‘Future of Work’ pitches highlight opening day at Triangle venture event

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – If nothing else the first topic at the Venture Connect event that opened its two-day run Wednesday was timely – the “Future of Work.” A new report says 300 million jobs are at risk as artificial intelligence rapidly improves. These startups talked about ways to keep jobs – and talent.

The Council for Entrepreneurial Development’s startup and venture capital showcase is taking place on the GSK campus.

The “Future of Work” session revolved around tools for finding and keeping exceptional talent, and building company culture. This is a hot topic as employers in all industries continue to struggle with a shifting labor market.

A big crowd gathers on GSK Campus for Venture Connect. (Photo by Jen McFarland)

“I created a career success platform for the working mother”

Delphine Carter with Boulo Solutions was an early speaker. Carter and her team are working to get busy moms into the workforce.

According to the pitch, 43% of women leave the workforce once they become mothers. Many of these women want to stay in the workforce under different circumstances or need assistance re-entering the marketplace after a leave of absence. Boulo works to match them with flexible jobs and connect them with resume and professional development resources. Small to medium-sized businesses don’t stand out on the job board, according to Carter. Finding and profiling those companies offers opportunities that are often overlooked.

“Solutions today are failing the employee experience.”

Peoplelogic CEO Matt Schmidt and SuggestionOx Founder Wade Minter are both working to retain talent.

Peoplelogic has a proprietary solution for integrating into the existing tools companies are using, such as Salesforce, Slack, Asana. They can then see the interactions within the organization and identify where there are issues. Their services also include actionable recommendations based on the data.

“We’re solving the problem of engagement and retention that are killing company growth,” says Schmidt. “No surveys required.”

On the other side, pitching company Suggestion Ox is leaning into the survey solution, but with one important difference: anonymity.

SuggestionOx is an employee feedback platform that says they get the real truth from employees. They do that by offering anonymity – both on the employee side and in employer responses.

“Company culture is broken,” says Minter. But these companies are working hard to solve the problem.

Other “Future of Work” pitches included All Elements, Blue Recruit, Essential Personnel, Ivy Clinicians, and Zinnia.