Graham Thomas
Co-Host of At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast
Graham Thomas has hosted 11 Episodes.
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An Idea On A Whiteboard Part 2 with Mike Ragsdale
February 9th, 2026 | 34 mins 13 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 An Idea on a Whiteboard Part 2, former Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale returns to reflect on the bold beginnings of Knox Achieves and the statewide impact that followed through Tennessee Promise. He shares why mentorship, community service, and clear workforce pathways to credentials of value remain essential for Tennessee students today. This episode is a powerful reminder that student success is not about statistics — it is about individuals, families, and opportunity across the Volunteer State.
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Tennessee's Competitive Edge with the Tennessee and Nashville Chambers
January 26th, 2026 | 41 mins 51 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
Tennessee’s economy is thriving, but long-term success depends on building a strong, prepared workforce. In our latest At Scale episode, Josh Brown and Stephanie Coleman share how education, talent development, and economic opportunity are coming together across the state. Listen now to hear how partnerships and career pathways are helping students access high-wage, high-demand futures.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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On a Mission with Graham Thomas and Krissy DeAlejandro
March 23rd, 2020 | 40 mins 47 secs
college, college student, education, learn, non-profit, self-help, student, thrive
More than a decade has passed since knoxAchieves was launched from a whiteboard in the Knox County Mayor's office, but Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro's commitment to student success has not wavered. Since 2008, tnAchieves has grown, innovated and paved pathways for all students, including those that are the first in their families to pursue college. The seventh installment of our podcast dives into the beginnings of tnAchieves, why it was founded and how we have stayed true to our mission. Graham Thomas steals Krissy's mic for an engaging interview!