🎙️Ep.1: Reconnecting to Your Purpose with Ann Kozma

This first episode of The Bridge is all about community, belonging, and the heart work of being an educator. Ann Kozma shares her journey from first-grade teacher to edtech leader, opening up about the joy of helping teachers and the challenge of creating spaces where people feel truly seen.

Together, we reflect on what it means to set healthy boundaries, keep joy alive, and find “your people” even when teaching feels isolating. It’s a reminder that we’re always better together—and that connection is the fuel that keeps us going.

Meet Our Guest(s)

Ann Kozma is an Education Evangelist at Adobe Express for Education and loves to encourage others to “push all the buttons” and play to learn as they use technology to transform teaching and learning. She has spent 24+ years empowering others in education as a classroom teacher, K-8 Innovation TOSA, and as an Educator Innovation Lead at Flipgrid and Microsoft. Now at Adobe, Ann is on a mission to ignite creativity, celebrate community and empower everyone to share, celebrate, and showcase learning adventures both inside and outside the classroom. Recognized for her enthusiasm and spirit, Ann loves to champion others and lives with a #BetterTogether mindset. She is an Alumni of the Apple Distinguished Educators Class of 2015 and loves to slow stroll and collect seashells in her free time.

🔗 Ann on Instagram 

🔗 Ann on X/Twitter

🔗 Ann on LinkedIn

Key Takeaways

• You don’t have to have all the answers as an educator—what matters most is finding your people and learning alongside them.
• Cate and Ann recall sneaking out of a conference session in Sacramento to eat popsicles together, sparking the kind of authentic connection that later inspired the CUE Booms project.
• Build healthy boundaries around your time and energy so you can sustain your passion for teaching without burning out.
• Belonging and connection—mentorship and community are the anchors that help us thrive through change in education.

Resources & Mentions

• CUE Booms 2022 Video on YouTube
• Adobe Creative Educator Facebook Group
• #AdobeEduCreative