StartEd CEO Spotlight | Dana Stephenson, Co-Founder & CEO, Riipen.

In this StartEd CEO Spotlight conversation, Riipen Co-Founder and CEO Dana Stephenson joins Alan Todd to discuss how systems thinking can help address one of the most persistent challenges in the school-to-work transition: students need experience to get a job, yet often need a job to gain experience.

The discussion explores how AI is reshaping entry-level work, why traditional pathways are leaving too many learners without applied evidence of their skills, and how employer-connected, project-based learning can create a more scalable model for career readiness. Dana also reflects on the importance of building stronger internal operating systems, so organizations can grow with greater clarity, quality, and consistency.

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