302 - Kim Smith on Creating Schools, Companies and the Pahara Institute

<p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style= "font-family: Cambria, serif;">In this week’s episode, Tom virtually sits down with Kim Smith, founder of the Pahara Institute and co-founder of NewSchools Venture Fund and Bellwether Education Partners.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style= "font-family: Cambria, serif;">Kim Smith is widely recognized as an innovative and entrepreneurial leader in education and has been featured in <em>Newsweek</em>’s report, “Women of the 21st Century,” as the kind of woman who will shape America’s new century. Kim was also a founding team member at Teach for America, created and led an Americorps program for community-based leaders and education, managed a business startup, and completed a brief stint in early online learning at Silicon Graphics. She has helped to incubate numerous education and social change organizations and has served on a range of boards.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style= "font-family: Cambria, serif;">In Tom and Kim’s conversation today, they discuss investment opportunities, Kim’s impressive career in identifying and supporting innovations in education, and her advice for this year.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[:09] About today’s episode with Kim Smith.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[1:03] Tom Vander Ark welcomes Kim to the podcast!</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[2:19] Kim shares how both of her parents were also educators and how they influenced her career.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[3:49] How long was Kim at Teach for America?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[3:57] What did Kim do after Teach for America?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[5:17] The origin story of NewSchools Venture Fund.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, se