as depression and anxiety. Today’s episode addresses a fundamental question: How can we tackle the behavioral […]
How is Our Mental Health?
It’s no secret that working in education can be very mentally taxing, and students themselves can struggle mentally, too. Attention on mental health can sometimes be overlooked and we may not realize how educators and students are feeling or how their mental health can affect what they do in and out of the classroom. So […]
Education as a Benefit for Frontline Employees
As of 2020, 47 percent of employers offered some level of assistance for undergraduate or graduate tuition assistance. However, MBA application numbers dropped 6.5% in 2022. Clearly, there has been a shift in how employees and employers are viewing education as a benefit in the workplace. Why are post-secondary degrees in the workplace no […]
How Institutions are Embracing the Adult Learning Population
The world of higher education has always been a disruptor of sorts. And when it comes to adult learning in higher education, it’s a situation that calls for even more disruption, as the requirements are different. But apparently, they are also the key to boosting enrollment. Many institutions have considered older populations returning to school, […]
C6 Biliteracy Instructional Framework Disrupts Educator Lesson Plans
America places a high-dollar value in K-12 education, with over $800 billion spent yearly to teach the kids. Yet, when the U.S. was last tested in 2018 (before the pandemic), it ranked 11th out of 70 countries in science, and the top five math-scoring countries were all in Asia. A Business Insider report ranked […]
Disrupting the Monolinguistic Culture of the U.S. Education System
One in every five adults in the U.S. speaks a language other than English at home – so why are other languages shunned at schools? While there is no official language in the U.S., there is a large unofficial one: English. It’s on our maps, it’s on our shops, and it’s in our schools. […]
Keeping Our Mental Health in Check to Improve Our Everyday Work and Learning
One-third of people report feeling extreme stress, while 77 percent report their stress impacts their physical health, 73 percent report it impacts their mental health, and almost 50 percent state they experience difficulty sleeping due to stress. Considering that stress can have other detrimental impacts such as: causing impaired performance, mental health issues, high […]
Educators Improving their Performance without Burnout
Depending on the type of leadership role one takes in education, oftentimes, burnout is inevitable. According to Gallup research, K-12 educators report burnout the most, with four out of 10 indicating that burnout is a normal feeling for them. However, there are reasons for that and ways educators can reevaluate their performance in their […]
How Can Tech-Driven Personalized Learning Help Tackle Educational Inequality?
There has been much talk about utilizing technology for fighting against educational inequality with personalized learning, especially amidst the remote teaching that arose from the pandemic. Cambium is one company that has disrupted this sector and provides education technology and supplemental PreK–12 solutions through digital-centric products and services. What, exactly, does Cambium offer to […]
Cambium Learning Group: Helping Teachers Teach and Students Learn
The education sector has gone through some major hurdles over the last few years. So whatever problems teachers and students were having before the COVID pandemic only got worse during and after. As challenging as things might be, it’s a challenge one company is more than happy to take on. On this episode of […]
How Can the Gig Economy Unleash Talent in a Disrupted World?
