Inside the Global EdTech Prize: Impact, Scale, and Educator Voices with Vikas Pota of T4 Education

[00:00:00] Vikas Pota: What he said was, the biggest lesson I learned was that policy no longer moves the needle and my jaw hit the ground and think, gosh, the most powerful person who has policy at his fingertips to do whatever he wants, he has the leavers of power saying that policy no longer moves the needle, and then there's a pregnant pause only like he can.
And he went on to explain, you know, the only thing that's ever changed the world, the only thing that's ever changed the world is storytelling. At that point, you think High five Obama. And that's exactly what we're trying to do through these prizes, tell the stories about tech and innovation in the context of schools and learners and universities, and that's what the power of the global EdTech Prize has the potential to be.
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[00:01:21] Alex Sarlin: P Potta is an entrepreneur and investor in education and digital businesses that seek to address some of the sectors in. Practicable challenges and to advance education, quality and opportunity. He's the founder of T four Education, the global ed Tech Prize and the world's best school prizes. He's the executive chairman of the Education Leaders Forum, where he convenes CEOs and leaders of many of the world's biggest and most influential education businesses to advance their growth.
Vikas is also the founder of nio Partners and executive search firm dedicated to helping education institutions. Tech companies and social impact organizations find their best leadership talent. He's led the rebrand of a major education business. He's built a corporate venture capital fund, and he's run a philanthropic foundation.
VI Potta. Welcome to EdTech Insiders. Thank you so much for this opportunity, Alex. I'm looking forward 
[00:02:11] Vikas Pota: to this conversation. 
[00:02:13] Alex Sarlin: I am as well. So first off, let's get right into the headline here, which is that you are launching a global ed tech prize. This is very interesting to our audience here of hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands and thousands of education entrepreneurs.
Tell us the vision behind the Global EdTech Prize and what you feel like it will unlock for the EdTech ecosystem. 
[00:02:34] Vikas Pota: Thanks a lot, Alex. The prize, the Global EdTech Prize. We wanna recognize trailblazing tools, products, and services that are grappling with the most crucial challenges in education. You know, there are plenty of prizes for EdTech tools and products out there, but what's really different about the Global EdTech Prize is firstly that's judged by educators themselves.
Mm-hmm. So our finalists aren't pitching to EdTech investors or fellow. Tech Bros. Important as they are to determining the short lists they're pitching to an audience of teachers and university academics, the people who actually have to use these tools, which is key to determining whether they can be effective in these classrooms.
Secondly, what sets the global EdTech price apart from many other prizes is our focus on impact. We are already facing a global education and learning crisis. The pandemic only made that mountain steeper. What's more, we have to prepare ourselves and our students for a world being reshaped by tech faster than ever before, and one which will soon see its next billion people.
That's why in particular, we wanna celebrate ed tech companies that are making a real difference to this next generation and give them a platform to scale their impact. But crucially, the part we play in the global ed tech ecosystem is discovery. Through the mechanism of our prize, we can uncover solutions that have huge potential and give them the global platform that they need to attract investment and uptake and scale their impact.
[00:04:00] Alex Sarlin: You are speaking my language. I think that the ed tech sector is so rich with innovation, but it is often siloed. Yeah. People do amazing things in isolation or under the radar. I think it's a fantastic idea to bring people together and surface great ideas, especially to be judged by educators and end users.
So you've said in the past that you have a philosophy about how prizes can catalyze innovation, and you've done a couple of other really interesting prizes with T four education. Tell us about that philosophy and some of the prizes you've given out, and I know you have this world's best school prizes.
Really interesting. Walk us through your philosophy and how it's come to fruition in these prize contests. 
[00:04:36] Vikas Pota: Yeah, so it's really interesting. Firstly, I wanna say that everyone loves prices. No matter who you are. You can get snooty about it, but people love prices. But the really important thing is that I think firstly what you do is by establishing rigorous judging criteria, you establish a framework for what good looks like and a a means of comparatively analyzing what's innovative in that given context, right?
