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Griffin Jaeger
March 16, 2021

Competencies without a Classroom Podcast: Ilana Ben-Ari

S1 E20: Ilana Ben-Ari - Twenty One Toys - Teaching Empathy & Failure

As our world becomes increasingly digitized and robots take away job positions, complex problem-solvers will thrive. Robots cannot be empathetic or build strong relationships. It highlights the importance of teaching empathy and failure, two things that are top of mind for this week's guest.

Meet Ilana Ben-Ari, toy designer turned entrepreneur and creator of Twenty One Toys. Ilana believes in the importance of play in schools and businesses as a way to flex one's creative muscles. In her eyes, the future of work is human and she is showcasing this through the use of toys.

Twenty One Toys is a training and development toy company that uses toys to teach the skills that textbooks can't, like empathy and failure. Whether you are six or a CEO, Illana’s empathy and failure toys act as metaphors for life, bringing play back into our daily routines.

Empathy and Failure With Ilana Ben-Ari

In this episode, we chat about topics including:

  • Ilana’s pathway from high school to design school and entrepreneurship
  • The story behind her debut empathy toy
  • The ways education can undervalue creativity and emotions and their crucial roles in a 21st-century environment
  • The value of social and emotional skills
  • Why strong relationships and good coaches can play a pivotal role in your success
  • How the more self-aware you are, the easier you’ll find it is to work with others

Helpful Links

Missed last week's episode? Listen to the standout student episode now.

Griffin Jaeger

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