LiberatED Podcast

The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. This weekly podcast is hosted by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and Director of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab. A regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74, Kerry is the bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), and the author of the new book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (Hachette, 2025). She has a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and a master's degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter at edentrepreneur.org.

LiberatED Podcast is a education podcast hosted by Kerry McDonald, with 409 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Kerry McDonald hosts LiberatED Podcast, a education show with 409 episodes published.

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  Episode #410

  Inspiring Youth Entrepreneurs with Lemonade School

  Sep 29, 202619 minS6

  Kym Kent, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the FEE Education Entrepreneurship Lab, is joined today by Chris Stolte, founder of The Lemonade School , an online curriculum designed to teach children how to build real businesses from the ground up. Chris shares how his own entrepreneurial background and the experience of raising three young kids led him to create a program that takes children from basic business lessons all the way to running a real business with real customers, real products, and real profits. Kym and Chris talk about why homeschoolers and microschoolers are especially primed for this kind of hands-on learning, how the platform builds financial literacy skills like budgeting and reinvestment, and why starting entrepreneurship education early sets kids up for tomorrow's economy. This is a great listen for any parent looking to spark their child's inner entrepreneur! *** Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.

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  Episode #408

  Saving Recess with Dr. Cathy Ramstetter

  Sep 22, 202650 minS6

  What if recess isn't a break from learning, but an essential part of it? The Education Entrepreneurship Lab's Nasiyah Isra-Ul talks with health educator Dr. Cathy Ramstetter, co-author of the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on recess and author of the new book Why Recess Matters . They explore how unstructured, child-directed play supports social connection, cognitive performance, academic engagement, and school attendance—and why students need it from elementary school through 12th grade. Dr. Ramstetter also shares practical ideas for creating inclusive play environments, explains the inequities caused by withholding recess as punishment, and invites educators to embrace a more curious and joyful "recess mindset." *** Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.

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  Episode #407

  Microschool Makers Series #2: Building A Sustainable School

  Sep 18, 202654 minS6

  Welcome to the Microschool Makers Series, a three-part September series in collaboration with KaiPod to equip aspiring school founders with the inspiration and information needed to launch a successful, sustainable school! If you missed our first episode, Developing Your Vision , be sure to listen to that discussion featuring school founders from Arizona, Texas, and Georgia. In this second episode, Kerry McDonald, Director of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab , talks with Amar Kumar, Founder & CEO of KaiPod Learning, and three founders about what it takes to build a sustainable schooling model. Our guests include Amy Anderson, founder of Wildwood Field School , a Montessori-inspired microschool in Davenport, Florida; Erica Peterson, founder of Endless Possibilities Academy in Humble, Texas; and Yalonda Chandler, founder of Legacy Builders Academy in Gardendale, Alabama. Visit KaiPod for more information about this episode—and for resources and tips to start your own microschool! Tune in next Friday for our third conversation: Leading A Thriving School. *** Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.

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  Episode #405

  Microschool Makers Series #1: Developing Your Vision

  Sep 11, 20261h 2mS6

  Welcome to the Microschool Makers Series, a three-part September series in collaboration with KaiPod to equip aspiring school founders with the inspiration and information needed to launch a successful, sustainable school! Every microschool starts with a clear vision — and the clearest ones sit at the intersection of what a founder is uniquely good at, what their community actually needs, and what can grow into something sustainable. In this first episode, Kerry McDonald, Director of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, talks with Amar Kumar, Founder & CEO of KaiPod Learning, and three founders who had different visions for building their schools. Tom Dowell is the founder and Head of School of Moreana Boys Academy in Gilbert, Arizona, which he launched in 2024. A former public school teacher, Tom created an all-boys model centered on personalized academics, mentorship, hands-on learning, and character development. Gepre Henderson is the founder of BOSS Learning Academy in Douglasville, Georgia, which she opened in 2025. Drawing on more than 14 years of experience in education, she has built a STEM-focused K–5 microschool that emphasizes hands-on learning, student ownership, small groups, and a community that feels like an extension of the family. And Brittany Lopez is the founder of Brighter Futures Microschool in Arlington, Texas that just opened this month! As a certified special education teacher and professional educational therapist, Brittany designed her school specifically for students with learning, language, and social differences, placing targeted and individualized instruction at the heart of the model. Visit KaiPod for more information about this episode—and for resources and tips to start your own microschool! Tune in next Friday for our second conversation in this series: Building A Sustainable School. *** Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.

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  Episode #404

  School's Out: An Interview with Mickey Revenaugh

  Sep 8, 202638 minS6

  What changes when the way we think about education starts to shift? The Education Entrepreneurship Lab's Nasiyah Isra-Ul speaks with Mickey Revenaugh, an author, innovator, and co-founder of Connections Academy, about her new book, School's Out: Why Families Are Choosing Unconventional Education , that discusses this very topic. From the early days of Connections Academy to the post-pandemic surge in alternative education, Mickey traces the ideas that changed how families think about school, technology, and success. Together, Nasiyah and Mickey connect the past with the present, answering some of the hot-button questions parents are asking now: What do kids actually need? What counts as a good outcome? And how do we build learning models that keep curiosity alive? Visit the Education Entrepreneurship Lab for a steady stream of new articles and fresh content—by school founders, for school founders.

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