Episode 50 - Edtech Series | Julian A. Reed: Edtech Founder on Movement and Cognition

In this episode of the special series on Edtech, host Jason Buccheri sits down with Dr. Julian Reed, a professor at Furman University and founder of ActiveEd, the company behind Walkabouts. Dr. Reed’s journey bridges deep academic research with the startup world, offering a blueprint for building tools that truly serve the classroom.

A self-described hyperactive kid who struggled in school, Julian has dedicated his career to studying how physical activity improves cognition and academic performance. In this conversation, he shares the physiological science behind movement—including how it stimulates brain growth factors—and explains why traditional classrooms are often poorly designed for how children learn.

Julian discusses the founding of Walkabouts and offers critical advice for Edtech founders on team building and navigating the complex K-12 procurement market. This conversation provides essential insights into scaling a practice for maximum impact on student performance.

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Timestamps:
[00:00:00] - Entrepreneurship Advice Risk-Taking and Learning From Failure
[00:00:54] - Episode Intro Bridging Classroom Research and Edtech Startups
[00:01:11] - Meet Dr Julian Reed ActiveEd and Walkabouts Founder
[00:02:12] - Edtech Blueprint How to Build Tools That Actually Help Teachers
[00:03:11] - Academic Background Health Sciences and Child Cognition Research
[00:04:33] - Early Education Struggles and the Impact of Boarding School
[00:06:10] - Academic Journey Transitioning From Physical Therapy to Sports Medicine
[00:07:50] - Researching Physical Activity Cognition and Child Kinesiology
[00:09:03] - Combating Childhood Obesity through Active School Days
[00:11:15] - Scaling Educational Impact Through Digital Business Models
[00:12:17] - Partnering With Experts Finding Complementary Skill Sets
[00:13:28] - Scientific Evidence The Empirical Link Between Movement and Learning
[00:14:51] - Case Study Improved Performance in Under-Resourced Schools
[00:16:43] - Leveraging Physical Activity for Better Classroom Management
[00:17:27] - Physiological Benefits Blood Flow Oxygen and Brain Development
[00:19:36] - Executive Function How Movement Stimulates Brain Control Centers
[00:21:27] - Professional Development Practical Movement Lessons for Teachers
[00:23:47] - Kinetic Pedagogy Reaching Different Types of Learners
[00:25:50] - Scaling Edtech Impact Using Cloud Based Platforms
[00:27:46] - Edtech Fundraising Friends Family and Angel Networks
[00:30:45] - The Challenges of Selling Into the Education Market
[00:33:19] - Founding Advice Skin In The Game and Team Building
[00:35:07] - Fixing Education Promoting Community Engagement and Parental Empowerment
[00:36:50] - Modern Literacy Rates and the Need for Entrepreneurial Education
[00:37:44] - Closing Remarks Final Lessons for Edtech Founders