January 19, 2025
Welcome to the premiere episode of the Abre Podcast! Host Ben Wiggins kicks off the series with an engaging conversation featuring Zach Vander Veen, Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Abre, and James Stoffer, CEO of Abre. In this episode, Zach and James introduce the vision for the podcast, which centers on thought leadership and real stories of educational change.
Listen →Welcome to Open Insights — the podcast where innovation meets practicality in K-12 education. Each episode dives into creative approaches to the challenges schools face today, spotlighting solutions that combine out-of-the-box thinking with real-world feasibility. We’ll explore how data-driven insights can guide innovation, helping schools and educators make informed, impactful decisions that truly transform learning. Whether you’re an educator, administrator, or simply passionate about the future of education, we’re here to inspire new ideas and actionable change. Let’s innovate together!
James Stoffer
James Stoffer is the Chief Executive Officer at Abre where he focuses on leading company growth, operations, and talent strategies. He has spent his entire career in the education industry, most recently at DreamBox Learning, successfully leading sales, customer experience, and business operations. Prior to DreamBox he also held leadership positions at Hobsons and MasteryConnect.
Zach Vander Veen
Zach is a learner, educator, entrepreneur, husband, father, and generally well-rounded geek who finds the world endlessly fascinating. He co-founded Abre and currently serves as its Chief Innovation Officer. He’s worn most hats in K12 education, including history teacher, technology coach, administrator, and director of technology. He loves education and working with the learning community.
We publish every other week.