Sound*Bytes - Blog & Interviews


Andrew Nartker — Google

Andrew Nartker is the Product Manager for Google’s Cardboard viewer – bringing as he says access to virtual reality to every one. Compared with expensive headsets, Google’s Cardboard is designed to make the immersive experience affordable and fun.

Aparna Chennapragada — Google

Aparna Chennapragada is Director of Product at Google focused on mobile and Android. Her 15 year career spans the Internet sector across product management, strategy and engineering leadership. Prior to Google Ms. Chennapragada worked at Akamai and Oracle. She is a graduate of IIT in Madras, University of Texas in Austin, and MIT.

Betsy Corcoran — Edsurge

Betsy Corcoran runs EdSurge – a news and community site for everything in education technology entrepreneurship. Formerly Executive Editor, Technology at Forbes, and before that at the Washington Post, she’s had a distinguished career in covering high tech, both in Silicon Valley and in government.

Bjorn Jeffrey — Toca Boca

Bjorn Jeffery is the CEO of Toca Boca, a play studio that makes software for children on tablets and touchscreen devices. Toca Boca describes its products as digital toys and it has been extraordinarily successful with over 100 million downloads.

Micheal Elman — Budge Studios

Micheal Elman is co-founder of Budge Studios who create apps for many leading brands – including Barbie, Thomas & Friends, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, The Smurfs, Miss Hollywood, Hello Kitty and Crayola. Budge Studios is based in Quebec, Canada.

Jeffrey Hayzlett — The C-Suite Network

Jeffrey Hayzlett is proof positive that more is never enough! A brilliantly compelling master marketeer, Jeffrey brings a unique style to his C-Suite Network – a series of tools, and digital venues for business executives with those CXX titles. A prolific author with plenty to say, Jeffrey Hayzlett is exactly what he says – thinking […]

Dan Gregory — The Impossible Institute

Dan Gregory is one half on an extraordinary Australian duo – The Impossible Institute – who have a knack of turning the mundane into the marvelous. A behavioral scientist by training, with a sparkling wit, Dan takes a business problem, turns it upside down and creates a compelling solution. Hear Dan explain what he does:

Linda Kaplan Thaler — Publicis Kaplan Thaler

If you know the AFLAC duck, or you’ve heard of Kodak moments. If you’ve secretly grinned at the Herbal Essence commercial of the girl in the shower – you’ve seen and enjoyed the unmistakeable work of Linda Kaplan Thaler. Learn more about this incredibly creative advertising genius in our conversation here. And buy her book […]

Mark Wolfe — Reading Rainbow

Mark Wolfe — RRKIDZ, the home of Reading Rainbow When the PBS Reading Rainbow TV show ended in 2009 after 26 years on air host LeVar Burton and Mark Wolfe bought the rights so they could continue to encourage today’s kids to read and savor the written word. With today’s literacy rates dropping fast, Mark […]

Lyle Underkoffler — The Walt Disney Company

Lyle Underkoffler – The Walt Disney Company Lyle Underkoffler has one of the best jobs in the world. He’s Vice President of Digital Media at The Walt Disney Company. He leads the development and management of digital strategy making Disney the leading resource for children’s digital content. Lyle is soft spoken and very focused. He […]

Keith Teare — Chat Center

Keith Teare – Chat Center A renaissance man of rare intelligence with an extraordinary range of skills, Keith is at home in just about any corner of the globe. Born in the UK, Keith has been instrumental in the creation of several IT companies, the latest of which is Chat Center. Chat Center makes it […]

Jinny Gudmundsen — USA Today

Jinny Gudmundsen – Columnist at USA Today Kinney is the author of the Kid-Tech Column for USA Today is a nationally recognized expert on technology for children. She is also the author of iPad Apps for Kids For Dummies and the co-author The Parent’s Pocket Guide to Kids & Computers. A prolific and highly respected […]

Barry O’Neill — StoryToys

Barry O’Neill – Chairman & CEO of StoryToys For over 20 years Barry O’Neill has been absorbed by technology for kids. From various positions in Eircom, Ireland’s telecommunications company, including CEO of its multimedia publishing division. While he lives in Dublin, Barry seems to spend most of his time in the air – attending conferences […]

Stuart Dredge — The Guardian

Every now and then there’s a journalist covering the tech world that everyone reads. They become household names, and their comments and thoughts are highly sought after. Stuart Dredge writes for The Guardian, a UK based newspaper that’s becoming known in the US for its direct reporting, candor and honesty.

