The number one thing we hear from entrepreneurs and artists and creatives when we ask them about their education is about how irrelevant it was to their story. Sure, some folks had wonderful educational experiences, but for many their experiences left them feeling ill prepared for life and their careers. So, we wanted to create a space for folks to share their experiences and ideas for how we can improve our educational system.

Jason Gulya

I’d create an education system that was focused more on learning and less on grade-getting and point-collecting. In my experience, so much of education is compliance-based and about testing whether students can predict what someone with authority already wants to hear from them. I would love to see an education system that was far more invested in practices like self-reflection, self-directed learning, and student agency. Read More>>

Anh Lee

The education system we currently have in place, including K-12, Higher Education, and workplace learning, is based on models established over a century ago—usually emphasizing rote memorization and rooted in the desire to showcase objective standards of achievement. This is reflected in the overemphasis on test scores and other “quantifiable” indicators. The unbalanced focus on achieving the right answers conflicts with how we are naturally wired to learn: through experimentation, exploration, failure, feedback, and adaptation. Read More>>

Chelsea Biggerstaff

If I could change one thing about the education system, it would be to shift our focus away from bureaucracy and checking boxes toward helping students understand the why behind what they’re learning. Too often, education gets bogged down in red tape, and students leave classrooms with grades and requirements completed but without a sense of purpose or curiosity. Read More>>

Rochelle Zamani

I graduated in 2007 into a hiring freeze with a portfolio of pretty layouts, and no proof I could solve real problems. Freelancing forced me to learn strategy, user research, collaboration, and picking an industry lane. Once I framed work around outcomes, who the user is, what they need more opportunities came. Read More>>

Madeline Muller

I would change the education system to create more opportunities for students to fail without consequences. Failure is one of the most powerful teachers, yet most of us grow up terrified of it. Read More>>

Michael Butcher

In college, we were never taught the business side of photography. In particular, the importance of contracts and getting legal advice. Education in the arts needs a more practical emphasis on running a business and the pitfalls that can come with it. Read More>>

Deahna Joi

If I could change one thing about the education system, it would be making financial literacy and entrepreneurship a core part of every student’s experience. Read More>>