How to Use the Rigor of Academia, the Technology of Silicon Valley, and the Magic of Hollywood to Teach In-Demand Tech Skills

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About the Episode

Podium Education partners with universities to launch and run for-credit tech skills programs, delivered 100% online.

They help schools provide all students, regardless of major, with skills for a great career in the modern workforce.

COVID-19 has accelerated higher education's adoption rate of new learning styles and formats"Śand it's also brought into question the real value of higher ed for many students. While many ed tech startups like Lambda School and General Assembly are growing into real competitors to higher ed, Podium is trying to bring these sorts of offerings INTO traditional institutions.

On this week's episode, Zach sits down with Chris Parrish, Podium's President of University Partnerships, to discuss the future of learning design, enrollment marketing, and student recruitment.

Our favorite question from this interview? Zach asks Chris to "Describe what the first semester of freshman year looks like for students in 2025 in terms of coursework, learning structure, and learning process." Chris' answer is remarkable!

People in this episode

Host

Mallory Willsea

Mallory Willsea is a strategist and consultant working at the intersection of higher education.

Seth Odell

Seth Odell is Founder and CEO of Kanahoma, the fastest growing digital marketing agency in higher education, and host of The Higher Ed Pulse.

Interviewee

Chris Parrish

Chris Parrish is Podium Education's President of University Partnerships. He is a perennial optimist and enjoys building teams, products and partnerships that thrive in challenging environments. After jobs in investment banking and consulting, Chris began his career in higher education a decade ago by helping institutions like UC Berkeley, Rice, and Pepperdine launch degrees in emerging technology areas like data analytics. He has worked with dozens of colleges and universities to design and launch unique programming that both drives enrollment and increases student ROI.

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