MISSISSIPPI, 2025-11-07 — /EPR Network/ — As education systems buckle under the dual pressures of AI disruption and political gridlock, Adam Mangana, CEO of OptimaEd, is at the forefront of a radically different vision: one that’s immersive, resilient, and built for this moment. Mangana is available for interview to discuss how VR-powered learning and AI tutors are reshaping classrooms just as the public system hits its limits. According to Project Tomorrow’s 2025 report, 83% of students are already using generative AI for learning—often without district support or oversight, while 67% of teachers want to implement VR but lack resources (Project Tomorrow, 2025). Meanwhile, the U.S. government’s near-shutdown in October 2025 froze school grants and delayed FAFSA processing, raising alarms over the fragility of federally dependent education systems (EdWeek, 2025). Mangana frames this moment bluntly: “When public education stalls, immersive platforms like Optima are the contingency plan.”
And the timing couldn’t be sharper. Big Tech is flooding classrooms with capital: Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic have pledged over $1 billion toward AI education initiatives in the last six months alone (WSJ, 2025). Google’s Gemini AI is rolling out to public high schools, while OpenAI-backed tools are reshaping how teachers build lesson plans. Yet while the software arrives, the infrastructure doesn’t—many schools lack the systems or staff to deploy these tools meaningfully. In contrast, Optima offers a turnkey solution: a fully VR-native platform with 200+ immersive environments and 5,000+ AI-driven avatars designed for scalable, asynchronous K–12 learning.
Optima’s work is already being recognized. Meta recently featured the company in a 2024 case study as a blueprint for scalable immersive education. Florida went a step further, approving state scholarship dollars to fund Optima’s Explorations VR field trips, allowing students to experience destinations like the International Space Station or ancient Rome—from home, on public dollars. It’s not just innovation—it’s a working, funded alternative to broken systems. As Mangana puts it: “We’re not disrupting school. We’re re-engineering it.”
That re-engineering feels especially urgent in a system bleeding talent. Over 1 in 8 teaching roles nationwide remain vacant or filled by underqualified staff, affecting 6 million students annually (McKinsey, 2024). And with looming federal budget volatility, districts are scaling back tech pilots and delaying innovation investments. Optima’s independence from federal cycles and reliance on state-level or private adoption gives it resilience most public solutions can’t match. For parents and districts alike, it’s becoming a clear choice—not just a cool one.
Reporters covering the AI learning boom, school choice politics, or how Gen Alpha learns differently will find in Adam Mangana a rare blend of visionary and operator. He’s available for interviews this month and offers direct insight into the platforms, policies, and people reshaping education from the ground up.
Media contact:
Chris Georges
chris@creatiwave.co
