EdGate Powers Podcast #31 - with Max Brooks
Successful adoption in K–12 education requires more than having a strong product. In this episode of the EdGate Powers Podcast, Rich Portelance sits down with Max Brooks, CEO of Think · Do · Learn, to examine how education companies can build trust with school districts and create relationships that extend beyond the initial sale. Brooks emphasizes the importance of understanding the communities a company hopes to serve, respecting educators’ time, and approaching procurement with evidence, transparency, and empathy.
The conversation explores what district leaders are evaluating when they consider new education products, including whether a solution works, supports their goals, and contributes to meaningful outcomes for students. Brooks explains why companies need to understand what schools are already managing before asking for their time and attention, and why being honest about a product’s limitations can strengthen rather than weaken trust. He also discusses how human connection, career preparation, and community needs should influence the way education companies develop and position their solutions.
Brooks also looks at what it takes to scale without creating unnecessary complexity. From simplifying sales pipelines to focusing on meaningful indicators, he challenges companies to examine whether their internal processes actually contribute to closing and successfully implementing business. The discussion then moves beyond procurement to customer success, long-term adoption, CTE, and the role of co-building with local communities in creating solutions that remain relevant over time.
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why trust and transparency are increasingly important in the K–12 procurement process.
- How education companies can better understand the communities and schools they hope to serve.
- Why evidence, efficacy, and honesty about product limitations can strengthen credibility.
- What district leaders may consider beyond product features when evaluating a solution.
- How companies can simplify sales pipelines and build more scalable internal processes.
- Why successful adoption requires customer support and implementation guidance after the contract is signed.
- How CTE can be viewed as part of a broader skill base for an evolving workforce.
- Why mission, vision, local relationships, and community collaboration can support long-term growth.
Why This Conversation Matters
K–12 procurement is increasingly shaped by the need for evidence and confidence. District leaders are looking for more than familiar brands or appealing features; they want to understand whether a product can make a meaningful difference and whether the company behind it understands the realities of their schools and communities.
For education companies, that makes preparation and operational discipline especially important. A complicated sales process can consume valuable time without improving outcomes, while a clear understanding of district requirements, meaningful pipeline indicators, and strong implementation planning can help companies focus their resources where they matter most. The episode also highlights a broader definition of success: not simply winning a contract, but creating an experience that helps educators succeed and gives communities a reason to continue using and recommending a solution. Brooks argues that companies willing to work closely with local communities, build with the people they serve, and connect growth decisions to their mission and vision will be better positioned for lasting impact.
Join Rich and Max as they explore how education companies can earn trust, strengthen procurement confidence, simplify the systems behind growth, and build solutions that create lasting value for students, educators, and the communities they serve.
Learn more about how successful education companies need more than a strong product to earn trust and sustain adoption.
As CEO of Think. Do. Learn., Max Brooks brings more than 20 years of experience in education, with expertise spanning technology integration, professional learning, college and career readiness, workforce readiness, and organizational change. Throughout his career, he has worked with educators, administrators, and district leaders to support innovation, improve outcomes, and build effective professional learning initiatives.
His experience includes digital transformation, STEM and STEAM education, project-based learning, and the integration of technology into teaching and learning. Today, Max works with education organizations to turn innovative ideas into scalable solutions that educators can embrace, with a focus on implementation, organizational change, and meaningful impact across K–12 education.
Rich is passionate about eEdTech and helping people discover pathways to successful careers. He leverages his many years of business experience in strategy, product development, brand creation and sales & marketing as a frequent industry speaker and sought after consultant.
Beginning his career in digital marketing and web development, Rich was recruited into the private, independent school market to help usher in digital technologies and social media. During this time, Richard served as a student advisor and was nominated to serve on the CAIS (Connecticut Association of Independent Schools) Technology Commission. In 2012, Rich joined York & Chapel, a brand and digital transformation agency where he began working with secondary and higher ed clients, developing strategies for student engagement and pathway creation. In 2014, Richard founded CareerPath, a SaaS engagement platform. Over the past ten years, Rich has given back to the industry as an advisor to numerous EdTech startups, and generally has had a blast doing what he loves to do — help others succeed.
Questions Answered
During the podcast, we tackle critical questions that education organizations are asking about serving communities, creating confidence during procurement, and developing systems that support success.
- How has selling into education changed over the past decade?
- What are district leaders evaluating today that they weren't before?
- What creates confidence during the edtech sales process?
- What do districts look for before approving an edtech product?
- What signals show that an education company can be trusted?
- What role do scalable systems play in procurement success?
- What operational capabilities separate successful education companies from those that struggle?
- What does successful adoption actually look like?
- Is there an increasing need for CTE content and products?
- How important is customer success to future procurement success?
- Where should a growing education company invest its early dollars?
- What will differentiate education companies that thrive over the next five years?