Eleni Soler: How Entrepreneurial Thinking Can Transform K–12 Education

About this episode

In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Eleni Soler—founder of Eleni’s Edge, educator, systems strategist, and certified coach—about how entrepreneurial thinking can inform the design of K–12 learning in a volatile, uncertain world. The conversation examines how inquiry-based learning, AI-powered ideation, and coaching practices can increase student agency while supporting educators and leaders to redesign their roles without burnout.​​

Key takeaways:

• An explanation of what an entrepreneurial mindset looks like in K–12 settings and why it matters for all students, not only future business founders.​
• Specific approaches for fostering curiosity, risk-taking, and psychological safety in classrooms, including using story to teach math, silence as a thinking tool, and clear structures to keep creative environments from becoming chaotic.​​
• Considerations for using generative AI in ways that support critical thinking, and for applying coaching conversations to strengthen culture, feedback, and distributed leadership.

Resources:

• Learn more about Eleni’s coaching, speaking, and consulting: https://www.elenisedge.com​
• Book Eleni for workshops or keynotes: eleni@elenisedge.com​
• Also mentioned: The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer; the “VUCA” concept (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity); using silence as a thinking tool; three paradoxes for structuring creative classrooms without chaos.