future of work

Future of Work

Harnessing Flow: From Hollywood to Remote Work with Steven Puri Founder & CEO The Sukha Company

Host Mike Palmer is joined by ⁠Steven Puri⁠, founder and CEO of ⁠The Sukha Company⁠. Before building tools for deep work, Puri was a senior executive at major motion picture studios, overseeing production on blockbusters like Independence Day and Braveheart, and managing franchises like Die Hard and Wolverine. He shares how the same rigorous focus required to produce massive films can be applied to modern productivity through the concept of Flow—a state popularized by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

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Future of Work

The State of Workforce Development in 2026 with Paul Fain

Paul Fain, the founder of ⁠Work Shif⁠t and author of ⁠The Job ⁠newsletter, returns to ⁠Trending in Education ⁠ for a look at the state of workforce development in 2026. He describes a challenging environment for early-career professionals where emerging technologies are driving significant shifts in hiring and job stability. While four-year degree holders often dominate the media discourse, Paul emphasizes the critical need to report on non-degree workers, particularly those in clerical and administrative roles who face high risks from automation.

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Future of Work

Career Exploration in the Age of AI with Gina Worthey, Steve Jurch, and Shalin Jyotishi

How do we prepare Gen Z for a workforce being reshaped by Artificial Intelligence? Recorded live from the National Youth Apprenticeship Summit in Alexandria, Virginia, this episode explores the “Wild West” of the modern innovation economy and the vital role of youth apprenticeships in building future-ready career pathways.

Host Mike Palmer is joined by three experts to discuss the intersection of emerging technology, educational equity, and early career development.

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AI

AI-Powered Learning in the Flow of Work with Michael Ioffe, CoFounder and CEO of Arist

Welcome to an inspiring conversation on the future of learning with Michael Ioffe, founder of ⁠Arist⁠, a company doing really interesting work in education. Michael is a Forbes 30 under 30 and a Thiel fellow. Michael joins host Mike Palmer to share his journey, beginning with his early obsession with education, influenced by his parents who were refugees. His experiences, including scaling free live conversations with entrepreneurs to 500 cities in 50 countries by age 18, led to a critical insight in a war zone in Yemen: the best way to deliver learning where educational resources and internet access are limited is via text message. This led to building Arist, which focuses on meeting people where they are and making learning conversational and digestible.

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Future of Work

Credential Transparency and the Future of Work with Scott Cheney

On this episode of ⁠Trending in Education⁠, Mike Palmer sits down with Scott Cheney, CEO of ⁠Credential Engine⁠, to discuss the evolving landscape of credentials and their vital role in shaping our future workforce. They delve into the complexities of a skills-based economy, the challenges of translating diverse experiences into recognized credentials, and the crucial need for transparency and common standards in education and employment data.

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Higher Education

Bridging the Experience Gap: Dana Stephenson on Work-Based Learning and Higher Ed

In this dynamic episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer connects with Dana Stephenson, co-founder and CEO of Riipen, live from SXSW EDU in Austin. We dive into how Riipen is revolutionizing higher education and the workforce by tackling the critical experience gap head-on. Discover how their innovative platform seamlessly connects students and companies through impactful, skill-specific projects.

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Education

Pathways to Impact: Jarian Kerekes on Education and Social Mobility

Jarian Kerekes, President of the Equitable Foundation, joins Mike Palmer on Trending in Education to share his personal and professional journey, highlighting the transformative power of education and the importance of finding one’s passion. From his challenging upbringing in rural Virginia to his impactful work at the Equitable Foundation, Kerekes’ story is one of resilience, determination, and a deep commitment to opening up higher education pathways for underserved students. Here’s the link to NCAN also discussed in the episode.  

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Higher Education

Who Needs College Anymore? with Author Kathleen deLaski

Kathleen deLaski, author of Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter joins host Mike Palmer for a candid conversation about the future of higher education. With rising college costs and a shifting job market, many are questioning the value of a traditional college degree. We dig into it with Kathleen who brings her unique blend of experience at the Education Design Lab and beyond to bear on the conversation.

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Education

Thriving on Disruption with Roger Spitz

Roger Spitz is the Author of the new book Disrupt with Impact. He’s also the President of Techistential and the Chairman of Disruptive Futures Institute. This is a bonus episode from when Mike first interviewed him about The Definitive Guide to Thriving on Disruption which he coauthored. We look forward to having Roger back on to talk about his new book, Disrupt with Impact, soon.

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Future of Work

Building a Future Ready Workforce with Joshua Wright

In this episode of Trending in Education, Mike Palmer sits down with Josh Wright, Executive Vice President of Growth, Education and Government for Lightcast, to discuss the future of work and workforce demographic shifts. We dive deep into Lightcast’s report “The Rising Storm: Building a Future Ready Workforce to Withstand the Looming Labor Shortage.” Josh shares insights on the demographic drought facing the workforce, including accelerated baby boomer retirements, declining birth rates, and decreasing labor force participation.

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Higher Education

Helping Folks Finish Up Higher Education with Terah Crews

Host Mike Palmer goes in-depth on the “some college, no degree” crisis with Terah Crews, CEO of ReUp Education. A startling 41 million American adults – roughly 1 in 6 – have incomplete college credits but no degree. Crews powerfully argues that ignoring this population exacerbates enrollment, workforce, and wage gaps across society.

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