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In this episode of the Square Pizza Pod, Greg welcomes Jacob Adams, Founder and Executive Director of Inner Spark Learning Lab, for a powerful conversation about what happens when schools stop asking students to fit the system and start redesigning the system to fit students. Drawing from his own journey as a first-generation college student, student athlete, Teach For America educator, and nonprofit founder, Jacob shares how his lived experience pushed him to challenge compliance-driven models of education and build something more human, adaptive, and deeply rooted in student voice.

Jacob also opens up about the real work of building Inner Spark from the ground up, from taking the leap on his first school contract to designing learning environments where students help shape curriculum, choose resident teachers, and explore issues that actually matter to them. Along the way, he offers a compelling vision for why belonging, relevance, and flexibility are not extras in education, but essential conditions for real learning and long-term change.

In this episode, you’ll learn more about:

• Why Jacob believes schools should adapt to students more than students should be forced to adapt to school
• How his own experiences as a first-generation college student, athlete, and teacher shaped the vision behind Inner Spark Learning Lab
• What he saw inside high-performing schools that made him question whether test scores alone tell the full story
• How Inner Spark creates learning spaces where students help shape projects, select teachers, and drive more meaningful engagement
• What it looks like to build a nonprofit from scratch while staying focused on depth, belonging, and real systems change

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GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

In this episode of the Square Pizza Pod, Greg sits down with Aneesh Sohoni, Chief Executive Officer of Teach For America, for a candid conversation about leadership, purpose, and why he still believes education can be one of the most unifying forces in the country. From his own path into the classroom to now leading a national organization, Aneesh shares what it means to lead with curiosity, stay close to the front lines, and keep belief alive in a moment when many have lost it.

They also dig into the future of Teach For America, how today’s young leaders are searching for purpose and community, and why artificial intelligence could either deepen learning or weaken it, depending on who shapes it. This episode is a sharp, hopeful, and timely conversation for anyone thinking about education, leadership, and the future of impact.

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GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

In this episode of the Square Pizza Pod, Greg welcomes Corey Carlesimo, CEO of Prospect HQ, and returning guest Dewey Norwood to talk about Prospect HQ, a purpose-driven hiring platform built to connect current and former student athletes with employers who value leadership, resilience, and cultural fit. They break down how Prospect HQ is rethinking the hiring process by helping athletes reflect more deeply on their values, strengths, and long-term purpose while giving employers a more authentic way to identify talent that can strengthen workplace culture.

Cory and Dewey also share why they believe student athletes are uniquely prepared to lead in today’s workforce, how their own experiences in sports and corporate leadership shaped the vision for the platform, and why culture, authenticity, and community matter just as much as credentials in helping people find the right opportunities.

In this episode, you’ll learn more about:

• Why Cory and Dewey believe student athletes are one of the most overlooked and high-impact talent pools in today’s workforce
• How Prospect HQ is helping athletes move beyond just finding a job to discovering a clearer path to purpose
• What makes the platform different from a traditional job board, including its focus on cultural fit, reflection, mentorship, and authentic storytelling
• How sports, coaching, failure, and teamwork prepare student athletes to thrive far beyond the field, court, or diamond

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