In this episode of Solve for X, host Dr. Rick Fernandez welcomes Jonathan Wachtel, Co-Founder of OurCo. With a background spanning journalism, diplomacy, and public affairs, Jonathan shares how OurCo helps districts move beyond one-off surveys to ongoing, moderated community engagement—so leaders can take the pulse before big decisions, not after the backlash.From sentiment tools and push notifications to anonymous input and district-level branding, Jonathan explains how superintendents, boards, and school teams can use real-time feedback to build trust, reduce crisis noise, and make faster, smarter calls.What You’ll LearnWhy continuous engagement beats sporadic surveys for decision-makingHow moderation tools keep discourse productive (not performative)Ways districts use OurCo for pay systems, wraparound services, and student voiceHow real-time polling informs board meetings and crisis commsBranding, privacy, and anonymity: building trust while getting honest inputUsing OurCo to market your district amid school choice and consolidation pressuresCost and time advantages vs. traditional survey consultantsHow nonprofits and statewide orgs can align far-flung members quicklyEpisode Timestamps00:00 Cold open & welcome to Solve for X00:51 Meet Jonathan Wachtel + why the name “OurCo”02:16 What OurCo solves: social + sentiment for real-time decisions03:21 Use cases: HISD, wraparound services, and student voice04:53 Moderation & controls: keeping engagement constructive06:44 From journalism to K-12: avoiding scandals with proactive comms09:23 What’s different about OurCo: engagement loop + live dashboards12:36 Competing for families: branding, outreach, and community consensus14:56 Trust & privacy: data ownership, options for anonymous input19:26 Getting started: customization, pricing value, and broader use casesConnect with UsHost’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rick-fernandez-40692434/Special ThanksTo Jonathan Wachtel and the OurCo team for helping education leaders listen first, decide wisely, and build durable community trust.Stay ConnectedFollow, like, and subscribe to Solve for X for more stories where curiosity meets collaboration.Until next time—keep asking the right questions, and keep solving for X.

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