EdSales Edge Show
EdSales Edge is the strategy podcast for education founders, consultants, operators, and leaders selling into education.
For years, this show was known as Breaking the Grade, a space to challenge the status quo in education and think differently about how change actually happens. That mission hasn’t changed.
But the work has.
Over time, one thing became clear:
Education founders don’t just need inspiration.
They need clarity.
They need real strategies for selling into schools.
They need predictable ways to generate leads.
And they need to understand how trust is built in a system that doesn’t move fast, and doesn’t give many second chances.
EdSales Edge was rebuilt to match that reality.
Hosted by Josh Chernikoff, a two-time education founder who’s built and exited companies in this space, the show breaks down how selling into education actually works—across B2C, B2B, B2B2C, and B2E—always through the lens of how education institutions really make decisions.
This is not a show about hacks, shortcuts, or quick wins.
Education doesn’t work that way.
On EdSales Edge, you’ll hear:
- Real strategy for selling into education systems
- Conversations with education decision-makers who explain how buying actually happens from the inside
- Stories from founders, CEOs, and operators who’ve built real traction selling into schools—what worked, what didn’t, and what actually moved deals forward
- Teachings from the EdSales Elevation Experience, the system used to help education founders move from unclear and invisible to trusted and in demand
You’ll learn how to:
- Define your Perfect Client
- Pull the right credibility lever
- Move from being hidden… to trusted… to building a real lead engine
Josh is joined by his good friend and mentor, John Gamba—Director of Innovative Programs and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, and a former education founder who’s led companies through real growth and successful exits. John brings the institutional lens, shaped by years inside districts, universities, and education systems, seeing how decisions get made when the doors are closed and what earns trust over time.
Together, they sit on both sides of the table, the builder side and the system side, so the show stays grounded in reality, not sales theory.
If you sell into education and you’re tired of guessing,
guessing who to talk to,
guessing how decisions get made,
guessing why interest doesn’t convert—
this show is built for you.
EdSales Edge
Clarity. Credibility. Real traction.
If you sell into education, this is where you earn your edge.
EdSales Edge Show
Breaking The Stigma Against Autism with Dr. Celest Austin
Every child should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential regardless of their uniqueness with their own path. But what happens if neurodivergent children's only option to learn is the same as the norm - a thing that is working against them?
Join us with Dr. Celest Austin. Founder and CEO of GoManda. And let's address this and dive into:
- How the trajectory of her life changed because of the influence of her sister, Amanda;
- The current situation of the learning landscape for autistic people and neurodivergent learners and the importance of empowering them;
- How she overcame the challenges in running and launching her company GoManda;
- And many more!
Listen along and be in the know on how Dr. Celest Austin is zeroing in on the spots that need breakage and rebuilding in the education space.
More about our Guest:
Celest Austin's appreciation and interest in her sister Amanda’s understanding of the world and way of thinking had led her to study more about autism and its uniqueness. She pursued a dual degree M.D. and Ph.D. from University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio and graduated in 2016 with her thesis focused on the neurophysiology of autism.
Wanting to take action immediately for her sister and the people in the autism community, she walked away from further medical training and finally founded and established GoManda! The company’s name is a homage to moments of celebration when Amanda is being cheered by their whole family, chanting “GoManda! GoManda!”
GoManda is dedicated to empowering autistic children by helping them accept, nurture, and cheer for their strengths. To uphold the vision of the company, Dr. Celest participates in all aspects of its business development.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestaustin/
Website: https://www.gomanda.com/
