Episode Details

• Date: 2026-02-16
• Duration: ~7 minutes
• Speakers: Leo Zhadanovsky (Host, Enterprise Technologist for Education at AWS), Gayathri Rengarajan (Guest, Associate Director of Data Science at PowerSchool)

Episode Summary

In this special re:Invent episode, Gayathri from PowerSchool shares the journey of building Power Buddy, an AI-powered learning assistant that evolved from a hackathon project to a full suite of products serving over 60 million K-12 students. The conversation focuses on implementing robust content filtering using fine-tuned models on AWS SageMaker, addressing student safety concerns while reducing false positives, and the future of agentic AI in education technology.

Key Discussion Points

• Evolution of Power Buddy from hackathon project to production suite
• Implementation of strict content filtering for student safety in AI interactions
• Challenge of balancing safety with reducing false positive notifications for administrators
• Fine-tuning smaller models (Llama 8B) for domain-specific content filtering

Featured Technologies

• Llama 8 billion parameter model
• AWS SageMaker AI

Key Takeaways

• Fine-tuning smaller models for specific educational use cases reduced false positive rates to less than 3%
• Technology stack and models should remain flexible while keeping security, reliability, and scalability constant
• Close collaboration with cloud providers accelerates AI implementation and optimization
• The future of EdTech AI is moving toward agentic systems with improved observability and evaluation capabilities

Resources Mentioned

• AWS SageMaker AI
• Llama model family
• AWS Agent Core
• AWS Bedrock

Tags

#EdTech #K12Education #AWS #AI #MachineLearning #StudentSafety #ContentFiltering #PowerSchool #SageMaker #AgenticAI #reInvent

Episode Details:

• Duration: ~29 minutes
• Host: Bret Pontillo
• Guests:
• Bharath Prabhakaran - VP and Chief Digital Officer, University of Cincinnati
• Josette Riep - AVP of Integrated Data Engineering and Application Services, University of Cincinnati

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Bret Pontillo sits down with two leaders from the University of Cincinnati to discuss their comprehensive digital transformation journey. Bharath Prabhakaran and Josette Riep share insights on modernizing a 200+ year old institution serving 54,000 students across three campuses. They discuss their four-pillar approach to digital transformation, including operational excellence, cybersecurity, modernization, and innovation through AI and data analytics. The conversation covers their implementation of modern data architecture using AWS, Snowflake, and Informatica, the launch of their AI enablement community of practice, and their vision for personalized learning experiences powered by agentic AI.

Key Discussion Points:

• Four-pillar digital transformation framework: operational excellence, cybersecurity/resiliency, modernization, and innovation
• Centralization of distributed IT operations across colleges and units
• Implementation of Bearcat Insights platform using AWS, Snowflake, and Informatica
• Launch of AI enablement community of practice with 75+ use cases submitted
• Development of Bearcat Portal as unified student experience platform
• Transition from data silos to integrated enterprise data strategy
• Building CMMC compliant research enclave on AWS
• Addressing the demographic cliff and enrollment challenges in higher education

Key Takeaways:

• Digital transformation requires focus on people, process, and technology - in that order
• Building trust with data owners is critical for breaking down data silos
• Innovation must come from the edge, not the center - community-driven approach works
• Change leadership and relationship building are essential in higher education governance
• Workforce upskilling is critical to prepare teams for AI-enabled future
• Personalized learning at scale will be enabled through agentic AI workflows

Resources Mentioned:

• University of Cincinnati "Next Lives Here" strategic direction
• CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification)

Tags:

#HigherEducation #DigitalTransformation #AWS #DataStrategy #AI #EdTech #CyberSecurity #StudentExperience #Innovation #UniversityOfCincinnati #Bearcats #CloudComputing #ModernDataArchitecture

Episode Details:

• Duration: ~32 minutes
• Date: 2026-01-26
• Speakers: Bret Pontillo (Host), Ludo Francois (CEO & Founder, TrackIt), Brad Winett (President & Partner, TrackIt)

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Bret Pontillo sits down with TrackIt's leadership team to explore how system integrators are transforming education through AWS cloud solutions. Ludo Francois and Brad Winett share their journey from traditional infrastructure to cloud-native solutions, discussing how they're helping educational institutions leverage streaming media, AI, and custom applications. The conversation covers everything from virtual classroom technology to innovative partnerships with institutions like Epitech Paris, demonstrating how cloud technology is making education more accessible and engaging.

Key Discussion Points:

• TrackIt's evolution from storage infrastructure to AWS-focused system integrator
• Building custom streaming solutions for educational content delivery
• Monetization strategies for educational media (ad insertion, subscription models)
• Virtual classroom technology and student experience optimization
• Partnership model with Epitech Paris for hands-on AWS training
• AI applications in education (curriculum building, virtual tutors, automated testing)
• Custom video platforms as alternatives to YouTube for educational content

Featured Technologies:

• Amazon CloudFront
• AWS IVS (Interactive Video Service)
• Amazon ECS and EKS (Kubernetes)
• Custom CDN solutions
• AI/ML services for education

Key Takeaways:

• Cloud technology enables educational institutions to transition from in-person to virtual classrooms effectively
• Custom streaming platforms provide educators with full control over content monetization and user experience
• Hands-on, lab-based training programs accelerate cloud skills development for students
• AI is transforming education through personalized tutoring, automated assessment, and curriculum development
• Strategic partnerships between tech companies and educational institutions create symbiotic learning opportunities

Resources Mentioned:

• Trackflix (custom Netflix-like platform for education)
• Epitech Paris Graduate School of Digital Innovation
• AWS SkillBuilder
• TrackIt Medium articles
• TrackIt YouTube channel

Tags:

#EdTech #AWS #CloudComputing #StreamingMedia #VirtualClassroom #AIinEducation #HigherEducation #SystemIntegrator #DigitalTransformation #StudentExperience