At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast

Episode Archive

Episode Archive

36 episodes of At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast since the first episode, which aired on November 20th, 2019.

  • Preparing Students for the AI Future with Jeff Riley (Day of AI)

    January 12th, 2026  |  30 mins 20 secs
    access mentoring, ai in education, at scale podcast, career pathways, career readiness, coaching students, college access, college completion, college mentoring, college to career, community college, community partnerships, economic mobility, edtech, education innovation, education podcast, education technology, educational equity, employability skills, first-generation students, future of work, graduation success, higher education podcast, industry partnerships, k–12 education, k–12 leadership, mentor engagement, mentor stories, mentoring impact, nonprofit leadership, postsecondary education, postsecondary success, program outcomes, rural education, scaling success, skilled workforce, statewide collaboration, student impact, student mentoring, student persistence, student success, teaching innovation, technical college, tennessee education, tennessee employers, tennessee higher education, tennessee podcast, tennessee promise, tennessee students, tennessee workforce, tn promise, tnachieves, volunteer mentors, work-based learning, workforce development, workforce mentoring, workforce podcast

    Former Massachusetts education commissioner Jeff Riley, now leading Day of AI, joins At Scale hosts Ben Sterling and Graham Thomas to discuss how schools, teachers, and students can responsibly integrate artificial intelligence. A must-listen for K–12 administrators, educators, and postsecondary leaders, this episode explores how AI can reduce administrative burdens, personalize learning, and prepare students for the future of work—all while keeping ethics and equity at the forefront.

  •

    Revolutionizing Manufacturing Careers with The Ohio State University's HAMMER

    December 29th, 2025  |  35 mins 33 secs
    access mentoring, at scale podcast, career pathways, career readiness, coaching students, college access, college completion, college mentoring, college to career, community college, community partnerships, economic mobility, education innovation, education podcast, educational equity, employability skills, first-generation students, future of work, graduation success, higher education podcast, industry partnerships, mentor engagement, mentor stories, mentoring impact, nonprofit leadership, postsecondary education, postsecondary success, program outcomes, rural education, scaling success, skilled workforce, statewide collaboration, student impact, student mentoring, student persistence, student success, technical college, tennessee education, tennessee employers, tennessee higher education, tennessee podcast, tennessee promise, tennessee students, tennessee workforce, tn promise, tnachieves, volunteer mentors, work-based learning, workforce development, workforce mentoring, workforce podcast

    In this episode of tnAchieves At Scale, we sit down with Dr. Glenn Daehn and Dr. Samantha Trzinski from The Ohio State University to discuss HAMMER – Hybrid Autonomous Manufacturing, Moving from Evolution to Revolution. They share how HAMMER is advancing cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and creating new pathways for careers in automated and hybrid manufacturing. Tune in to hear how innovation, education, and workforce development are coming together to shape the future of high-tech manufacturing.

  •

    From Exposure to Career: Healthcare in East Tennessee with UT Medical Center

    December 15th, 2025  |  38 mins 43 secs
    access mentoring, at scale podcast, career pathways, career readiness, coaching students, college access, college completion, college mentoring, college to career, community college, community partnerships, economic mobility, education innovation, education podcast, educational equity, employability skills, first-generation students, future of work, graduation success, higher education podcast, industry partnerships, mentor engagement, mentor stories, mentoring impact, nonprofit leadership, postsecondary education, postsecondary success, program outcomes, rural education, scaling success, skilled workforce, statewide collaboration, student impact, student mentoring, student persistence, student success, technical college, tennessee education, tennessee employers, tennessee higher education, tennessee podcast, tennessee promise, tennessee students, tennessee workforce, tn promise, tnachieves, volunteer mentors, work-based learning, workforce development, workforce mentoring, workforce podcast

    Dr. Keith Gray and Craig Pickett from UT Medical Center join the tnAchieves At Scale Podcast to discuss workforce needs in East Tennessee, preparing for allied health careers, and how UT Medical and tnAchieves partner to provide students with job shadowing and career exploration opportunities inside the hospital.

  •

    From Policy to Practice with Senator Bo Watson

    December 1st, 2025  |  47 mins 36 secs
    access mentoring, at scale podcast, career pathways, career readiness, coaching students, college access, college completion, college mentoring, college to career, community college, community partnerships, economic mobility, education innovation, education podcast, educational equity, employability skills, first-generation students, future of work, graduation success, higher education podcast, industry partnerships, mentor engagement, mentor stories, mentoring impact, nonprofit leadership, postsecondary education, postsecondary success, program outcomes, rural education, scaling success, skilled workforce, statewide collaboration, student impact, student mentoring, student persistence, student success, technical college, tennessee education, tennessee employers, tennessee higher education, tennessee podcast, tennessee promise, tennessee students, tennessee workforce, tn promise, tnachieves, volunteer mentors, work-based learning, workforce development, workforce mentoring, workforce podcast

    On this episode of the At Scale podcast, Tennessee Achieves President and CEO Krissy DeAlejandro and Senior Vice President Graham Thomas sit down with Senator Bo Watson, longtime representative of Hamilton County and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Guided by his belief that his role is to “improve quality of life for all Tennesseans,” Senator Watson discusses his path to public service, his approach to the state budget, and his vision for Tennessee’s education and workforce future.

