top of page

Pinch Points to Possibilities: A Virtual Event Series about Authentic Innovation with Ben Owens

Ben Owens

May 28, 2020

Ben Owens, co-founder of Open Way Learning and part of the Education Innovation Network NC, co-hosted a three-month virtual event series with EdNC to highlight and scale authentic innovation in education.

The virtual event series "Pinch Points to Possibilities" with Ben Owens, co-hosted by Education Innovation Network NC and Open Way Learning aims to leverage the heightened focus on the education system due to the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight and scale authentic innovation. The series uses the design thinking process to conduct three in-depth conversations with education stakeholders. It begins with empathy, listening to students and parents to identify common themes and define underlying problems, then highlights examples of possibility from teachers, schools, and districts. This aims to showcase innovative approaches that can be adapted and brought to scale in more schools across North Carolina.


The series consists of three sessions, focusing on pain points in education and developing problem statements, showcasing examples of innovative solutions, and discussing steps to adapt and scale these approaches. Each session involves an informed discussion with education stakeholders, striving to understand and define the problems and identify potential breakthrough solutions. The objective is to empower educators to move from pinch points to possibilities and inspire a public will for change, particularly in light of the unprecedented level of public will for change brought about by the current crisis.

bottom of page