The Future Is Human: Eric Rodriguez on Technology, Montessori, and the Power of Purpose

What if technology didn’t replace our humanity—but helped us deepen it? In this episode, Eric Rodriguez—engineer, keynote speaker, and facilitator of the AMS Innovation Think Tank—shares how a formative experience in his Montessori-inspired childhood sparked a lifelong passion for technology, ultimately shaping his mission to create a more human-centered digital future.Hosts Biff Maier and Nicole Coman explore with Eric:How a seventh-grade encounter with a school computer lab in Ecuador ignited his path into engineering and digital innovationLessons from his work in the energy and tech industries, and how they shaped his understanding of technology as a tool for empathy and inclusionWhy the distinction between a “job” and your “work” can transform your purposeHis role in shaping AMS’s Innovation Think Tank and the importance of Montessori’s continued evolutionAI as a “curiosity companion”—and how it can support educators, learners, and communitiesWhat it means to design tools that extend, rather than replace, our humanityWith warmth, insight, and vision, Eric offers a compelling reminder that even in an age of algorithms, empathy, agency, and human connection matter most.Eric Rodriguez is a speaker with the goal to help audiences navigate and thrive in the digital era, championing a future where technology amplifies our human experience.https://ericjrodriguez.com/Contact Us: [email protected] the Human Potential is a podcast about optimizing education for a better society, through a Montessori lens. Hosts Nicole Coman, a licensed educational psychologist specializing in school psychology and child development -- and a "Montessori mom" -- and Biff Maier, an American Montessori Society Living Legacy with decades of experience as a Montessori educator and school leader, engage with experts, educators, parents, and students. Each episode explores strategies to unlock human potential, offering thought-provoking conversations on learning, child development, and the evolving landscape of education. This podcast is presented by AMS, the American Montessori Society.For more information about Montessori education, visit https://amshq.org/about-montessori/And consider this AMS course for families interested in incorporating the Montessori philosophy into their day-to-day lives and parenting approach:https://learn.amshq.org/parent-course-early-childhoodContact us: [email protected]