It encourages like applicants to reflect deeply on what they've done that is truly moving the needle. By assembling an expert judging panel, you can validate that. That's the first thing. The application and shortlisting process also allows you to discover applicants who are driving change in education, going above and beyond to change lives or really spurring innovation.
Setting up a prize, encouraging those in the world that we may never have heard of otherwise to come forward. Right. By surfacing this expertise, this innovation, these best practices, we can then share them with the world telling the stories of winners and finalists to the world through the media. This is a massive ripple effect.
So it's not just about one organization or startup or big tech winning one prize. It's about all those that they inspire through their work. And so like you've said, beyond the global ed tech prize, we also run the world's best school prizes, and these have had a huge impact in driving change in education.
We have some examples of where we know that a prize is good for the school or for the ed tech, but how is it better for the ecosystem? So in some examples I can share with you that are pretty. Profound through the world's best school prizes is that, for example, this public school in Chile won our innovation prize five hours after winning the prize.
The president of the country was in the school proclaiming that innovation is part of his reform program. Wow. And just last week, that same president two years on, took an official delegation to India where the school principals invited to join him. When does that happen? Right, that's impact Or in the Philippines, a school won our environmental action prize.
For rebuilding an entire mangrove ecosystem over 10 years Now. They'd been doing this for 10 years, but no one had paid attention. But by winning our prize, the Secretary of Education for that state gave all 1.2 million learners a climate action project. Wow. And the last, and really great example I give you is in Columbia where the Minister of Education, the Secretary of Education, announced two new laws in her country that actually.
On the back of the win of this school to popularize environmental action in their school systems. And so there's a lot of impact you can have through these prizes, which is, I think quite exciting, but requires the cooperation and participation of many people who can rightly also claim credit for the innovation that is happening.
I. 
[00:07:14] Alex Sarlin: Yeah, there's this concept in that book Switch by the Heath Brothers by highlighting the bright spots, right? If you shine a bright on what's working, suddenly it can be a catalyst for the ecosystem. Tell us about the Global Teacher Prize. You have another prize, which is a million dollars for teachers.
Tell us about how that worked. 
[00:07:32] Vikas Pota: Well, I used to run a philanthropic foundation, and one of the innovations that we came up with was the global teacher prize as a million dollar prize for a teacher. And again, in that era, I was very focused on the status and capacity of teachers because no one wants to become a teacher.
And so the question is, well, how do you excite people? How do you tell the stories of teachers in a similar way with the world's best school prizes? You know, I live in northwest London where every dinnertime we have an obsession about speaking about education with our kids. And the conversation quickly turns into the negative, ah, that teacher's doing X or Y or Z.
But we wanna change that conversation saying, have you heard of this great math teacher? And so and so forth. And so that's what the power of these prizes is like. And prize mechanisms allow us to tell a story. In fact, Alex, one of the. Great experiences I had was I met with a former president of yours, president Obama, and got an event.
I was listening to him and what was really interesting was everyone had said he has a very professorial voice and how he erases and everything, and I found that to be the case, which wasn't the most attractive kind of thing for me. But he was asked a question and the question was, what is the biggest leadership lesson you've learned?
I thought, okay, that's quite interesting. And he went on to answer the question and he talked about how he was once the most powerful person in the world had all the levers of power in his hands. He could have done anything wherever in the world he wanted to. And he said, the one lesson I learned, and I say this by the way, because I'm a political junkie.
I love politics, I love policy. And the thing that I learned was what he said was the biggest lesson I learned was that policy. No longer moves the needle and my jaw hit the ground and think, gosh, the most powerful person who has policy at his fingertips to do whatever he wants. He has the levers of power saying that policy no longer moves the needle, and then there's a pregnant pause only like he can.
And he went on to explain, you know, the only thing that's ever changed the world, the only thing that's ever changed the world is storytelling. 
[00:09:21] Alex Sarlin: Yeah. 
