College Connect

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LinkedUp: Breaking Boundaries in Education

Jamie Saponaro

184 episodes

4 days ago

Jamie Saponaro and Jerri Kemble are two lively ladies passionate about education. Further flamed by the many changes in schools in 2020, they set out to make a positive contribution to the profession they love by creating LinkedUp: Breaking Boundaries in Education. LinkedUp’s mission is to have lively and in-depth discussions about relevant educational topics that matter and to link the movers and shakers of the education world with listeners. Jamie and Jerri both work for ClassLink, an edtech company powering this podcast as a service to educators everywhere.

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College Connect

LinkedUp: Breaking Boundaries in Education

42 minutes 24 seconds

2 months ago

College Connect

What happens when a side hustle disappears, a global pandemic flips everything upside down, and two college students refuse to sit still? For Sophie English Smith and Leah Guesman, it sparked an idea that would reshape how families navigate the college journey. In this episode, we sit down with the co-founders of Your College Contact, a mentorship service built to take the stress out of applications, scholarships, and campus life by pairing students with experienced guides who’ve already been there.

Together, Sophie and Leah share how their idea was born in the middle of COVID, the risks they took to get it off the ground, and how they're now helping families cut through the stress with real, personalized support. From their very first students to the growing network they’ve built today, their story is all about turning challenges into opportunities and proving that mentorship can change everything.

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ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Sophie English Smith, CEO & Co-Founder of the nationally recognized College Contact platform, is a graduate of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, where she studied Marketing and IT with a focus in Data Analytics. Before venturing into entrepreneurship full-time, Sophie worked in the venture capital, private equity, and private banking spaces. Despite being offered a full-time banking position at Morgan Stanley in NYC, Sophie went on to raise over $1.5M for College Contact, which was named the EdTech Startup of the Year at SXSW EDU in 2025 and the Career Pathways EdTech Product of the Year at EDTECH week 2024.

Leah Guesman is the Co-Founder and COO of College Contact. Originally from Los Altos, California, Leah graduated from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce in 2023 with degrees in Marketing and Economics. In 2023, Leah joined Sophie as a co-founder, combining her business expertise with her commitment to expanding access to college and career resources. She leads the development of partnerships with schools and nonprofits, enabling College Contact to reach thousands of students.

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