We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Peter Kraft a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Peter, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Tracy and I have been building in the EdTech space together for more than two decades. We have always approached it as partners in life and in business, an “EdTech power couple” in every sense. Along the way, we have started and successfully sold three companies. Each one taught us something invaluable about how technology can either empower or distract students, and how schools and families need tools that are practical, scalable, and centered on people. Those lessons shaped the perspective we bring to every new idea.
The spark for Wisdom Circuits came at a moment when we were watching AI sweep into classrooms almost overnight. Students were turning to tools like ChatGPT to generate instant answers. On the surface, it looked like a leap forward, but as entrepreneurs who had spent years studying how students learn, we immediately saw the risks. These tools were skipping over the hard but essential steps of learning: persistence, problem solving, and comprehension. Teachers were worried, parents were unsure, and students were caught in between.
That was the “aha” moment. Instead of AI replacing the learning process, what if it could strengthen it? We envisioned an AI learning companion that did not just hand over answers, but guided students through the work, prompting them to show their thinking, scaffolding practice, and encouraging reflection. That is how Wisdom Circuits was born.
We knew it was worthwhile for three reasons:
Unsolved Problem. No one else was addressing the tension between powerful AI and authentic learning. Everyone was chasing speed and efficiency, but few were asking how AI could actually make students better learners.
Unique Approach. We infused learning science into the design, so the AI is not just “smart,” it is intentional, helping students build confidence and mastery step by step.
Personal Excitement. What got us most energized was realizing we could take all the lessons from our past ventures and build something transformative at exactly the right moment.
For us, Wisdom Circuits is not just another EdTech company. It is the culmination of years of working side by side, raising our own children through school, and listening to educators around the world. It is a chance to prove that AI can be a partner in education, not a shortcut.
Peter, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Tracy and I sometimes joke that we have raised both a family and a business career at the same time. Over the last twenty years we have built and sold three education technology companies, and along the way we have had the privilege of working with more than ten thousand schools, both K through 12 and higher education. That experience has been the foundation for everything we are doing today with our newest venture, Wisdom Circuits.
Wisdom Circuits is our answer to one of the biggest questions in education right now: how do we harness the power of AI without letting it replace real learning? Instead of giving students shortcuts or instant answers, Wisdom Circuits acts as a learning companion. It guides students through their work step by step, encourages them to show their thinking, and uses proven learning science to build confidence and mastery. Every student gets a personalized experience with tools like practice tests, flashcards, speech to text, text to speech, and support in any language. Teachers gain a partner that reinforces instruction, and parents get the peace of mind that their child is practicing, reflecting, and growing rather than just “getting through” assignments.
Our work has always centered around one big idea: education changes lives, but only when students are truly engaged in the process. Technology can either be a distraction or a bridge to better learning, and our passion is building tools that make the second option possible. What sets us apart is not just the technology itself, but the way we listen to teachers, students, and parents and design solutions that fit into their lives rather than asking them to fit into ours.
We are most proud of the trust we have built. From small rural schools to large universities, our partners know that we stand by them. We roll up our sleeves, we listen, and we create technology that helps their students thrive. The fact that so many schools have chosen to work with us over the years is the greatest validation of our mission.
What we hope people take away about us is that we are both serious about impact and lighthearted in how we approach it. We love what we do, and we love doing it together (yes, we are both medicated:). For us, the real reward is knowing that something we built can make a student feel more confident, a teacher feel more supported, or a parent feel more connected. That is the heart of our work, and it is what keeps us excited every single day.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When we look back on the early days, one of the clearest images that comes to mind is us pulling into a McDonald’s parking lot at sunrise after driving through the night. We would duck into the bathroom, change into our suits, grab a quick coffee, and then head straight into a school district meeting as if we were the most established company in the world. The truth was, we were building from nothing but belief, and those mornings in fast food restrooms became part of our routine.
We had plenty of reasons to give up. Our parents worried that we were taking on too much risk and more than once asked if it was time to stop and get “real jobs.” But we always told them the same thing: we were much closer to making it work than to turning back. And in our hearts, we knew that was true. We kept pushing, knocking on doors, and breaking through walls that seemed immovable at first.
The breakthrough moments did not come overnight, but they came. One deal led to another, then another, until we realized we had carved out real traction. Looking back, that period was the definition of resilience. It was not glamorous, but it was gritty, determined, and fueled by equal parts passion and stubbornness.
What makes us smile now is remembering that we never stopped showing up, even when it meant getting dressed for a business meeting in a McDonald’s restroom. That willingness to do whatever it took is what carried us through and set the stage for everything that followed.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I think what helped us build our reputation most was the decision to be in the field ourselves as founders. A lot of CEOs and founders prefer to hand off sales quickly so they can spend their time on strategy. We went the other direction. I wanted to be the one sitting across from superintendents, principals, and teachers, hearing firsthand what they needed and where the pain points really were.
That choice made all the difference. In those early meetings, I could tell right away when an idea clicked, when our messaging was off, and when we were really solving a problem. You just don’t get that kind of insight from a sales report. It gave us the chance to adjust almost daily—whether it was refining a feature, sharpening how we explained value, or even rethinking pricing so it matched the realities of schools.
Over time, this approach built our reputation for listening. Schools felt heard. They trusted that we weren’t just dropping off technology and disappearing, but were genuinely invested in their success. And when we finally scaled with a sales team, they weren’t starting cold. They had a playbook that had already been tested and proven in the field.
In hindsight, it wasn’t just about sales—it was about culture. We built our companies around the principle of listening first and scaling second. That willingness to stay close to the work, close to the customer, is what gave us staying power and helped us earn the reputation we have today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wisdomcircuits.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petekraft/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kraftpeter/
- Twitter: https://x.com/KraftPeter
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WisdomCircuits
