About Polina Kratova:

Polina Kratova is the Founder of Rising Stars, an organization focused on reimagining K–12 education through innovation, AI, and experiential learning. She leads a multidisciplinary team building future-ready programs and products designed to prepare students for the evolving world of work, creativity, and human potential.

Through Rising Stars, Polina helps empower the next generation of thinkers, makers, and leaders by integrating AI literacy, leadership development, wellness, and hands-on learning into education. The organization designs and implements AI and future-ready learning programs, student hackathons and innovation challenges, creative arts and wellness experiences, and entrepreneurship and career-readiness pathways.

With a background in technology, AI, and education innovation, Polina brings together educators, engineers, and community partners to build equitable learning ecosystems in collaboration with school districts, tech companies, and philanthropic organizations. Her work is driven by a vision to inspire students not just to learn, but to create the future, to reach more than 100,000 students by 2030.

In this episode, Kevin and Polina Kratova discuss:

• Redefining K–12 education through personalized and project-based learning
• Helping students discover their strengths, passions, and leadership abilities
• Teaching AI literacy, entrepreneurship, and financial skills responsibly
• Creating safe, supportive learning environments for underserved students
• Why ownership and agency are essential to long-term student success

Key Takeaways:

• Education is most powerful when students are given ownership of their learning. When young people are trusted to explore their interests, choose how they learn, and build projects that matter to them, confidence and leadership develop naturally rather than being forced.
• Preparing students for the future requires looking several steps ahead. Skills like creativity, adaptability, collaboration, and technological literacy matter just as much as traditional academics, especially in a world shaped by rapid change and emerging tools like AI.
• Support systems can change the trajectory of a student’s life. Access to mentors, encouragement, and safe spaces allows students to see possibilities they may never have imagined for themselves, particularly those from underserved communities.
• Growth comes from focusing on quality before scale. Slowing down, building strong systems, and embracing mistakes as part of the learning process leads to healthier organizations and more meaningful, sustainable impact over time.

“There’s so much magic that happens when you bring together mentors and the students and just give them the space.” – Polina Kratova

Connect with Polina Kratova:

Website: https://risingstarsprograms.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/polina-kratova-26411351/

Connect with Kevin Neal:

Website: https://drkdneal.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0C47RZDSS

https://www.amazon.com/Guided-Greatness-Mentorship-Developing-professionals-ebook/dp/B0FGBH1VNS

Email: coachkd63@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkd63