About Podcast
What happens when a neuroscientist sees millions of learners being left behind due to a global shortage of teachers? Dr. Pauldy Otermans, co-founder of the Otermans Institute and creator of Teddy AI, set out to answer that question. Her journey began in 2020, when she and her team launched the world’s first AI-powered digital teacher for refugee children during the pandemic, a bold experiment that would evolve into a mission to revolutionize education for both children and adults worldwide.
In this episode, Dr. Pauldy shares how her early AI-powered teaching models scaled from refugee camps to global classrooms, eventually inspiring the creation of Teddy AI, a personalized, voice-first digital study buddy designed for children ages 4–7. She explains how parents, educators, and children each shaped Teddy’s development, from feedback that led to a parent dashboard to scalability breakthroughs using Edge AI for privacy and speed. With more than 45,000 learners reached through the Otermans Institute and thousands of families now using Teddy AI, Dr. Pauldy offers invaluable lessons on innovation, resilience, and scaling solutions with impact.
Key Takeaways:
- Solving systemic problems often requires bold experimentation and rapid prototyping.
- How user feedback loops from children, teachers, and parents drive product evolution.
- A framework for balancing AI-driven personalization with human oversight and safety.
- Strategies for scaling globally, including language adaptation, cultural fit, and Edge AI.
- Defining success as both impact and adoption can help guide long-term growth.
Join us with Dr. Pauldy Otermans as she reveals how visionary leadership and AI innovation can democratize education and scale meaningful solutions worldwide.
- Tackling the Teacher Shortage: They developed AI to address the global shortage of teachers, leading to the creation of Teddy AI.
- Supporting Displaced Learners: Teddy AI was first tested in refugee camps to provide education to displaced children.
- Personalized Learning for Children: The goal was to create an AI study buddy to engage young children in personalized, fun learning.
- Engaging Parents in Education: Teddy AI allows parents to track and influence their child’s learning progress.
- Scaling and Improving: After testing, they refined Teddy AI based on feedback from parents and educators to make it more effective and scalable.
Special Guest: Dr. Pauldy Otermans, Creator – Teddy AI and Co-Founder, The Otermans Institute
Location: UNITED KINGDOM
Air Date: December 26, 2024
Websites:
- Teddy AI– an AI tool for students.
- The Otermans Institute– an international organisation based in London, focusing on research and developing affordable educational tools for a global audience using AI.
- Product Hunt– an online marketplace where new products are launched and discovered.
- Google Beta Family– a testing service for iOS and Android applications.
- Edge AI
- Innovate UK– UK’s national innovation agency.
Producer & Host: Alicia Butler Pierre
Additional Voiceover: Soleil Levy
Audio Editor: Olanrewaju Adeyemo
Sound Design: Sabor! Music Enterprises
Video Editor: Gladys Jimenez
Sponsor: Equilibria, Inc.More About Guest, Dr. Pauldy Otermans:
Dr. Pauldy Otermans is a female tech leader in the UK. She is a neuroscientist and psychologist by academic background and a female leader of AI technology. She was awarded as the inspirational women in the Tech Industry by Hustle Awards, was named one of the ‘22 most influential women in the UK of 2022’ by Start-Up Magazine UK, and has also been awarded by the UK Prime Minister in the UK in 2021, and globally for her work. Pauldy helped build the first digital human teachers powered by AI in 2021 called OIAI. The language model developed for OIAI is now also used to power Teddy AI which provides a conversational AI study buddy for all children aged 3-7 years where parents can be part of their child’s learning journey by prompting Teddy AI and get reports back. She is the winner of the Women in Tech Excellence award 2023. She is also active in the research community of AI in Education and is Topic Editor for Frontiers in AI: The Role of Conversational AI in Higher Education.
More About Host, Alicia Butler Pierre:
Alicia Butler Pierre is the Founder & CEO of Equilibria, Inc. Her career in operations began over 25 years ago while working in various chemical plants and oil refineries. She invented the Kasennu™ framework for business infrastructure and authored, Behind the Façade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success. She is the producer of Scale Tales podcast and the weekly top 2% Business Infrastructure podcast with a global audience across 70+ countries.Alicia is also an adjunct instructor of Lean Principles at Purdue University and serves as the USA Chair of the G100’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. The Process Excellence Network recognized her as a Top 50 Thought Leader in Operational Excellence. A chemical engineer turned entrepreneur, she’s designed and optimized processes for small businesses, large enterprises, non-profits, and government organizations alike.
More About Sponsor, Equilibria:
Equilibria, Inc. is a 19-year-old boutique operations management firm. We build the business infrastructure necessary for fast-growing businesses to scale with less pain. With a range of services and products, entrepreneurs can get the operational support and resources they need on demand. 