Gig economy jobs have become increasingly common over the last decade or so. This economy is centered on flexible work that provides each worker with a wider degree of independence than a typical 9-5. While it might not work for everyone, there\ are certain aspects to the gig economy which could lead passionate people […]
Building up the Talent Pipeline in Cybersecurity
It’s no secret; the pandemic kicked off the great resignation. Organizations in all industries scramble for talent to fill open positions. One sector of vital importance in dire need of skilled workers to fill a talent pipeline in cybersecurity. A 2022 Cybersecurity Workforce Study concluded that the global cybersecurity workforce gap has increased by 26.2% […]
Disruptive Leaders: Disrupting Tradition in the Leadership Space
Leadership in the workplace has been ever evolving for years now, despite the commonplace leadership traditions most places try to abide by. But leaders must adapt to new and modern changes, as it’s expected that a lot of factors pertinent to leadership will change in the next 10 years, according to Gartner. Disruptive leaders […]
Upscaling Employees to Maximize Company Potential and Growth
The ever-increasing role technology and innovation play in today’s workplace mean that even the most educated and trained workers will require varying degrees of upskilling, retraining, and upscaling employees to meet current and future demands. And with the talent pool getting increasingly competitive, organizations that do not provide those education and training opportunities may […]
Building the Whole Person Project to Address Chronic Underemployment
The world of workforce has moved the needle to really adapt the system for current needs, but with continued chronic underemployment, a whole-person approach is not currently standard in the system for workforce development. Why should it be? In part 1 of this 2-part episode, DisruptED, host Ron J. Stefanski speaks with off-the-charts GSD […]
Becoming a Better Ally: Ensuring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Digital Space
The world of business-to-business interactions has been entirely upended in the world of Covid. Face to face connections are often not possible or even desired and it can be quite easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the bulk of our interactions can be done on Zoom or Teams or via email […]
STEM Education for Students K-12
At Automation Alley’s 2022 INTEGR8 Conference, the hot topic of conversation amongst advanced manufacturers and conference attendees was how to increase student numbers in STEM programs. The DisruptED podcast hosts Ron J Stefanski and Dr. Caesar Mickens Jr. attended INTEGR8. Mickens said the conference proved it’s an exciting time in education for STEM but […]
Creating Social Impact with Technology at Special Olympics
You probably watched the Olympics on television before, but have you had the chance to be part of a local Special Olympics event that supports individuals with intellectual disabilities? If not, look into it; the Special Olympics helps 5.5 million athletes and takes more than 1 million volunteers to run the program in 193 […]
How McDonald’s is Educating Their Employees for Greater Success.
In this episode of DisruptED, host Ron Stefanski joins Lisa Schumacher, Director of Education Strategies at McDonald’s, and Ron Williams, McDonald’s Operations Director. Schumacher discusses the education support programs at McDonald’s and Williams offers a first-hand account of how his employment and education have launched his career. Lisa Schumacher started at McDonald’s in the […]
How the Special Olympics is Helping Eliminate Early Educational Bias
A pediatrician by trade and Chief Medical Officer for the Special Olympics International, Dr. Alicia Bazzano, witnesses firsthand biased thinking around the population of individuals with disabilities. She says it’s time our mindsets and societal narratives around people with intellectual disabilities change. In this episode of DisruptED, she discusses how the Special Olympics is helping […]
DisruptED: Advanced Manufacturing Edition
The Story Behind One Young Veteran Political Candidate
In 2022, more than one-fifth of the 1,000 candidates for the U.S. Senate, House, or state governor on the fall ballot stated they had some form of military experience, per the Pew Research Center. And it makes sense. The leadership experiences in the military, combined with the consequences of political decisions that directly impact those […]
The Future of Advanced Manufacturing is Here: Part 3
Original Post: Oct. 21, 2022 Post Updated: May 18, 2023 In the 3rd and final episode of DisruptED’s special manufacturing edition, host Ron Stefanski continues the conversation on 3D printing with CEO and Founder of Divergent and Czinger Vehicles, Kevin Czinger, and U.S. manufacturing expert Cynthia Hutchison. Hutchison began, “We’re beginning to look at […]
The Future of Advanced Manufacturing Is Here: Part 2
Original Post Date: August 25, 2022 Updated Post: May 17, 2023 When the US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing launched in June 2022, Cynthia Hutchison, the Head of the Centre, met up with me and Kevin Czinger, CEO of Divergent3D & Czinger Vehicles. Czinger is simply a phenomenon. He comes from a proud family of mechanics […]
The Future of Advanced Manufacturing is Here: Part 1
Original Post Date: Aug. 25, 2022 Content Updated: May 16, 2023 When the US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing launched in June 2022, Cynthia Hutchison, the Head of the Centre, met up with me and Kevin Czinger, CEO of Divergent3D & Czinger Vehicles. Kevin Czinger is simply a phenomenon. He comes from a proud family […]
The Disrupted Future of Advanced Manufacturing: Episode 3
The future of advanced manufacturing begins with talent. However, talent in manufacturing isn’t always in plentiful supply. Skilled labor positions in industries like manufacturing are high in demand but short on workers, with a gap of 500,000 professionals. If the situation does not improve, the U.S. could see 2.1 million unfilled jobs in manufacturing […]
The Disrupted Future of Advanced Manufacturing: Episode 2
Has the industrial manufacturing landscape leaped beyond experts’ understanding of what’s capable? Industry 4.0 is here, and those innovations and efficiencies, once touted, are now going into practice. From sustainable industrial manufacturing ‘lighthouse factories’ to NYU’s $1 billion investment in the Tandon School of Engineering, all eyes are fixed on making the technological breakthroughs necessary […]
Introducing Lukas Czinger: Changing the Game Before 30!
