Let's Get Personal : the Learning Lab Podcast

Leah Ellis believes the only thing standing in the way of kids achieving extraordinary success is limitations placed on them by adults. Ellis is the founder of the Society of Child Entrepreneurs, which provides hands-on learning, business experiences and community spaces for kids ages 6–17. Her work encouraging kids to start businesses builds confidence, independence and real-world skills.An entrepreneur herself, Ellis is a published author and runs a wedding officiant business. Her never-take-no attitude results in innovation wherever she goes. In this episode of Let's Get Personal, Leah shares why kids are capable of more than we think and what results are possible when we let them lead.Learn more about the Society of Child Entrepreneurs at https://societyofchildentrepreneurs.org/.

When Shane Carter came to Wichita in 2025 to start his role as executive director of The Kansas African American Museum, he was no stranger to educational programming. While leading the Lincoln Community Center in Troy, Ohio, Shane started and grew a successful and effective after-school program. Now, he’s bringing that same energy and vision to TKAAAM’s educational programming and outreach efforts.On this episode of Let’s Get Personal, Shane shares about his background as an athlete, coach and nonprofit executive — and why he believes community-centered education can change lives. He also shares how TKAAM is enriching culture and connection. Learn more about The Kansas African American Museum at https://www.tkaamuseum.org/.

Everyone can lead, and high school students are no exception.That idea is at the heart of Lead Now, a new curriculum from Kansas Leadership Center designed to empower high school students to lead in their own lives and communities. In this episode, Jason Bosch, KLC’s Director of Curriculum Innovation, shares how the program came to life and how students themselves helped shape it.Jason also reflects on his journey from higher education into this work, and why he’s passionate about helping the next generation grow as leaders.

Ever think about starting your own school?At its core, Learning Lab Wichita is designed to support educators and founders starting new K-12 education models, providing families with more options for their children's education. Learning Lab Wichita hosts seven K-12 education models. In this episode, Lydia and Kristin chat about what it takes Learning Lab does to support these models and why the Lab is an ideal location to start a school. Although Learning Lab Wichita has no additional space for new resident models during the 2026-2027 academic year, there are still ways to get involved at Learning Lab. Listen to the episode to learn more.

Conner Hampton is a former Division I basketball coach, a fundraising consultant, a national speaker – and he is Learning Lab Executive Director Lydia's husband.On this episode of Let's Get Personal, Conner delves into what school was like for him as an active, social kid and how it informed their decision when he and Lydia chose a better school option for their 7-year-old son. Bonus: He also shares how he met Lydia and what he admires most about her, giving a glimpse into the partnership behind this Wichita power couple.

Joe Woodward, Director of Wichita Operations for Stand Together Foundation, leads local efforts to advance bottom-up solutions for economic mobility. His work focuses on strengthening families and neighborhoods, fostering innovation in education, and empowering community members to help one another overcome barriers.In this episode of Let’s Get Personal, Joe shares his own educational journey and evolving career path. He also offers insight into how Stand Together supports innovation through strategic partnerships  and community-driven solutions.To learn more about Stand Together's work in Wichita, visit ANFWichita.org and  StandTogether.org/Wichita .

Molly Brown came to Wichita to become a zookeeper, but she stayed because she loved the city. Today, Molly serves as the events and program manager at Learning Lab Wichita, where she designs hands-on, engaging learning activities for kids and adults. On this episode, Molly shares stories about her upbringing in rural Wisconsin and reflects on what brings her joy in her work at Learning Lab. (Hint: It always comes back to the kids.)

Glass cases filled with cockroaches. Birds that speak English. Tortoises and ferrets roaming free.This is not your typical kindergarten classroom.In fact, it’s a learning environment unlike almost anything you’ve seen — and it started with one woman’s vision.For nearly two decades, Carrie Tiemeyer, better known as The Bug Lady, has been building something different: an early childcare center and kindergarten facility that brings science to life.Today, The Bug Lady’s Science Academy serves dozens of children in Wichita, Kansas, blending structure with scientific magic in a way that’s both intentional and inspiring.In this episode, Carrie shares how she turned an unconventional idea into a meticulously run early learning center. Her story shows what it really takes to build a new education model focused on personalized learning.

Melissa Lair's son knew his alphabet by the time he was 18 months old. As a former kindergarten teacher, Melissa knew he would be ahead of the curve in a traditional school classroom.So Melissa made the bold decision to homeschool her children. In this episode of Let's Get Personal, Melissa shares how she navigated the early uncertainty of homeschooling, how she chose the right curriculum, and how she found a community that supported her family’s path.Spoiler alert: Today her son is thriving.

Ashley Watkins left her career as a high school journalism teacher to pursue a deeper calling: academic coaching that supports the whole student.Blending her classroom experience with a natural gift for mentorship, Ashley helps students better understand themselves so they can achieve meaningful, sustainable success.In this episode, she addresses teacher burnout, the insights of the Human Design framework, and how self-awareness can transform student behavior. Whether you're an educator, parent or student, this conversation offers fresh perspective on what it really takes to thrive in today’s learning environment.

Darby Breaux-Vickers is an education entrepreneur and the founder of Sunflower Learning Community, a learning model designed to nurture children’s curiosity while honoring their individual educational goals. With a background in the humanities and a richly diverse personal education journey, Darby brings depth, intentionality and creativity to her Learning Lab workshop room.Sunflower Learning Community is one of Learning Lab Wichita’s resident models for the 2025–2026 school year, and we’ve loved watching Darby’s approach spark joy in the learners she serves.In this episode, Darby shares the story behind her model, the philosophy guiding her work and what it really looks like to build something new in the education space. Whether you’re an educator, parent or aspiring founder, this conversation offers inspiration for reimagining what learning can be.

