In Close with Bill Salak

From a measured mindset years in the making, on the cusp with one of the world’s greatest edtech product heads.

INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero

BRAINLY

Bill Salak has more than 20 years of experience overseeing large-scale development projects and has more than 24 years of experience in web application architecture and development. Bill founded and served as CTO of multiple Internet and web development companies, leading technology projects for companies including Age of Learning, AOL, Educational Testing Systems, Film LA, Hasbro, HBO, Highlights for Children, NBC-Universal, and the U.S. Army. Bill currently serves as the CTO/COO of Brainly, the world’s leading learning platform worldwide with the most extensive Knowledge Base for all school subjects and grades. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn. 

What prompted you to get involved in education technology way back when in the first place?

I reached a point in my career where the work I was doing just didn’t excite me anymore. Earning money wasn’t enough of a motivator—I needed bigger challenges and wanted to do something that would truly help people. That mindset led me to pick projects and teams based on impact rather than just a paycheck. Along the way, I found myself working in healthcare, tackling environmental issues, and finally diving into education.

Education is packed with tough problems to solve, but if you get them right, you can make a massive difference. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with amazing people who care just as much about making a real impact, and that’s further inspired me and helped me keep my own drive for improving education alive.

‘Education is packed with tough problems to solve, but if you get them right, you can make a massive difference.’

What past work of yours has informed your current successful trajectory? What common thread in your work throughout your career is still with you today?

I’ve always gravitated toward building big, mission-critical systems, and that focus has guided my career from the start. Early on, I was taught to “look under the hood” and deeply understand the details of how things work at a low level. Then I’d build solutions that play to a system’s strengths and shore up its weaknesses.

That mindset led me to tackle the most challenging projects – the ones few others were given the opportunity to solve. Over time, I developed a “systems thinking” approach: break down complex problems, dive into the nuts and bolts, and then piece everything back together in a way that works for what I was trying to achieve or solve for.

I use the same approach to solve organizational and process challenges, and to design features or solutions that address educational or business needs. By looking deeply at how things operate, I can be better informed about how to make them work better.

What problems are you trying to solve currently? In your view, what is the role of technology in education more generally?

Technology’s role in education is to empower and open up new and better outcomes for both teachers and students. Right now, we’re focused on making learning more responsive and personalized. Take formative testing (like quizzes)—these are great for gauging how well students grasp a lesson, but the feedback can be slow. That’s where technology can help by providing near-real-time insights into how students are engaging with the material.

Imagine a teacher who can instantly spot which parts of the lesson are clicking and which parts aren’t. They can then make adjustments on the fly, instead of waiting for quiz results or end-of-unit tests. This approach saves time, gives a more complete picture of each student’s progress, and ultimately leads to better learning outcomes.

In other words, the goal of technology in education isn’t to replace teachers, it’s to give them better tools. By taking care of the heavy lifting, teachers can focus on what they do best: helping students learn in a way that really resonates.

‘…the goal of technology in education isn’t to replace teachers, it’s to give them better tools.’

What have been some highlights of the work you’ve done at Brainly what features benefits or solutions are you most proud of?

There’s been a lot of innovation and projects at Brainly that I’m proud of, but if I had to pick a few standouts, I’d start with how we’ve harnessed AI to personalize learning for each student. We’re not just handing out answers, we’re breaking down the “why” behind those answers so students understand the topic better and close that learning gap.

Another thing I’m proud of is our global reach. Our platform supports students from all around the world, making it easier for them to access the help they need in a way that truly resonates. It’s amazing to see how technology is opening doors for so many students and helping them grow in ways that matter most to them.

I see you at the big edtech conferences speaking to overflow rooms full of school district technology leaders. What is your main message to them and what are you hearing in response as you listen to those audiences?

My main message is pretty straightforward: this moment in education is unlike any other I’ve seen in my 25+ years working with edtech. The stakes are higher because we’re in the middle of a massive, fast-paced shift in what students need to learn to be successful, both in the workforce and in society. The bright side is that technology has never been more powerful or more affordable, which opens up huge opportunities to help students and teachers thrive.

‘… this moment in education is unlike any other I’ve seen in my 25+ years working with edtech. The stakes are higher because we’re in the middle of a massive, fast-paced shift in what students need to learn to be successful, both in the workforce and in society.’

When I talk about this at conferences, the reaction is mixed, there’s excitement about the possibilities AI and other tech offer, but also a lot of anxiety over how to implement them effectively. District leaders know the change is coming, but they’re working in an ecosystem that’s slow to move and difficult to introduce new and innovative solutions within.

Despite the challenges, most school districts are willing to adapt. My biggest push is making sure they understand the urgency. If schools don’t act now, the gap between what students learn and what they actually need in the real world will only grow. By showing them what’s possible and guiding them through the process, I’m trying to make sure everyone sees the importance of embracing this moment and using it to bring about real, positive change in education.

Anything else you’d like to add or emphasize regarding the role of AI in education and learning, the future of learning, or any other area that you’d like to mention that we hadn’t already? 

What young people need to be doing right now to navigate the looming impact of AI. Get familiar with technology from a user’s standpoint and understand how it can make your day to day life more efficient and effective. If you figure out where these tools can help you streamline your day, then you’re already benefitting from AI. 

As tech improves, the answer to “what can AI do for me?” will continually be a moving target. Being good at that pragmatic assessment of high value use of their time vs. low value use of their time with respect to AI being able to take over certain tasks is an extremely valuable quality in a workplace. Every student needs to have that skill going forward. 

For teachers, the same principle applies: let AI handle repetitive tasks so you can focus on higher-level teaching duties – mentoring students, leading discussions, and creating engaging learning experiences. The future of education isn’t about AI replacing teachers; it’s about teachers using AI to become even more effective educators. Embracing this mindset now will help everyone stay ahead of the curve and ensure that education keeps pace with the world our students are heading into.

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Victor Rivero is the Editor-in-Chief of EdTech Digest. Write to: victor@edtechdigest.com

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