Tony Hsieh — Zappos

When Tony Hsieh decided to sell shoes on line – many observers were skeptical he could make a success of it. Zappos is that success – a company that’s done so well it’s now part of the Amazon empire. And Tony Hsieh – well he’s changing the face of downtown Las Vegas – one storefront, […]

Margery Mayer — Scholastic Education

Until May 2015 Margery Mayer was President of Scholastic Education a position she held for many years. Her tasks was to “develop, market and sell innovative solutions to raise academic achievement.” Her focus was on students facing the greatest challenges a job she described as being fueled by impatience. with the goal of breaking the […]

Justin Kitch — curious.com

Smart and very focused, Justin Kitch is a serial entrepreneur using technology to enrich the lives of consumers. Curious, his most recent company, was created to bring lifelong learning from teachers who have a lot to give to those who want to learn for its own sake.

Danae Ringelmann — Indiegogo

  While there are several options when it comes to crowdfunding, your project is more likely to succeed when the funding is flexible.Co-founder of Indigogo, Danae Ringelmann, says  Indigogo has been helping to raise funding for creative ideas since 2007, and their system can help to boost  awareness and support for any size project.   […]

Trip Hawkins — If You Can

  One of the creators of the modern computer game, Trip Hawkins founded Electronic Arts and is a living legend that still loves to learn and to discover. He talks to Sound*Bytes about his passions and his newest creation, an educational product called “If”.    

Idit Harel — Globaloria

  An exciting concept in digital education from an award-winning expert in making 21st Century technology accessible to kids. Idit Harel, creator of Globaloria, talks with Jan Ziff about how student-created computer games are opening new doors in classrooms around the world.    

John Ingram — Ingram Content Group

  Ingram Content Group has its hand in all types of media content, and chairman John Ingram is excited about its print-on-demand operations. Jan Ziff with John about this expanding field and how it’s bringing down costs and encouraging the spread of new ideas.    

Jon Phillips — Dell Computer

  Remember “Dude You’re Getting a Dell?” The industry’s come a long way since those days, but Dell is still very much a player, with high hopes for expansion in the education sector. Jan Ziff talks with Jon Phillips, Dell’s Managing Director of Education Strategy about his company’s new strategies for the classroom.    

Stewart Alsop — Alsop Louie Partners

  Stewart Alsop is a man of firm opinions. Venture capitalist, man of ideas, and former editor of Inforworld, he’s got a lot to say about the future of technology and education — and he shares his thoughts with Jan Ziff and Allan Davidson in this wide-ranging interview.    

Michael Moe — GSV Capital

  The future of tech in the classroom means an evolution in the industry. Jan Ziff talks with GSV Capital co-founder Michael Moe about current trends for the educational market, and where those trends might lead.    

Guy Kawasaki — Chief Evangelist Canva

  If it’s cool, Guy’s around. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1954 Guy has written 12 books, has started and run at least four companies. He is one of the most immediately recognizable heroes of social media with 1.43 million followers on Twitter, 6.6 million followers on Google + and he’s also on Pinterest and […]

Megan Smith — US CTO

  US CTO appointed by President Barak Obama September 2014. Previously Megan was an executive at Google – VP Google X and VP Business Development. Megan is brilliant – Born in 1964 in Buffalo, NY., she graduated from MIT in 1998 with degrees in Mechanical Engineering. She was even a member of the MIT student […]