Solving School Communication at Scale With Axel Petochi

This week on Solve for X, host Dr. Rick Fernandez is joined by special co-host Ryan Patenaude, Founder of RP Impact Partners, for a conversation with Axel Petochi, Co-Founder of BaboBot, an AI-powered communication platform helping schools simplify information access for students, families, and staff.

Axel shares the entrepreneurial journey that began with a simple college problem—figuring out what was being served in the dining hall—and evolved into a platform designed to solve one of education’s most persistent challenges: communication. Together, Rick, Ryan, and Axel explore how schools can reduce information overload, improve family engagement, and provide stakeholders with personalized answers without adding more work to already stretched educators and administrators.

The conversation also dives into what it’s like building an education technology company as a young founder, the realities of navigating the K-12 market, and how AI can be responsibly leveraged to improve operational efficiency while keeping educators at the center of learning. If you're interested in school communication, educational innovation, entrepreneurship, or the future of AI in education, this episode offers valuable lessons from both emerging and experienced leaders.

What You’ll Learn

• How a college dining hall project evolved into an education technology company
• Why communication remains one of the biggest operational challenges for schools
• The hidden costs of fragmented information systems across K-12 organizations
• How AI can provide personalized answers for parents, students, and staff
• Why schools need communication tools that go beyond traditional portals and websites
• The importance of role-based responses in school communication
• How better communication can improve family engagement and student retention
• Lessons learned from building a startup as a young founder
• Why founders should spend more time talking to customers than building in isolation
• The importance of relationships, research, and trust in K-12 sales
• How AI can support education operations without replacing teachers
• Practical advice for education founders entering the K-12 market

Episode Timestamps

01:19 Introducing BaboBot and the Communication Challenge

02:26 The College Project That Started It All

04:55 Early Lessons From Building the Platform

06:37 Discovering the Information Fragmentation Problem

07:59 Data, Communication, and School Operations

10:06 How BaboBot Supports Parents and Families

12:10 Why Communication Matters More Than Ever

14:45 Navigating the K-12 Market as a Young Founder

16:45 Building Relationships in Education

20:28 Solving District Challenges Through Better Communication

21:39 Customer Discovery and Product Development

22:36 New Parent Onboarding Success Story

25:12 Responsible AI in Education

26:49 Why Teachers Must Remain at the Center of Learning

28:35 Finding Mentors and Building a Network

32:00 Learning Through Successes and Failures

33:54 Common Startup Mistakes and Growth Challenges

36:12 Building a Scalable Go-To-Market Strategy

46:50 Lessons on Sales, Relationships, and Growth


Connect with Us
Host’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rick-fernandez-40692434/
Company’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerschool-group


Special Thanks
To Axel Petochi for sharing his entrepreneurial journey and vision for improving communication across education. His willingness to tackle complex operational challenges and learn directly from educators highlights the innovation and curiosity needed to solve tomorrow’s problems.


Stay Connected
Follow, like, and subscribe to Solve for X for more conversations where curiosity meets collaboration. Until next time—keep asking the right questions, and keep solving for X.

What is Solve for X?

Solve for X is the podcast where district leaders and EdTech innovators come together to tackle the real challenges in K–12 education. Hosted by Dr. Rick Fernandez, each episode explores what schools truly need, how vendors respond, and how stronger partnerships can lead to smarter solutions and better outcomes for students.