The Game Changers podcast celebrates true pioneers who inspire us to take the big step forward and up in education and beyond. In episode 215 (Part 1) of Game Changers, Professor Phil Cummins joins in conversation with Amanda J. Pooley.
Amanda Pooley is a child and adolescent psychologist, educator, and respected leader in educational innovation. With over 20 years’ experience across clinical, academic, and leadership roles, she brings rare insight into how students learn - and how educators can be empowered to help them thrive. Her career includes founding Australia’s first educational research institute within a private school and building a Board of global leaders from Cambridge, Oxford, and NYU. Amanda has led globally recognised research and evidence-based initiatives that have improved both academic performance and wellbeing. She holds degrees in Psychology, Education Leadership, and an MBA from AGSM UNSW, along with credentials from Cambridge and Wharton.
Amanda founded Excelar to address a clear gap: scalable, evidence-based personalisation tools that empower - not replace – teachers. Excelar is the culmination of her research, practice, and leadership. She is also a sought-after speaker and advisor on AI in education and is widely recognised for her ability to translate cutting-edge research into practical, scalable change.
“Personalised learning is no longer a distant vision. With Excelar, it is here today — practical, scalable, and evidence-based.”
The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at gamechangers@circle.education, on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
Ireland