Getting completely DisruptED can change the future as we know it! For those of you who have followed our DisruptED: Advanced Manufacturing edition, one of our most impactful stories demonstrated the jaw-dropping ways that a company is changing the game and amped up additive manufacturing, redefining what’s possible NOW in an Industry 4.0 world […]
The Future of Advanced Manufacturing is Moving Towards AI Technology
What can go zero to 60 in 1.9 seconds, reach a top speed of more than 280 miles per hour, boasts a 1,350 combined horsepower, and is human-AI designed and 3D-printed? Welcome to advanced manufacturing and the latest vehicle revolution: the Czinger 21C. Scottsdale, Arizona, home of the Barrett-Jackson luxury car auction, is home […]
Shattering Glass Ceilings: Women Executives in Manufacturing and Technology
In a 2019 Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute survey, more than 70% of women participants indicated underrepresentation of women in their company’s leadership teams. There is a need for women executives in manufacturing and technology. Now is a prime opportunity for women executives to rise in advanced manufacturing because U.S. manufacturers are facing a […]
Barriers to Women in Tech Spaces and How to Break Them
Previously, education was for only the male gender. Therefore, it is no wonder that women in tech have to work much harder for recognition of their skills. A study from 2020 shows women constituted about 28.8% of the technology workforce, an increase from 25.9% and 26.2% in 2018 and 2019, respectively. It is no […]
Addressing Food Insecurity in a Disrupted World
Climate change is undoubtedly playing a role in unpredictable weather phenomena around the globe. As the world becomes warmer, who is addressing food insecurity and what is being done to help protect food security? In this newest episode of DisruptED, host Ron J. Stefanski speaks with food security innovator, Rick Vanzura, the CEO of […]
How Companies are Gaining Talented Individuals
The Get Sh** Done index was high at the December 2022 MICHauto Summit. Its featured topic: Accelerating Our Tech-Talent Future, boasted several expert panels on EV and digital transformation. DisruptED’s Ron J. Stefanski attended the event, and one speaker, Jose L. Flores, caught his attention. Flores is the CEO of Ancor Automotive, the leading […]
Creating a Winning Culture in the World of Tech
In 2021, the U.S., Hong Kong, Sweden, Denmark, and Singapore were championed “the best digitally competitive countries in the world.” With 13,400 tech startups launched in 2019 in the U.S., is this any surprise? Probably not. As the competition in the tech market heats up, what is happening within and how are tech companies building […]
How to Attract and Retain Quality Talent in an Organization
DisruptED Host Ron J. Stefanski discussed how to attract and retain quality talent in an organization with Jose Flores, the CEO of Ancor Automotive LLC. Diversity in the workplace should be embraced and encouraged as it improves positive pressure. It allows people to see things from a new perspective, which helps broaden the horizon of how they […]
Transformation as a Tech Entrepreneur
In November 2022, the biggest and brightest of Detroit’s business sector gathered for Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under Forty event. DisruptED’s Ron J. Stefanski was in attendance to seek out those tech disruptors who, in his words, get stuff done (okay, he uses a different S-word). And one person who garnered a lot of […]
Equity and Opportunity in a Software First Mindset: The Mission of Automation Alley
A new surging economy is emerging in Detroit, MI. That emergence finds its roots embedded in Detroit’s past in manufacturing. That rich history is poised to rise again through advanced automation. Companies like Automation Alley, a nonprofit Industry 4.0 Knowledge Center and home to the World Economic Forum’s US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, want […]
Automation Alley: Gateway for Advanced Manufacturing Across the Globe
