This Week in Edutainment | Oct 5 - Oct 9
We connect students around the world to primary source experts from a wide variety of topics and subjects. For more information, visit edutainmentlearning.com.
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Dr. Raghu Santanam is the McCord Endowed Chair in Business and Senior Associate Dean for Executive Education, Corporate Partnerships, and Lifelong Learning at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He is also Professor in the Department of Information Systems and Executive Director of AZNext — ASU's workforce accelerator partnership program founded with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor. AZNext objectives are to build a sustainable workforce training infrastructure through paid internships, registered apprenticeships, train-to-hire programs, boot camps, and simulated work experiences that connect learners to industry-defined opportunities in information technology, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, healthcare, and clean energy. His grants related work have resulted in $100M+ in funded programs through agencies such as NSF, DOE, DOL, Koch Foundation, Mastercard Foundation and others.
Dr. Santanam's research focuses on AI strategy, analytics, intelligence augmentation, and digital platforms. His work has appeared in Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly, Management Science, Health Affairs, Journal of Management Information Systems, Journal of Operations Management, Health Services Research, Medical Care Research and Review, and other journals. He recently guest-edited a special issue of Information Systems Research on "Humans, Algorithms, and Augmented Intelligence: The Future of Work, Organizations and Society," and co-authored the October 2025 California Management Review Insights piece "Intelligence Equilibrium: A New Operating Model." He has partnered with a range of organizations on data-intensive decision-making — including IBM, Intel, American Express, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Lallemand, and Mayo Clinic — and has authored several Harvard Business School and Ivey case studies on technology-enabled business transformation.
Dr. Santanam is firmly committed to engaging with the community. He serves on the board of TiE Phoenix, the Governing Body of the Evanta CIO/CISO Executive Summit (Phoenix), and on the Board of Directors of WaveMaker. He has previously served on the Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board, and on the boards of Imaginea Technologies (sold to Accenture) and Spot Cues (sold to UKG). He co-hosts a livecast series titled "AI Innovation Playbook," that is co-sponsored by TiE Phoenix and the W. P. Carey School of Business.
Dr. Santanam was recognized with the Arizona Small Business Association's Fast Lane Leadership Award in 2025, and the W. P. Carey School's Distinguished Career Research Award in 2023. In 2026, he serves as a mentor on the ICIS Doctoral Consortium in Lisbon. He frequently speaks at industry and academic conferences including being a panelist at the ASU-GSV Summit, ASBA, and the Arizona Data Center Conference. He is an Association of Information Systems (AIS) Distinguished member.
Before joining W. P. Carey School, Professor Santanam was a Henry Woodburn Fellow at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He received his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering from the National Institute of Engineering, Mysore, India, his master’s degree in industrial management from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, and a second master’s degree in Computer Science and Ph. D in Information Systems from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Nínive Calegari is an educator, author, filmmaker, and advocate who has dedicated much of her career to supporting teachers and improving education for students.
She began her career as a high school teacher, an experience that inspired her to become a national advocate for educators. She later became the President and Co-Founder of The Teacher Salary Project, an organization focused on raising awareness about teacher compensation and the importance of attracting and keeping talented people in the teaching profession.
Calegari also co-founded 826 Valencia with author Dave Eggers. The nonprofit organization began in San Francisco and helps young people strengthen their writing and communication skills through free tutoring and creative educational programs. Its success helped inspire similar youth writing centers around the country.
She has also worked in filmmaking and co-produced the education documentary American Teacher, which explores the lives of teachers and some of the challenges facing the profession.
Calegari is a graduate of Middlebury College and earned a master's degree in education from Harvard University.
Throughout her career, she has worked to remind people that great teachers can have an enormous impact on a young person's life. Her story gives students an opportunity to learn about education, advocacy, writing, leadership, and how someone can turn an experience in the classroom into a career dedicated to creating change.
John Hennessy is a legendary computer scientist, educator, and technology leader who has been called one of the “Godfathers of Silicon Valley.” He served as President of Stanford University for 16 years and is now Chairman of Alphabet, the parent company of Google.
