Washington, D.C., Aug. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Opportunity@Work today announced the hiring of new Chief Technology Officer Kelcey Reed to lead the nonprofit’s engineering team as it continues to build out Stellarworx – Opportunity@Work’s talent marketplace that helps employers find and hire workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) such as community college, workforce training, bootcamps, certificate programs, military service or on-the-job learning, rather than through a four-year college degree.
“Kelcey brings more than 20 years of experience as an Engineering and Technology Executive to the table, and he will bring tech-driven solutions to connect smart employers to beat the ‘skills gap’ in career-path jobs by sourcing talent from the 70+ million STARs in the U.S,” said Opportunity@Work CEO Byron Auguste.
Reed joins Opportunity@Work after two decades of success building and delivering next-generation solutions and optimizing technical environments in the FinTech and EdTech industries, developing his expertise by working with sophisticated technology organizations such as Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Compass Bank, SunTrust Bank, TransUnion, Equifax, and Nationwide Insurance in various capacities. Prior to his technical career in business, Reed served eight years in the U.S. Army, earning the title of Chief Fire Direction Computer, which he says gave him the training and experience to seek out a career in the field.
“After an extensive search, we are thrilled to bring Kelcey Reed in to support and guide Stellarworx as our STARs talent marketplace enters new markets,” said Opportunity@Work COO Shad Ahmed. “His leadership, problem-solving, customer-centricity and mission alignment truly stand out, and we can’t wait to see what we can accomplish with him aboard.”
“I am so excited to join an organization that is helping rewire the labor market so that all STARs can work, learn, and earn to their full potential,” said Reed. “Coming out of high school I had a passion for computers. But like many in our country, after graduating, I didn’t have the resources necessary to pursue it in college. Instead, I turned to the military as an alternative route to help provide me with the skills and resources that have gotten me to where I am today. I cannot wait to leverage my years of experience leading business agility through technology, and devising flexible, innovative solutions to create a more equitable labor market for STARs who have been long ignored by our labor market.”
Based in Atlanta, Reed will lead Opportunity@Work’s engineering team as its Stellarworx platform adds capabilities and grows nationwide. Stellarworx recently expanded the marketplace platform for employers to source STARs talent from alternative routes, and to hire STARs into a growing range of in-demand jobs in the Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles pilot markets and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Over the next 18 months, Opportunity@Work will offer its enterprise employer customers enhanced capabilities to integrate Stellarworx into core HR IT systems, manage candidate sourcing across multiple inclusive hiring initiatives, and expand access to an array of STARs talent sources. Stellarworx will also expand to new markets alongside regional and national partners, including several of its partners in the Fortune 500.
Reed joins Opportunity@Work to assume the CTO role that Executive-in-Residence Julie Elberfeld had stepped in to fill on an interim basis. Elberfeld will continue to work with Opportunity@Work as a Senior Advisor.
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About Opportunity@Work
Opportunity@Work is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase career opportunities for the more than 70 million adults in the U.S. who do not have a four-year college degree but are Skilled Through Alternative Routes – or, “STARs.” They serve STARs through a suite of products, tools, and solutions that enable individuals to access jobs that lead to meaningful, well-paying careers. We empower the diverse ecosystem supporting STARs in a movement uniting employers, educators, workforce leaders, philanthropists, and advocates.
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