Empowered CEO Lindsay Schroeder's career in the education industry began when she applied to serve as a high school dance coach. She ended up working 10 years as high school teacher before joining Empowered and becoming a champion for classroom teachers. Lindsay's passion for empowering others helped her lead Empowered expansion to a nationwide network of more than 80,000 educators. On this episode, Lindsay shares leadership lessons learned about how to motivate and inspire.

With so much attention on AI, it’s easy to overlook one skill that might matter even more: emotional intelligence.In this episode, Learning Lab Wichita Executive Director Lydia Hampton shares insights from a recent training she attended with Dr. Susan David as she begins her journey toward certification in emotional agility. David defines emotional agility as "the ability to navigate complexity, drive change, and build thriving, human-centered workplaces."Tune in to hear key takeaways Lydia gleaned and how you can apply them in your daily life or your learning environment.

This week, we switch gears and explore the role of space design in learning. Lisa Shaffer, principal at Alloy Architecture, shares how she designed the interior of Learning Lab Wichita with both purpose and possibility in mind. Drawing on more than 22 years in the design industry, Lisa aligned mission, function and flexibility across the Lab’s 16,000-square-foot space. With its open concept and floor-to-ceiling windows, the space does more than support learning — it’s helping educators and cities imagine what modern education hubs can be.

Angela Dooling has seen education from just about every angle. A second-grade teacher at Wichita Collegiate School, Dooling shares her experiences with public, private and microschool education. Dooling's son, Kai, attends Khan Lab School Wichita at Learning Lab Wichita, and Dooling both attended and worked in public schools. In this episode, she reflects on what each learning environment does best and why thoughtful, student-centered education can take many meaningful forms.

This week we’re joined by Niti Singh from Skillveri to talk about how simulators are changing the way students learn skilled trades. From welding to painting, these tools help students build confidence and competence before they ever use real equipment—and they’re also helping attract young people into hands-on careers.

Lydia and Kristin reflect on Learning Lab Wichita's biggest wins of 2025 – and get honest about what it really took to create a first-of-its-kind education innovation center. They reflect on what worked in their push for personalized learning and tease what's ahead in 2026.

Wichita Public Schools Director of Partnerships and Belonging Corinthian Kelly started his new role in October 2025, and he has big goals. Kelly shares how he plans to help every student succeed by building community partnerships and communicating. Learn about Kelly's history bringing stakeholders together and working to better communities in this week's podcast.

Dalena Wallace is a woman on a mission. Over the last five years, she founded Wichita Innovative Schools & Educators, a network of microschools and education businesses; started a consulting business, Autonomous, Innovative and Missional Educational Collaborative; and leads Heartland Education Reformation Organization, a group the connects Kansas churches with those who are interested in starting schools. Dalena's action-oriented approach to encouraging and supporting school founders has assisted dozens of school founders creating new pathways in education.

Ellamonique Baccus, executive director of non-profit Arts Partners, has spent her life exposing young people to the arts. The organization she runs today in Wichita, Kansas, brings professional artists to teach groups of children. Baccus shares her personal journey as an artist and why she believes in the work she is doing. Hint: Creative minds build stronger communities.

True Compass is a business that helps young people discover their strengths to determine the best path forward after high school. Kristi Windish, founder and owner, shares about the True Compass process and how the assessment and consultation work together to help kids. Kristi's warmth and care for families is what makes the True Compass experience helpful. She shares why area high school juniors and seniors who are determining their career paths should consider going through this process.

When she could not find the type of facility for homeschool families she wanted to utilize, mom and local business owner Cassie Tinsmon and her husband Stewart Berger created Lily Lake Homeschool Collective. Located in a renovated old schoolhouse outside of Augusta, Kansas, Lily Lake features a homeschool play cafe and a learning center where families can explore learning together. 

Noel Torres, founder of Wichita Training Center Academy, won a DII National Wrestling Championship while attending Newman University (Wichita, KS) as a student. He later established Wichita Training Center, a local wrestling club that has grown to serve more than 200 kids. This year, he added the academy at Learning Lab Wichita, so his wrestlers who homeschool can practice wrestling and learn together. Because Noel has experienced a great deal of success himself, he has some golden nuggets of wisdom to share – both with his student wrestlers and on this podcast.

Kim Hett started in fall 2025 as Khan Lab School Wichita's second director. This small school located inside Learning Lab Wichita focused on mastery-based, online and experiential learning. Prior to becoming director, Kim held a variety of roles within Andover Public Schools, including help to start the district's online school, Andover eCademy. Learn what Kim has learned through three decades in diverse K-12 education settings.

This homeschool group leaves the academics to individual families, but group members join together for experiential learning and social time. Kammi Altig and Jaime Snider, leaders of the Wichita Independent Secular Educators (WISE) homeschool group, share lesson learned running a thriving Wichita homeschool community while homeschooling their own children.

At Creative Minds vertical classroom, a Wichita Public Schools microschool inside Learning Lab Wichita, students in grades K–6 learn through hands-on, project-based experiences. Founding teacher Olivia Sumner reflects on launching this model, lessons learned and what’s next for project-based learning in public education.

Get to know Lydia and Kristin as they dive into the importance of personalized learning. Learn more about how Learning Lab Wichita came to exist and how it helps families select the perfect version of K-12th grade school for their unique children.