In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Jennie Magiera, Global Head of Education and Impact at Google, to explore the six years she spent trying to become a mother while ascending through some of the most demanding roles in education technology, and what that journey taught her about presence, purpose, and raising children in an AI world.

Jennie went through multiple rounds of IVF across three different jobs, cancelling keynotes for egg retrievals, writing substitute lesson plans every night not knowing if she would need them, and fielding questions from colleagues who did not understand why she could not reschedule a surgery. When Lucy was finally born, Jennie had to write apology letters in her head to every parent she had ever dismissed as overreacting. She finally understood what was at stake.

The conversation also goes somewhere harder. Jennie shares the postpartum depression she experienced with her second daughter Nora, the years she felt she was looking at someone else’s baby, and the therapy and one-on-one time that eventually brought them to where they are now. Besties.

Kevin and Jennie also get into what intentional presence looks like when you spend a hundred nights in hotels a year. Broadway shows on a Tuesday with Lucy. Nail salon trips with Nora. IHOP at 3am in pyjamas because nobody can sleep. And the moment Lucy told Jennie she was not upset about the travel because when her mum is home, she does more than other mums who never leave.

This is a conversation about IVF, postpartum, AI for kids, and what it means to be fully present in the pockets you actually have.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What IVF actually does to your career across six years and three different jobs
• How becoming a mother reframed every parent Jennie had ever dismissed as overreacting
• Why being transparent about IVF at work created safety for other women at Google
• How Jennie uses Gemini with her seven-year-old, always supervised, always debriefed
• What happened when Lucy asked Gemini to explain crucifixion
• The four safeguards every parent should put in place before introducing AI to their kids
• Why social emotional capacity is the skill AI will never replace
• How to apply an ROI lens to your time at home the same way you would at work

Top Takeaways:

• You cannot have it all and that is not failure. Make peace with what you are prioritising now.
• Presence is not volume of time. It is what you do inside the pockets you have.
• Supervised, purposeful, and debriefed is the only responsible way to introduce AI to young children.
• Technology is a tool, not the answer. Knowing when to use it is the skill worth teaching.
• Social emotional capacity is what separates humans from machines. Build it early.
• If you have the capital to name what you are going through at work, use it. You create space for everyone around you.

About Jennie Magiera:
Jennie Magiera is Global Head of Education and Impact at Google, leading a team that supports educators and students across the world. A former classroom teacher, school district CTO, and contributor to the US Department of Education’s Education Technology Plan, she was recognised with the Obama White House Champion for Change Award. She is the author of Courageous Edventures and a TEDx speaker. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters, Lucy and Nora.

If this episode made you rethink leadership, career growth, work-life balance, or working parenthood, subscribe to the CEOs & ABCs Podcast for more conversations with CEOs, founders, and global executives.

Share this episode with a colleague navigating work-life balance, and comment below with the biggest lesson you took from Jennie Magiera.

Follow Jennie Magiera:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magiera/ 
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Courageous-Edventures-Navigating-Innovation-Essentials/
• Company: https://edu.google.com/intl/ALL_us/ 

Follow our host Kevin Rice on:

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn/KevinMRice
• Website: ceosandabcs.com
• Instagram: Instagram/ceosandabcs

Follow the CEOs & ABCs Podcast and stay updated:

• Subscribe to the CEOs & ABCs Podcast:
• Newsletter: CEOs and ABCs Newsletter
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn/ceosandabcs
• Website: ceosandabcs.com
• YouTube: Youtube/ceosandabcs
• Spotify: Spotify/ceosandabcs