When Michelle Brown started her first teaching job at a low income school in Mississippi, she was confronted by the deep inequities in the system and decided to do something about it. Michelle went on to found CommonLit, a non-profit technology company with a mission to close the opportunity gap in education through literacy. Ilham sits down with Michelle to discuss her journey from teacher to tech entrepreneur, and the impact of CommonLit, which is doing so much to improve literacy for students, especially those in low income schools. Time stamps1:32 - Upbringing and inspiration to pursue education3: 32 - First teaching job5:53 - From teacher to tech entrepreneur10:10 - What is CommonLit?14:03 - Impact of CommonLit20:00 - Growth of the program23:33 - Diversity, equity and inclusion 25:48 - What’s next? 27:08 - Advice for young entrepreneurs28:13 - Hobbies About Michelle BrownMichelle Brown is the founder and CEO of CommonLit, an innovative and free online educational program that reinvents the way students learn to read. Under Michelle’s leadership, CommonLit has grown to over 20 million users and it's having a profound impact on improving literacy across the United States, particularly in low income schools. She is an experienced classroom teacher who has taught in urban and rural environments, and at the university level as a professor of Spanish. For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

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