Our Episodes

Our Guest, Awad Ibrahim, is full professor, Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence and holder of the Air Canada Professorship on Anti-Racism. He is a curriculum theorist with special interest in economy of hospitality (Derrida), cultural studies, Hip-Hop, youth and Black popular culture, social foundations (i.e., philosophy, history and sociology of education), social justice and community service learning, diasporic and continental African identities, ethnography and applied l...

The Thesis (The Why): Listening is more than hearing—it's the engine of transformation. When leaders truly listen, they unlock hidden insights and spark meaningful change. The power of listening turns quiet voices into catalysts for excellence and equity. In education, it’s tempting to equate a lack of objections with unity. But real leaders know: Listening isn’t passive. It’s a proactive, essential skill—one that uncovers stories, insights, and solutions in the quietest corners of our schools ...

Our Guest, Alicia Harper, is a Superintendent at Achievement First. She is a turnaround strategist, and LinkedIn content creator known for her exceptional leadership in school transformation. As a former principal, she led a turnaround school where math and reading proficiency rose from ~30% to over 90%, and staff favorability jumped from 47% to 95%, ranking #1 on Org Health Surveys during her tenure. More importantly, together with her team, she built a school where students felt happy and emp...

Our Guest, Dr. Marvin Lynn, Dean of the School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) at the University of Colorado Denver, has enjoyed a robust career as a teacher, scholar, public university administrator, and artist. SEHD is a statewide and national leader for education quality and access across the education and human development lifespan. It is the largest graduate school of its kind in Colorado and is highly regarded for its high-quality academic programs that demonstrate evidence of a st...

Listen! Are you listening? This is Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP, host of the EDUP Xcelerated Excellence podcast where we seek to advance educational excellence and equity. What if the key to educational excellence isn't just what we teach, but how well we listen? Listening isn't just about hearing words—it's about understanding perspectives, building trust, and creating spaces where every voice matters. When educators truly listen to students, families, and communities, we unlock pathways to exce...

Our Guest, Bryce Jhourdyn Thompson, is an educator, mentor, and emerging school leader committed to creating equitable, student-centered learning environments. He began my journey in education as a Future Teachers of Excellence Fellow (Cohort ’21), where he developed a strong foundation in culturally responsive teaching and a deep commitment to uplifting the communities he serves. In 2025, he had the honor of speaking at the Black Men in Education Convening (BMEC), an experience that further sh...

Our Guest, Marlene Megos, is the founder and CEO of Equate Education, a data-driven platform supporting educator preparation programs with a focus on residency and apprenticeships. With over 30 years of experience from classroom to state level educational leadership, she developed and led one of Connecticut’s first residency and registered teacher apprenticeship programs, raising over $4.2 million dollars and serving over 120 new educators. Marlene’s work focuses on solving the educator shortag...

Our Guest, Anna Young, founder of Sunnyside Literacy Lab, started her career with Teach for America and has worked in education as a humanities teacher, special educator, and academic interventionist. She currently supervises graduate students at CUNY Hunter College. She earned a B.A. in Political Science from McGill University and an M.S. in Adolescent Special Education from CUNY Hunter College. She is certified in the Orton-Gillingham method, a structured literacy approach to reading instruct...

Our Guest, Dr. Christopher Bonn, is President and CEO of BonFire Leadership Solutions. He is a celebrated educator, leadership coach, author, college professor, and musician. With over 35 years of experience, he has led institutional turnarounds, inspired educators worldwide, and createdculturally resonant music that spans languages and borders. As a Tribal Adjudication Certified Professional, Dr. Bonn is a trusted advisor to Navajo Nation, White Mountain Apache, San Carlos Apache, Pascua Yaqui...

Thanks, Santa, for helping us at EDUP Xcelerated Excellence, spread cheer and joy.

Our Guest, Michelle Maslowski, MBA, CFRE, is Managing Director, Carter. With over 15 years of experience as a senior development leader in the nonprofit sector, Michelle, has a proven track record of developing and executing high-impactfundraising strategies that result in transformational gifts and long-term donor engagement. As Managing Director at Carter, Michelle specializes in building and enhancing fundraising programs that drive sustainable growth and long-term success for nonprofits. Sh...

Our Guest, Kalebe Easley, is a youth sports performance coach, entrepreneur, and founder of Prime Evolution Fitness & Sports Performance, one of the fastest-rising athletic development programs in Southern California. Based in Orange County, Kalebe specializes in speed, agility, strength, and sport-specific performance for athletes across football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and more. A former collegiate athlete with over 24 years of combined athletic and coaching experience, Kalebe holds adva...

