In this episode of the AKA Innovation Podcast, host Anne Khademian talks with Linda Gooden, Chair of the USM Board of Regents and former EVP at Lockheed Martin, about leadership, innovation, and the power of education–industry partnerships. A must-listen for anyone shaping the future of talent and higher education.

Host Anne Khademian is joined by Troy A. LeMaile-Stovall, CEO of TEDCO—Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies—LeMaile-Stovall leads the organization’s mission to support economic empowerment through the cultivation of a diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem.

Dr. Thomas W. Taylor is superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, where he oversees 211 schools with more than 160,000 students and 25,000 staff, in the 15th largest school system in the nation. He began his tenure on July 1, 2024. Dr. Taylor has more than 25 years of experience as an educator, with more than 12 years in district level leadership and six years as a superintendent. Prior to MCPS, he served as superintendent in Stafford County Public Schools in Virginia where he was named Virginia Region III Superintendent of the Year in 2024, honoring the student-focused work he led.

Dr. Anne Khademian, host of AKA Innovation, talks with Alex Boylan, host & founder of The College Tour TV show. It’s a show that kind of flips the script for students and parents alike, by bringing the idea of the college tour right into their own living rooms. In just a few short years since its creation, the show has helped to bring more than 150 colleges of all shapes and sizes into focus for thousands and thousands of students across the United States.

Dr. Anne Khademian, host of AKA Innovation, talks with Dr. Angus Fletcher, a professor of English at Ohio State University and a core faculty member for the university's Project Narrative, the world's leading academic think-tank for the study of how stories work. Their discussion focuses on how effective storytelling can help to revolutionize teaching and to build leadership skills in professionals across a wide spectrum of industries.

For more information about Dr. Fletcher and his groundbreaking work in the art and science of storytelling, and to learn more about his published works and speaking presentations, please visit angusfletcher.co

Dr. Anne Khademian talks with Josh Wyner, founder and Executive Director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute, where he also serves as a Vice President. Their discussion focuses on the importance in higher education of building successful pathways for students that guide and support them in their pursuit of their degrees or other credentials, and enable them to ultimately achieve their career goals.

For more information about Josh Wyner's work at the Aspen Institute visit www.aspeninstitute.org and for more information about his book "What Excellent Community Colleges Do: Preparing All Students for Success" visit https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/excellent-community-colleges-preparing-students-success/.

In this first interview of the AKA Innovation series, Dr. Anne Khademian shares excerpts from her recent on-stage interview with a visionary, renowned higher education leader: Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, longtime president of UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County). The discussion was part of a tribute event at the Universities at Shady Grove, as Dr. Hrabowski prepares to retire from his post after 30 extraordinary years of transformative leadership at the university.

In this brief, introductory episode, Dr. Anne Khademian provides an initial explanation of the purpose of AKA Innovation and how and why the name of the podcast came about.