  •

    Exploring Tennessee's College Pathways with Dr. Flora Tydings

    November 17th, 2025  |  38 mins 52 secs
    access mentoring, at scale podcast, career pathways, career readiness, coaching students, college access, college completion, college mentoring, college to career, community college, community partnerships, economic mobility, education innovation, education podcast, educational equity, employability skills, first-generation students, future of work, graduation success, higher education podcast, industry partnerships, mentor engagement, mentor stories, mentoring impact, nonprofit leadership, postsecondary education, postsecondary success, program outcomes, rural education, scaling success, skilled workforce, statewide collaboration, student impact, student mentoring, student persistence, student success, technical college, tennessee education, tennessee employers, tennessee higher education, tennessee podcast, tennessee promise, tennessee students, tennessee workforce, tn promise, tnachieves, volunteer mentors, work-based learning, workforce development, workforce mentoring, workforce podcast

    The TN Promise scholarship offers every high school senior in the state of Tennessee the chance to go to community college or technical school tuition and mandatory fee free. As a partnering organization to the TN Promise scholarship, tnAchieves could not do the work we do without the partnership and support of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit down with TBR’s Chancellor, Dr. Flora Tydings. Tune in to hear how TBR is creating a bridge between students, higher education, the community and businesses across the state.

  • Rural Opportunity Grows in West Tennessee with Lindsey Theobald & Dr. Yancy Freeman

    November 3rd, 2025  |  38 mins 39 secs
    college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

    At tnAchieves, we believe that Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce begins with ensuring that every community—especially our rural ones—as a seat at the table. That means making a commitment to making sure students are skilled, educated and prepared to meet the needs of businesses once they graduate and enter the workforce. In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit down with the CEO of Obion County’s Joint Economic Development Corporation (JEDC), Lindsay Theobald, and UT Martin’s Chancellor, Dr. Yancy Freeman. They talk about their deep love for living and working in rural West Tennessee and ensuring this part of our state is thriving.

  • 2025 Chamber of the Year with Greater Memphis Chamber's Ted Townsend

    October 20th, 2025  |  39 mins 47 secs
    college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

    Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce means having strong relationships with the chambers of commerce across the state. We often sit down with their leaders who wake up each day thinking about the best ways to drive a thriving economy, hire a diverse and talented workforce and attract the best businesses to their area. In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit down with Greater Memphis Chamber President & CEO, Ted Townsend to discuss how to make sure students are ready for the workforce and jobs of tomorrow.

  • Training Tennessee's Workforce with TCAT Presidents Melody Edmonds and Cliff Wightman

    October 6th, 2025  |  46 mins 38 secs
    college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

    At tnAchieves, we like to put a big tent around the word college. College is not just four-year universities. It also includes community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs). While many may think of TCATs as being separate, they DO belong under the college umbrella; the word college is right there in the name! In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit down with TCAT McMinnville President Melody Edmonds and TCAT Upper Cumberland President Cliff Wightman. They talk about their journeys to leading a TCAT and the privilege of training Tennessee’s workforce. They’re also sharing the advantages of enrolling at a TCAT and also clearing up some misconceptions about the future careers available to their students; it’s not just for welding!

  • Policy in Action: Partnering for Tennessee’s Future Workforce with Michael Hendrix

    September 22nd, 2025  |  38 mins 12 secs
    college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

    Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce isn’t something that tnAchieves does alone. It takes support and partnership from a variety of partners. That includes our state’s government.
    In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit down with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Policy Director Michael Hendrix. He talks about the governor’s priorities while in office, which include a strong workforce, economic development and quality education. Hendrix explains why these were chosen to be focused on and how tnAchieves is uniquely suited to help push our state forward in these areas.

  • An Idea On A Whiteboard with tnAchieves Chairman Randy Boyd

    September 8th, 2025  |  35 mins 59 secs
    college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

    Ever wondered how tnAchieves began? We started in 2008 as knoxAchieves. It began as a conversation…and an idea on a whiteboard. That brainstorming idea grew into a workforce development initiative in Knox County. From there it continued to grow and scale (hence our podcast name) before becoming the statewide and nationally recognized organization it is today. In this episode of the At Scale Podcast, we take a trip down memory lane with Randy Boyd. It’s a reminder of how we began, the lessons we’ve learned along the way and where we’re headed.

  •

    Building a Better Future For All of Austin's Youth with Austin 2030 Network

    August 25th, 2025  |  40 mins 28 secs
    austin, austin texas, college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, texas, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

    Austin 2030 describes itself as a network of school, higher education, non-profit, business, civic and community leaders who are committed to improving education outcomes for children and youth in Austin, Texas. Their current focus: establish a college promise for Austin’s youth. In this episode of the At Scale Podcast, tnAchieves sits down with Stacey Oliver and Geronimo Rodriguez to talk about the work it takes to make this pathway to an Austin Promise and why it will take a community-wide effort.

  • Clearing Pathways for Students with THEC's Dr. Steven Gentile

    August 11th, 2025  |  41 mins 20 secs
    college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

    Did you know Tennessee leads the nation in 2025-2026 FAFSA filing? Each year, tnAchieves partners with THEC/TSAC, colleges and local school systems to provide FAFSA filing support. It’s just one of the ways THEC works to reduce the barriers to higher education. In this episode of the At Scale podcast, THEC’s Executive Director, Dr. Steven Gentile, explains how they’re clearing pathways to make sure every student in Tennessee can pursue a high-quality education and high-value credentials that will serve them as they enter the workforce.