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In this episode, host Ellen Williams interviews Erin Mote, CEO of InnovateEDU and co-founder of Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, as she recounts her transformative moment of realizing she felt detached from her work’s impact. Once working at the intersection of technology and national security, she found herself in boardrooms advising tech giants but missing the direct connection with communities. It was only after an emotional epiphany—crying during a flight while watching a children's movie—that she acknowledged how much she wanted to be back in a role serving people more directly. This led to launching Brooklyn Lab in downtown Brooklyn, with a mission centered on equity, personal connections, and supporting students furthest from opportunity.

Through InnovateEDU, Erin now strives to bridge practice and policy in the education sector, placing empathy, vulnerability, and generosity at the core of her leadership. She underscores the necessity of checking in with oneself to ensure authenticity and alignment with personal values, and she advocates for a “slow start” each morning to pause, reflect, and approach each day with intention. Her story is a reminder that sometimes “pressing pause” can steer you toward work that aligns more closely with both passion and purpose.

To learn more about Erin visit innovateedunyc.org

To learn more about Ellen visit thesalientstrategist.com