In October 2022, the White House launched its official National Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing. This comprehensive strategy creates a vision for U.S. leadership in Advanced Manufacturing to grow the economy, create high-quality jobs, enhance sustainability, and strengthen supply chains. And when the U.S. leads, others will follow. Therefore, it is critical to find innovators […]
Creating Social Impact with Technology at Special Olympics
You probably watched the Olympics on television before, but have you had the chance to be part of a local Special Olympics event, which supports individuals with intellectual disabilities? If not, look into it; the Special Olympics helps 5.5 million athletes and takes more than 1 million volunteers to run the program in 193 […]
Advanced Manufacturing: Let’s Talk About Biden’s Initiative
3D printing applications are everywhere, from medical to emergency response infrastructure and even 3D-printed clothes. And one of the questions Ron J Stefanski, host of the DisruptED podcast, frequently gets from viewers of the show is: can that really be 3D printed? To answer those burning additive manufacturing questions, Stefanski thought it high time he […]
Why Industry Partnerships Are Critical for Successful Dialysis Medtech Disruption
If a small manufacturing organization wants to be a disruptor, embracing industry 4.0 is essential. Marc Nash, VP of Manufacturing at Outset Medical, spoke with DisruptED’s Ron Stefanski on the importance of advanced manufacturing in his organization’s mission to improve dialysis. Experts often told Nash that only sizeable medical device manufacturers could tackle something […]
Disruptive Innovation in Dialysis and Medical Device Manufacturing
Disruptors come in many flavors and innovate countless industries. Healthcare is one space that welcomes technology disruption, where advancements in medical devices can improve the lives of many. Outset Medical is one such medical device manufacturer seeking to transform the dialysis experience. Marc Nash, VP of Manufacturing at Outset Medical, joined DisruptED’s Ron Stefanski […]
Profiles in Disruption
DisruptED: Public Libraries
Supporting Lifelong Learning in a Disrupted World
Libraries are still alive and well, and even thriving, with an estimated 139,287 librarians and media collections specialists, 16,383 library technicians, and 92,159 other educational instruction and library workers in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census. How, exactly, are libraries thriving when they must rapidly adapt to meet the demands of the public […]
Public Libraries are Protecting Against Censorship and Introducing E-Sports
Within the last six to eight years, what qualifies as fact-based information has been challenged by several political groups and debates. Advocacy for censorship has been on the rise; this is especially true for young adult books involving LGBTQ+ themes and books centering around people of color. While censorship demands were predominately held in […]
Episode Two: Queens Library—The Public Library Innovations that Created an Even More Essential Service for the Community During the Pandemic and Beyond
The Queens Public Library is a library system that includes a digital and written collection with sources of information in over 200 languages, provides free classes and workshops each year at 65 locations across 178 square miles, and welcomes more than 11,400,000 visitors through its doors with 940,000 active cardholders. When the pandemic hit […]
Essential Community Services—A Profile on the Queens Public Library
Host Ron J Stefanski is excited to bring another episode of this special DistruptED Public Library Edition series to listeners and viewers. In this second installment, Stefanski looks at Queens Public Library and the public library innovations that created an even more essential service for the New York City Borough for over 125 years, […]
Boston Public Library-David Leonard Speaks on the Power of the Public Library
Public libraries have become more than just a place where people can read, borrow books, and access various types of information. They are vital centers for research in many schools and institutions. Technology has significantly impacted the growth of libraries and their necessity. Since the 60s, the introduction of computers into libraries, technology continues […]