[00:09:22] Vikas Pota: At that point, you think High five Obama. And that's exactly what we're trying to do through these prizes. Tell the stories about tech and innovation in the context of schools and learners and universities, and that's what the power of the global ed tech prize has the potential to be.
[00:09:37] Alex Sarlin: Absolutely, and I am a big believer in storytelling as well. It is, I think, really undervalued in terms of how much it can change the conversation about what something is or what something could be, especially in education. Whereas, as you say, often the vibe can easily turn negative. People have had negative experiences or people have left the.
Classroom as teachers or schools are closing, colleges are under attack in a lot of different ways and turning it around and giving it an optimistic, positive spin, not just a spin. Focusing on the things that are incredible, like saving a mangrove forest through your school, or it can really just change the entire conversation.
So we should say that the global ed tech prize is happening right now and it actually has a deadline quite soon. So tell us a little bit about what that application looks like and when it is due so that our listeners can jump 
[00:10:23] Vikas Pota: in. Thank you so much, Alex. And the reason why a mutual friend of ours, Amit Patel and Al Ventures actually suggested go on to EdTech Insiders because they are the podcast and the media organization in the world of EdTech.
So I'm really pleased that we have this opportunity and I thank you for your work. And this is an effort in storytelling in its own right, right? Yes. And so. The global ed tech prize, the deadline is on 2nd of May this year, and what we are looking for are ed techs who are startups or social impact or even big ed tech.
Like it is not just about startups. This is about everyone joining hand. So tell the story about the leaps that are being taken in education and serving education and learners. And so what we're assessing for is purpose. We are assessing for quality and impact. We're assessing for in innovativeness, and we are assessing for scalability.
And so we want to see there's so much going wrong in our world today. There's so much of a deficit on so many things. Let's not add the learning crisis to be compounded as a result of it. And so that's why I believe that any investment that we make in education helps to answer this question, which is when education wins, we all win.
[00:11:32] Alex Sarlin: Yes. And so as somebody is now listening to that impact, purpose, scalability, how might they, if they're thinking about the company they're at or thinking about companies they invest in, or we have all sorts of listeners here, or people who they know this is a global prize, by definition is. How should they be thinking about their own company and whether they should be applying for this?
Is it open and should it be no matter what you're doing, or should they be looking through lenses of, okay, there's a particular way we think about our company through impact, through purpose, through scalability. That would be a perfect match. How would you recommend people evaluate their own eligibility for this price?
[00:12:08] Vikas Pota: It's a really great question. So there's a few ways of answering that. And the first thing I would say to you is join hands. Join a community. We are all out there trying to do the same thing, which is to raise educational standards to make sure every child, you know, achieves their full potential. If you're not in that game, then you shouldn't be in ed tech organization, right?
Let's be clear. And so thing is, is that we have much to gain by learning from each other, from around the world. And because there's so much great stuff happening around the world. And so I don't think anyone has the arrogance to say that I can't learn something from somewhere else. So the first thing is just the learning that comes from it and the sharing of peer to peer exchanges to this prize, I think is powerful.
The second is obviously this is a prize and you are fielding your business or your social impact organization because you also want the recognition. And that's entirely legitimate because marketing is such a massive part of how we popularize and tell the story. And so if you're after that, then this is also a good thing.
But I asked you that question in terms of impact and scalability being to of, you know, criteria as such. Right? And so what I would say is that ask yourself the question does. Your EdTech solution or product or service effectively achieve its intended outcomes. Mm-hmm. You know, does it solve the challenge that you initially identified?
You know, what impact has it had on education? And then we ask, you know, if the EdTech solution is effective, can it then be scaled to maximize its impact? You know, this criterion, what we are trying to assess is how easily a solution can be implemented and replicated. Yes. Uh, taking into account its per student cost, technical and logistical requirements overall feasibility.
You know, amongst other factors and so say you've got an amazing personalized learning app that everyone is getting excited about because it has huge potential to close these learning apps. That's fantastic. But is it expensive and has di high data requirements right? So it can help students in developed economies, but is it gonna work where it's perhaps needed the most?
