Join Luke Callier and Matthew Irving on this insightful episode of the Ed Leaders podcast as they sit down with Deepanshu Arora, a co-founder and CEO of Toddle, the pioneering force in educational technology. Delve into Deepanshu's transition from McKinsey consultant to entrepreneur, and discover how Toddle revolutionizes K -12 education with streamlined teacher workflows and AI integration.

Explore Toddle's journey into the Australian market and their collaborative approach with educators to refine their tools based on real-world feedback. Deepanshu shares his leadership journey, Toddle's founding principles, and their relentless pursuit of educational innovation in the digital age.

Don't miss the quick-fire segment where Deepanshu offers valuable leadership insights and recommendations for future podcast guests.

Tune in now!

Highlights:

(01:32) Deepanshu's journey from McKinsey to founding Toddle.

(05:30) Founding Wonderbox, a subscription box for preschoolers, before moving into school management and technology integration.

(07:43) The organic growth of Toddle from a solution for their own schools to serving over 1500 schools worldwide.

(09:13) The challenges teachers face with fragmented technology solutions in education.

(15:10) The milestones in Toddle's growth, including customer feedback and scaling beyond their initial school.

(19:09) The evolution of Deepanshu's role as CEO from hands-on tasks to strategic leadership and culture-building.

(24:42) Formation of the founding team and discussion of the CEO role.

(25:39) Team dynamics and strategic alignment among co-founders.

(29:43) Importance of strategic thinking and innovation in their approach.

32:22) Establishment of a culture focused on continuous innovation.

(40:36) The role of AI in shaping the future of education.

(46:33) Market Differences and Growth During COVID.

(48:23) Similarities among educators worldwide

(49:30) Ideal Employees and Hiring Strategies.

(58:59) Book recommendation: "Same as Ever" by Morgan Housel.

(01:08:16)Importance of trust among co-founders and team members.

You can also connect with us personally at LinkedIn:

Luke Callier - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljcallier/⁠

Mathew Irving - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-irving-b6b91430/

Deepanshu Arora Links:

Website:https://www.toddleapp.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepanshuarora88/

Special thanks to our partners:

Peoplebench help take the guesswork out of school workforce strategy & decision-making. Check them out at ⁠peoplebench.com.au⁠.

Paperly - simplifying administrative processes and removing the paperwork for teachers. Check them out at ⁠https://paperly.education/

Sign up to the Edleaders Newsletter: Head on over to edleaders.com.au to hear more about our journey. If you'd like to know more about being a guest or would like to sponsor our show - check out https://www.edleaders.com.au/collabs

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Go Well.