Our Guest, Eric R. Almonte, serves as Assistant Vice President for Capital Giving at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. In this role, he supervises an extremely dedicated and professional staff, including three frontline fundraising teams and the support staff for Leadership Gifts, International Development, and the Office of Gift Planning. The Capital Giving team focuses on fundraising to increase access and affordability opportunities, endowed professorships, and research funding to support ...

Our Guest, Dr. Paul Campbell, is Assistant Professor of Educational Administration and Leadership at The University of Hong Kong, where he also serves as an elected member of the university Senate, a Management Committee member of the Education Policy Unit, and Advisory Board Member for the In-Service Teacher Education Programme (INSTEP). His research investigates the evolving nature of educational leadership and policy in contexts of change and uncertainty, with a particular focus on how divers...

Our Guest, Dr. Gracie Branch, serves as the Associate Executive Director for Professional Learning at the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and formerly served as the Executive Director for Elementary Principals at the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA). In her current position, Dr. Branch sustains and grows leadership opportunities by providing quality professional learning for administrators that encompasses national educational standards...

Our Guest, Dr. ⁠Sundeep R. Muppidi⁠, is a transformative higher education leader and Professor of Digital Media and Journalism at the ⁠University of Hartford⁠. He has substantive experience driving institutional excellence through strategic innovation, adaptable program review systems, multi-year assessment models and student-centeredinitiatives. A distinguished scholar with a doctorate from ⁠Bowling Green State University⁠, Dr. Muppidi brings nearly three decades of global expertise. His resea...

Our Guest, Dr. Sundeep R. Muppidi, is a transformativehigher education leader and Professor of Digital Media and Journalism at the University of Hartford. He has substantive experience driving institutional excellence through strategic innovation, adaptable program review systems, multi-year assessment models and student-centered initiatives. A distinguished scholar with a doctorate from Bowling Green State University, Dr. Muppidi brings nearly three decades of global expertise. His research fo...

Our guest, Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, is the founder of Identity TalkConsulting, LLC, a global educational consulting firm that specializes in developing K-12 teachers into identity-affirming educators. Rooted in the core values of equity, empowerment, and authenticity, Identity Talk Consulting, LLC provides a range of professional learning experiences, including keynote speaking, virtual and in-person trainings, leadershipconsulting, and e-courses, to help educators sharpen their cultural responsivene...

Our guest, Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, is the founder of Identity Talk Consulting, LLC, a global educational consulting firm that specializes in developing K-12 teachers into identity-affirming educators. Rooted in the core values of equity, empowerment, and authenticity, Identity Talk Consulting, LLC provides a range of professional learning experiences, including keynote speaking, virtual and in-person trainings, leadership consulting, and e-courses, to help educators sharpen their cultural responsive...

Our guest, Dr. Jamal Watson, is anaward-winning journalist. He has held numerous roles at Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. He has been a senior staff writer, managing editor, executiveeditor and editor-at-large. He has written and edited for the publication since 2005. He is currently on the graduate school faculty at Trinity Washington University and has served as associate dean of the School of Business and Graduate Studies since 2022. He is a contributor to The Washington Monthly and a r...

Our guest, Dr. Jamal Watson, is an award-winning journalist. He has held numerous roles at Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. He has been a senior staff writer, managing editor, executiveeditor and editor-at-large. He has written and edited for the publication since 2005. He is currently on the graduate school faculty at Trinity Washington University and has served as associate dean of the School of Business and Graduate Studies since 2022. He is a contributor to The Washington Monthly and a...

Our guest, Jerrica Thurman, is the visionary founder behind Elation Communications, a trailblazing firm helping mission-driven organizations amplify their voice, elevate their brand, and accelerate impact. With more than two decades of leadership at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and social change, Jerrica is redefining what it means to lead with purpose in today’s fast-moving world. As President & CEO of Elation Communications, Jerrica is not just building a company—she’s building...

Our guest, Nicholas D. Hartlep, Ph.D., holds the Robert Charles Billings Endowed Chair in Education at Berea College wherehe has Chaired the Education Studies Department since 2019. He is currently enjoying a research sabbatical year (2025–2026). A scholar of educational foundations and critical pedagogy, Dr. Hartlep’s research critically interrogates the modelminority stereotype, urban teacher education, racial battle fatigue in higher education, the political economy of student debt, and the ...

Our guest, Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, serves as the Chief Executive Officer at the National Center for Learning Disabilities, where she leads a team at the forefrontof the learning disabilities rights movement. Her unwavering passion for promoting learning accessibility and equitable assessments drives the center’s efforts in developing impactful strategies, forging partnerships, making policy recommendations, and conducting research to improve the lives of individuals with learning disabilities ...