Not necessarily in these high income countries, or you know, where the learning gaps are sometimes the greatest. So it's about innovating for impact, but that doesn't always mean coming up with a flashiest or most high tech solution. And then I would say ultimately it's teachers, you know, at the coalface of the global education crisis, who know what's best in their classrooms and for their students and what tools and products can best serve them.
And that's why they have to be involved in consulting every stage of EdTech development for EdTech, in my opinion. And if teachers from across multiple contexts and geographies are included, this can only help ensure that this EdTech is both impactful and scalable. It's why we recognize both, and it's why we have educators joining our prize.
[00:14:51] Alex Sarlin: Yeah, that's wonderful. You mentioned that larger EdTech companies can apply for this, but I, I imagine you're also open to very localized ed tech solutions that may be under the radar, maybe somebody in. Moldova has done something really interesting, but nobody's heard of it and it's local, but it's having amazing impact and it should be everywhere.
They should definitely be applying as well, right? 
[00:15:11] Vikas Pota: Yeah, look, I spoke to a great company today from India, for example, and what they're doing on their platform is quite astounding. And the numbers are just off the charts because it's India. Right? And you just think, well they, I mean, I was at A-S-U-G-S-V last week just like you were, and I was astounded with.
How American the event was actually, 
[00:15:30] Alex Sarlin: yes, it, it was. 
[00:15:31] Vikas Pota: And so much of the inspiration, I mean from places like India, from Brazil, from other places in the world, I think can have a huge impact on the world of EdTech. And we'd need to be more inclusive in that approach. 
[00:15:43] Alex Sarlin: We try to be global here. I say sometimes we end up being a little US centric, but we try not to be, uh, because I think there's incredible innovation happening everywhere.
I'm not gonna let you go without asking you one question about ai, just because I have been complaining, frankly, on this show for quite a while, how there is so little. Positive AI storytelling about what's happening in classrooms. There's lots of hand waving about how amazing AI could be for personalized learning and tutoring and you know, and I, I'm guilty of doing a lot of that hand waving, but the stories are not quite there.
I've been waiting for the story of, you know, the kid who invented a new pharmaceutical product because of an AI in their school, or who started a company or saved people's lives and I just never see them. Can you talk a little bit about how. You think about AI and how you think storytelling such as the type of global ed tech prize storytelling can help us understand how to push it in the right direction and make sure that it is a positive force.
[00:16:33] Vikas Pota: Yeah, so this is a great conversation to have and it's been on my mind quite a bit in terms of, you know, well you can't avoid it actually. And today when you have a conversation about education and this conversation of AI comes up and there's a lot of like, you know, fear and an anxiety regarding, like in this question about will AI replace teachers and that kind of thing.
And you know, I'm not technologically literate to even answer that question, but what I do know is that the purpose of education and the purpose of schooling and the purpose of going to university are not necessarily just to do with learning. And whilst I think AI can probably do a great job, actually, there's a lot more about why people go to institutions and why socialization is important and why.
The value of teachers, you know, is just incredible when it comes to character development. In fact, I have a friend called Maggie McDonnell who won the Global Teacher Prize, and she tells a story. I remember we were on a UN stage and someone was evangelizing for EdTech, and she said, tell me something like, you know, your iPad, is it gonna give my kid a hug?
When it starts crying, like, you know, it's a great point, the role that educators play in the process and the wider role of schools and universities in society. And so I think that's a pretty important thing to bear in mind. The second thing is like, you know, even if the technology can do it, the conversation I think we need to have is whether we should, like, you know, and so there was a, where's a societal conversation on what are the limits we're gonna place on this?
And so we can get very excited with the potential of ai, but is it really a good idea? Is that what we want for our societies? And like, you know, I, I'm not too sure is what my answer is. And what happens through this global LEC tech prize will be interesting for us to all see in terms of how that story is told.
But as a last thing I'll say on this, is that in Jurassic Park, if you remember? Oh yeah. The dinosaurs, escape and eat everyone like, you know, he says, your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should, and I think that is the role of education leaders.
