If we design at the margins, what we learn will help us make education better everywhere. That’s the perspective of this episode’s guest, Jonathan Santos Silva, founder of The Liber Institute. Liber’s mission is to embolden and equip Indigenous students, families, and educators to redesign schools from the ground up. Jonathan’s journey took him from Brockton, Massachusetts to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where he saw firsthand how systemic challenges create barriers to education for Native and Indigenous students.
Jonathan shares how these experiences shaped his vision for Liber—a nonprofit that uses coaching, storytelling, and design thinking to support transformative change in rural schools. He walks us through the POWER framework, his approach to leadership development and community-driven school redesign. From helping teachers better understand the cultural context of the communities they serve to embedding Indigenous knowledge into curriculum, Liber’s work helps school leaders reimagine education through empathy, culture, and belonging.
Jonathan pitches his idea to mentor Niloy Gangopadhyay, a longtime education leader, to explore key questions: How do you preserve depth while expanding reach? Can storytelling via a podcast help bridge the distance to hard-to-reach communities like Havasupai? And what will it take to make rural and Indigenous education a true priority for philanthropy? If Jonathan wins $50,000, he’ll use the funds to build a group coaching model and expand access to Liber’s tools—so leaders in even the most remote schools can create systems that reflect and serve their communities.
Episode Highlights:
02:34 Jonathan's Background and Early Influences
04:16 Teaching at Pine Ridge Reservation
05:00 Systemic Issues on Reservations
11:45 Liber Institute: Mission and Impact
13:54 Challenges and Solutions in Rural Education
19:46 Expanding Liber's Reach with Mentor Niloy Gangopadhyay
29:34 Key Takeaways
Links & Resources:
About the Host, Nicole Jarbo:
Nicole Jarbo is the host of Pitch Playground and the CEO of 4.0. An entrepreneur and 4.0 alumni herself, Nicole took a side hustle from $0 to $500k per year and founded a fintech startup that empowered Gen Z with their finances. She's passionate about sharing the inspiring stories of the 4.0 community and believes in work that makes the world more livable, creative, sustainable, and fun.
About 4.0:
4.0 is a hub for education innovators and social entrepreneurs reimagining the future of learning. Through mentorship, funding, and community support, we empower bold thinkers to turn their dreams into reality. To date, 4.0 has helped spark and invest in over 1,800 ideas, and our alumni have impacted over 10M students and families. We envision a future where our education system meets the needs of every family and improves life outcomes for all.
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