Long before becoming a major leader in Silicon Valley, Dr. Hennessy was a professor and researcher whose groundbreaking work helped change the way modern computer processors are designed. His contributions earned him the Turing Award, considered one of the highest honors in computer science.
During his years at Stanford, he helped guide a university that became a launching point for some of the world's most influential technology companies and entrepreneurs. He has spent his career at the intersection of education, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, mentoring and working alongside people who went on to change the world.
Dr. Hennessy's journey shows students how curiosity, education, and bold ideas can grow into innovations that impact millions of people around the world.
David Spira is an experience designer, writer, speaker, and one of the world's leading authorities on escape rooms and immersive entertainment. As the co-founder of Room Escape Artist, he has spent more than a decade researching, reviewing, and advancing the rapidly growing field of escape rooms, interactive storytelling, and immersive experiences. Through thousands of published articles, industry reports, podcasts, and speaking engagements, David has helped shape the conversation around what makes immersive experiences engaging, innovative, and memorable.
David is also the co-founder of RECON (Reality Escape Convention), the premier conference dedicated to escape room and immersive gaming professionals, where creators, designers, and business leaders from around the world gather to share ideas, best practices, and innovations. In addition, he co-hosts the Reality Escape Pod, interviewing leading creators across the worlds of escape rooms, themed entertainment, puzzle design, and immersive experiences.
Drawing on his professional background in digital experience design, David approaches escape rooms as a powerful new medium for storytelling, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. His work has been featured by major media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CBS Sunday Morning, and he is widely recognized as one of the industry's foremost advocates for creativity, safety, accessibility, and innovation in immersive entertainment.
Dr. Zahi Hawass is one of the world’s most famous archaeologists and a leading expert on ancient Egypt. Over the course of his career, he has explored some of Egypt’s most extraordinary archaeological sites, studied ancient tombs and royal mummies, and helped uncover new discoveries that continue to reshape what we know about Egyptian history.
He previously served as Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities and has led major archaeological missions at sites including Saqqara and the Valley of the Kings. Dr. Hawass has also helped introduce millions of people around the world to archaeology through books, documentaries, lectures, and television programs.
During his Edutainment Learning conversation, students will have the opportunity to hear about his career as an archaeologist, what it feels like to make discoveries connected to civilizations thousands of years old, and his advice for young people interested in archaeology, history, exploration, and following their curiosity.
Jamey Stegmaier is a board game designer, entrepreneur, author, and publisher best known as the co-founder of Stonemaier Games, the company behind popular games such as Scythe, Wingspan, Viticulture, and Euphoria.
Jamey became interested in games and entrepreneurship at a young age and eventually turned that passion into a successful career. He has designed games, built a publishing company, and shared what he has learned about creativity, business, and leadership with other entrepreneurs.
He is also the author of books about entrepreneurship and crowdfunding, including A Crowdfunder’s Strategy Guide, which helps creators understand how to successfully launch and manage crowdfunding campaigns.
Jamey’s story is a great example of how creativity, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship can turn a hobby into a career. His work shows that building something people love often requires not only great ideas, but also persistence, teamwork, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
Elia Locardi is an award-winning travel photographer, educator, and entrepreneur known for capturing incredible landscapes and cityscapes around the world. He has traveled to more than 100 countries, photographing places from remote mountain ranges to some of the world’s most famous cities.
Elia is also the co-founder of Fstoppers, a popular photography education website, and has taught photographers through workshops, online courses, and speaking engagements. His work has appeared in major publications and has been used by tourism organizations and global brands.
What makes Elia’s story especially interesting is that he turned his passion for travel and photography into a career. He combines creativity, technology, business, and storytelling to show people the world through his photographs. His journey demonstrates how following a passion and developing your skills can open doors to opportunities all over the world.
Edutainment Podcast
Our podcast features bi-weekly episodes that are uploaded to all major streaming platforms. Each episode comes with a downloadable student worksheet to accompany the listening portion!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Edutainment Learning? Edutainment Learning is an online educational platform that connects students and teachers to primary sources of learning from a wide variety of subjects. Our goal is to provide students access to in-person conversations with industry leaders, historical figures, athletes, musicians, and more.
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How do I find the student worksheets? Go to edutainmentlearning.com/podcasts to download free student worksheets.