I. And to interface with wider stakeholders, whether in public policy, whether it's in venture capital, whether wherever it is that we need to start having a conversation right now that the technology exists. You know, the question does fall on governments, you know, will they be able to replace teachers with ai?
Okay. I don't know what the answer is, but should they, the answer's no, and I think most will understand that. So in my way, what I say is that I don't think AI ultimately will replace teachers, and so that's how I think about it. 
[00:19:07] Alex Sarlin: I totally agree. I, I always feel like that's such a black and white way to look at it, that just, you know, overlook so much more interesting use cases for what AI could do to enhance.
Relationships or support teachers or support students and teachers together. And separately, it's a rich field to talk about, but I'm glad you're calling out that possibilities are not inevitable. Just 'cause AI could be something doesn't mean it should be, or that it's gonna be beneficial to our kids.
And I think all of us in AI and education are wrestling with, with the coulds and shoulds these days. For sure. So tell us how would people apply for the prize? It is live now. I, you know, we're recording this right in the middle of April. We're gonna put it out as soon as possible to give people the maximum amount of time to apply for the prize.
Where should they go online to find out more about T four education, about the global ed tech prize and put in their application and tell their story? 
[00:19:52] Vikas Pota: I. Yeah, so thank you for asking. And the first thing they can do is go to global ed tech price.com, which is the website URL. And if that doesn't work, go to T four Education, which is my organization that organizes it.
So T4 Education is the website, URL, and the application process, and everything is explained on the site. If you are listening to this interview, and you may not necessarily be in ed tech, you may be a venture capital fund, you may be an academic. Please go and tell people like, you know, what we are seeking to do is build a community of leaders from around the world who wanna join hands and tell the story about the use of EdTech and tech innovation in in general.
And so this becomes a useful kind of tool to help achieve that. And the last thing I'll say is that. What's really important is that the prize is actually awarded at a conference we organize in Abu Dhabi in the UAE in November, uh, called the World School Summit, and everyone is invited to that. If you go to world schools summit.org or to the T four Education website, you'll get more information about that.
And so if you want to have a global conversation on what is important in education and the development of technology and the use and implementation of technology. In schools and universities around the world, the place to come to is the World School Summit, and so it's a leadership conference that we organize every year, and the prize will be announced on our main stage with the audience actually voting for the winners so it's not behind closed doors.
And it's a very transparent decision that is made. And it comes down to this, the storytelling that they do and about their products, tools, and services, which I think is very powerful. And so thank you for the opportunity. And I would say that the global EdTech price, I hope, will revolutionize, you know, how education is delivered around the world.
[00:21:36] Alex Sarlin: I think it's a fantastic idea. So if you're a founder. Go apply. If you're a teacher or principal or school administrator, think about who you would wanna nominate and go tell them about it. If you're an academic, if you're anybody in this ecosystem, a venture capitalist who has a, a whole portfolio of companies, I think this is a fantastic place for people to share their story, and especially if you're a company that feels like your story is so amazing and it hasn't been told yet, because that is what we're all looking for, and that's what we do on this podcast too.
We're trying to amplify the stories of people doing amazing, innovative things. Education in EdTech around the world. Thank you for your work, and this is really interesting. I'm looking forward to hearing what happens out of this and hopefully some of the stories even beyond the finalists can be really amplified here.
And we can use, you know, this prize can be something that really amplifies the impact and scalability and innovation and hopefulness and optimism of EdTech everywhere because it is a wonderful field and I'm really excited to see what comes out of this vi. Is a founder of T four Education, the Global EdTech Prize, and the world's best school prizes, which is worth checking out as well this year.
School from Argentina, uh, Poland, India, Italy, all one different types of prizes. It's definitely worth looking into. Thanks so much for being here with us on EdTech Insiders. Thanks for listening to this episode of EdTech Insiders. If you like the podcast, remember to rate it and share it with others in the EdTech community.
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