What It Really Means to Be an “EdTEch Influencer”

Each year, EdTech Digest highlights leaders helping shape the future of learning, bringing together voices from schools, research, policy, and the edtech industry. Last week, I was honored to be named one of the Top 100 Influencers in EdTech by EdTech Digest in 2026.

It’s one of those recognitions that makes you pause for a moment; and not because of the title itself, but because of the company you’re in.

When I looked through the list, I saw an incredible range of leaders working to improve education: founders, district CTOs, principals, superintendents, nonprofit leaders, researchers, CEOs, and product builders. Each of them approaching the future of learning from a different vantage point.

And that range of perspectives struck me as the most important part of the recognition, because education has never moved forward because of one idea or one type of leader.

Progress happens when people working in different parts of the system begin to see the same challenges from new angles.

Influence in Education Looks Different

The word influencer can feel a little strange in education.

In many spaces online, the term conjures images of follower counts, algorithms, or personal branding strategies.

But in education, influence tends to look very different.

Real influence in education isn’t about visibility alone; it’s about impact on the systems that shape teaching and learning every day.

The Mosaic of EdTech

One of the things I appreciated most about this year’s list was how clearly it reflected the ecosystem of people shaping education today.

They are working inside schools, building the tools schools rely on, studying what works, and advocating for better policies.

Each group sees a different part of the picture, but none of us sees the entire system alone.

That’s why some of the most important progress in education happens when those perspectives begin to connect rather than compete.

When educators talk directly with product builders.

When district leaders partner with researchers.

When policy conversations include the voices of the people actually implementing the work inside schools.

The future of learning isn’t built by any single group.

It’s built through collaboration across the entire ecosystem.

Why District Voices Matter

I’m especially grateful to represent the district leadership perspective in this recognition.

Because the most important voices in edtech should always include the people inside schools: the educators and leaders who see the impact of these decisions every day.

Working inside school systems gives you a unique vantage point. You see the promise of innovation, but you also see the complexity of the systems that support teaching and learning. Every decision touches multiple layers: classrooms, infrastructure, policy, budgets, community trust, and long-term sustainability. Leadership in education often means holding all of those realities at once while still moving the system forward.

We see the opportunities technology creates for teaching and learning. We also see the complexity of implementing those tools in real classrooms with real students, real teachers, real schedules, and real budgets. We’re constantly translating between worlds.

Between innovation and practicality.

Between possibility and responsibility.

Between what technology can do and what schools actually need.

That translation work may not always be visible, but it is essential.

Because when the gap between innovation and implementation grows too wide, even the best ideas struggle to take hold.

Technology Is Only Part of the Story

One of the things that becomes clear very quickly when you work in this field is that technology alone doesn’t transform education.

The most successful innovations in schools don’t start with tools.

They start with questions like:

• What do students need to thrive?
• How can we better support teachers?
• What systems help schools build trust with their communities?

Technology can help us answer those questions. It can help personalize learning, save teachers time, improve communication with families, and uncover insights that help us support students earlier and more effectively.

But the technology itself is never the goal.

The goal is always the same: better outcomes for students and stronger support for the people who serve them.

Grateful for the Community

Recognition like this is never really about one person.

It reflects the mentors who guided you, the colleagues who challenge your thinking, the educators who inspire your work, and the communities you have the privilege to serve.

I’m incredibly grateful to be part of a field filled with people who care deeply about improving education.

People who are asking hard questions about how technology should serve learning.

People who are working every day to make schools stronger, more connected, and more responsive to the needs of students and families.

Those collective efforts will shape the future of learning, and I’m honored to be part of that conversation.

One of the things I appreciate most about this recognition is the reminder that education moves forward because of a community of leaders, not just a few visible voices.

Across schools, districts, research organizations, and edtech companies, there are countless people doing thoughtful work to improve learning for students and support educators. Many of them will never appear on lists like this, but their contributions shape the future of education every single day.

A Final Thought

If there’s one thing this recognition reminds me of, it’s this:

The future of edtech shouldn’t just be built for schools.

It should be built with the people who lead them.

Because the best innovation in education always begins with the same place:

Students. Teachers. And the systems that support them.