The Education Technology (EdTech) domain grows through innovation. This commitment to constant progress leads to the development of innovative tools that reshape the learning experience. Personalized learning platforms meet individual needs, and interactive simulations and digital resources make complex concepts more engaging. EdTech pioneers leverage technology to empower students, foster collaboration, and equip them with the skills they need to succeed at the same pace as the world around them.
Ken Hubbell is a visionary leader with over 20 years of experience at the forefront of EdTech innovation. With a keen eye for the future and a pragmatic approach to design, Ken is the quintessential futurist who navigates the complexities of tomorrow while building solutions for today.as CEO of Sophos Co., Ltd.—A pioneering generative AI/ML company, Ken leads the development of low-code solutions that revolutionize knowledge management, learning, assessment, course content creation, and performance support systems.
Ken's passion is creating engaging and innovative products that harness the power of cutting-edge technologies such as AR/VR/XR, AI, prompt engineering, and authentic gaming and simulation. His track record of working with some of the world's leading companies, including Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, the United Nations, NASA, and the FAA, to deliver award-winning projects that redefine learning, performance, and impact speaks volumes. Masu.
Outside of his role as CEO, Ken is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and contributing to the eLearning community as a mentor, coach, author, and international speaker. His journey thus far exemplifies leadership in EdTech and a commitment to driving meaningful change and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in education.
Join the story of revolutionizing the future of education with cutting-edge EdTech innovations!
What first got you interested in the EdTech field and how did you become involved in the industry?
With a background in industrial design from North Carolina State University, I quickly found my niche in EdTech, moving from animation and production design to creating engaging instructional videos for EPA site cleanups. Ta.
My journey has taken me from visualizing textile machinery processes and building interactive training programs to developing cutting-edge 3D web tools at Virtus Corporation in partnership with leading companies such as Intel and Adobe. I've built simulators for Caterpillar and the FAA, worked with NASA, and now with Generative AI he leads a team revolutionizing EdTech to improve educator efficiency and program effectiveness. .
As CEO, what excites you most about leading the company at the forefront of generative AI and machine learning?
As CEO of Soffos Inc., I work with some of the brightest and most innovative product designers, business developers, and programmers on the planet. We are taking innovative technology and applying it in ways that are transforming the lives of teachers, students, instructional designers, employees, and organizations, and in ways that are just beginning to happen. I've been speaking on talent disruption and the new workforce for over a decade. Last year, I published my book “Teams Have AI: The Future of Human, Augmented Human, and Nonhuman Collaboration.” On Amazon. Now I could see this all coming to light and my team making it possible.
How do you define success in the context of developing advanced tools and applications for knowledge management and learning?
My definition of EdTech success is that EdTech becomes invisible to users. It is fully integrated into the workflow and educational process, allowing employees and students to seamlessly transition from one type of learning to another, rather than perceiving it as a separate part. I also measure the success of these tools and applications by their ease of use, reducing the time it takes to create new content, and minimizing costs to ensure everyone has access.
It all comes down to how effective your solution is.
- Has your time to competency improved?
- Have your employees and teams become more capable?
- Did it increase personal confidence?
- And has all this improved the employee and customer experience and improved the organization’s financial health?
These are our goals for our platform.
What are the main challenges you faced when integrating cutting-edge technologies such as AR/VR/XR and AI into your educational solutions and how did you address them?
Over the years, I have faced the following challenges in EdTech:
- While developing Wells Fargo's Customer Empathy Virtual Reality Training Program, the world experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. This training was well received by employees. However, hygiene limitations with headset devices forced Human Resources to halt the rollout.
- As the practices of the well-entrenched education and training industry changed, we realized that we needed to talk less about technology and more about its impact. At Soffos, our platform is a power multiplier for teachers, administrators, and EdTech developers. Based on a benchmark study we conducted with one of our partners this year, the study showed a 40% reduction in time and cost for developing new courses. We let data speak for itself about how instructional designers can meet new course demand with the time and budget provided by their organizations.
- The biggest and most energizing challenge for the Soffos team has been the constant effort to keep up with and exceed the pace of AI technology itself. We've been fortunate to be at the forefront in several areas such as search augmented generation (RAG), document chunking, and long-term session memory, but given the scale of OpenAI, Meta, Google, etc. It's definitely tough competition to stay in. Fortunately, our focus on creating maintainable and useful EdTech platforms puts us in a good position in this regard.
After 20 years in the industry, what motivates you to continue pushing the boundaries of EdTech innovation?
After more than 20 years of working in the field of learning and development, specifically edtech, many people have asked me what drives me to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation. My answer is simple. Many of the goals I set years ago have now been achieved. We have achieved automation of content production. We are in the metaverse. Augmented reality is a cost-effective training solution. And access to learning is nearly universal, at least when it comes to technology.
My ultimate dream is to build a system with AI-enhanced continuous feedback and seamless performance support that continuously improves my abilities through on-the-job training so I can be the best I can be. , is about helping others reach their full potential.
How do you approach mentorship and coaching within your organization and the broader e-learning community?
At Soffos Inc., my team is always learning. That's part of working at a cutting-edge company. But more than that, we are a small company and have many challenges. As a leader, my job is to ensure that all of our employees have the tools and training to perform at their best. This often means listening to what's going on in their lives and understanding when we're exceeding our limits (both technically and physically. Sometimes I'm trying to help them. This means giving them the tools they need to be successful. I also ask, “What do you want to be?” Most importantly, I effectively have an open door policy for them to provide me with feedback so that I can be a better leader for the company.
What do you think are the most important qualities for a leader in the EdTech space?
The field of EdTech is constantly changing, sometimes for the better and sometimes not so much. Leaders in this field often fall prey to “shiny object syndrome,” not only when it comes to their own technology but also the technology of others. The important thing is to recognize when you have this syndrome. Most of the time, this results from a lot of trial and error and focusing on errors.
Another important quality is to be open to possibilities. There may be a better way. It may not be a training issue (it may be a process issue). EdTech may not be the answer (although a two-page career resource might be).
EdTech leaders must learn how to communicate with non-EdTech leaders and employees. Often they just want to understand how you can improve their situation, not how you can create a solution. The most important quality is fostering an environment where your team knows what they can expect from you and what you expect from them. And make sure the qualities everyone brings to the team are respected.
How do you prioritize staying abreast of new trends and developments in technology and education?
There are so many new technologies and trends in EdTech that it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. I manage her load in two ways. First, use aggregators like Gartner and Edutopia and LinkedIn to pull research and data from a wide range of sources.
Then use the Soffos platform to organize larger articles and research papers into manageable piles. You can also apply content filters to focus on and sort these piles, and capture smaller pieces into One Note for future reference.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to make an impact in the EdTech space?
My philosophy is to design for tomorrow and build for today. If you want to make an impact in the EdTech space, take the time to understand K-12 and adult learning principles. Experiment and determine what truly impacts behavior change and skill building. Find an area of technology that you're passionate about, whether it's software development, hardware design, or content creation, and immerse yourself in it. See how you can improve the learning experience for students, employees, and course developers, including teachers and instructional designers. Finally, dream big and take action towards your dreams.
