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Sonia Toledo | Founder, Dignity of Children From Nearly Closing Her Doors to Building a Movement in 2026 Interview Date: January 26, 2026   THE MISSION Sonia Toledo founded Dignity of Children because of lived experience. Growing up with an undiagnosed learning disability, she struggled throughout her K–12 years. She wasn’t reading or writing at the same pace as her peers. She was teased. She internalized self-doubt. What stayed with her most wasn’t the curriculum — it was ho

I’ve spent 40 years selling to K-12 schools. I worked at Pearson, HMH, EPS Literacy & Intervention, and Matific before going full-time with my own consulting business. Over the years, I’ve seen the same thing happen again and again: founders with great products who can’t figure out why their deals keep stalling. They have conversations. Demos go well. District leaders seem interested. Proposals are sent. Then there’s silence. No rejection. No, “we went with someone else.” Jus

I ask every founder I work with a question that usually makes them uneasy. "If you disappeared for 30 days starting tomorrow, what would happen to your company?" Founders usually answer in three ways. Some quickly list all the problems that would get out of hand. Others hesitate and admit they don't know. A few say their team would manage just fine. The last group may not have the biggest companies, but they're building something that lasts. The Product Trap Most EdTech found

I've seen this happen countless times during my 40 years in EdTech. A company begins to gain traction. Revenue increases. They bring on salespeople, expand into new areas, and add some product features. Excitement builds. The board is pleased. The founder feels like they've finally figured it out. But after about 18 to 24 months, things start to change. Renewals decline. The sales team has trouble explaining why districts should stick around after the first contract. Leadersh

I got on a call with a founder a few weeks ago. Smart guy. Passionate about his product. His team was moving fast—demos every week, proposals going out, sales calls stacked back-to-back.   But nothing was closing.   "Mike," he said, "I haven't had time to actually think  in three months. I'm just reacting."   I've had this conversation more times than I can count in my 40 years in EdTech. Founders who confuse motion with progress. Teams that are busy but not productive. And t