As Texas continues to experience significant economic growth, many small to medium-sized businesses face challenges in managing human resources, compliance, and employee-related risks. In a recent interview on The Building Texas Show, Neil Katz, CEO of Exceptional HR Solutions, explained how fractional HR services provide expert support without the cost of a full-time department.

Managing Growth and Reducing Risk
With over 25 years of HR experience, Katz emphasizes that business owners often spend 10–50% of their time on people-related issues, diverting focus from core operations. Fractional HR services help companies navigate hiring, onboarding, investigations, compensation, and compliance, allowing leaders to focus on growth.

“Hire experts in their disciplines,” Katz advises. “Get back to what you love because you probably don’t love dealing with this stuff anyway.”

Critical Focus: Employee vs. Contractor Classification
A major area of risk for Texas businesses is the misclassification of employees as 1099 contractors. Katz warns that if a worker uses company email, equipment, or receives majority income from one employer, they should likely be classified as a W-2 employee.

“People don’t get to choose if they want to be a contractor. The law defines what a contractor is and what is not. If you’re not sure, the rule of thumb is to hire them as an employee.”

Serving Municipalities and Small Businesses
Exceptional HR Solutions also supports municipalities, such as the City of Bonham, providing expertise without the overhead of a full-time HR director. Katz highlights that fractional services are ideal for small cities and businesses that need professional HR support but lack the budget for a dedicated department.

Watch the full interview with Neil Katz on The Building Texas Show's Youtube Channel:

1099 vs W-2: The Mistake That Could Sink Your Small Business

Connect with Exceptional HR Solutions
Businesses and municipalities seeking HR support can visit ExceptionalHRSolutions.com or connect with Neil Katz on LinkedIn.

About Exceptional HR Solutions
Exceptional HR Solutions provides fractional HR services to small and medium-sized businesses and municipalities across Texas. With a team of 20 experts, the company helps clients manage hiring, compliance, employee relations, and risk, allowing leaders to focus on growth and operations.

About The Building Texas Show:
Hosted by Justin McKenzie, The Building Texas Show features conversations with leaders and candidates shaping Texas communities. From elections to economic development, the show highlights civic engagement and local impact.

Media Contact:
Justin McKenzie
Host, The Building Texas Show
(210) 748-2312 | justin@buildingtexasshow.com
https://buildingtexasshow.com

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The Texas Space Coalition, an El Paso-based nonprofit, is building integrated regional ecosystems to advance Texas’ space industry by connecting academic, industry, and government leaders. In a recent interview on The Building Texas Show, Executive Director Mike Pryor outlined the coalition’s mission to ignite innovation, stimulate economic development, and retain high-value talent in communities across the state.

Building Ecosystems: From La Frontera to the Final Frontier
The coalition focuses on creating partnerships that drive real-world outcomes: universities secure research grants, companies access skilled talent, and government programs align with industry needs.

“It’s like someone took the space rocket Lego set and laid it out on the table,” said Pryor. “All the parts are here in El Paso—light manufacturing, UTEP’s Aerospace Center, White Sands Test Facility, and a synchronized local government. We’re connecting them to build a thriving space economy.”

Join the “Launch & Learn” Seminar in El Paso
The coalition will host an in-person “Launch & Learn” seminar on February 24, 2026, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. MT at the Coronado Country Club in El Paso. The event will bring together industry professionals, academic leaders, and government representatives to explore partnership opportunities, workforce development, and regional strategies for growing Texas’ space sector. Registration is open to stakeholders across the space and aerospace value chain.

Why El Paso? A Strategic Hub for Space Development
El Paso’s unique assets position it as a natural hub for aerospace and space activity:

• University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Aerospace Center: Produces high-quality engineering talent.
• Light Manufacturing & Metallurgy Expertise: Supports advanced component production.
• Regional Collaboration: Partnerships with New Mexico State University, Spaceport America, and Van Horn create a cross-border innovation corridor.
• Government & Military Assets: Proximity to White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss provides testing and research opportunities.

Stopping the Brain Drain, Keeping Families Together
A core goal is retaining local talent. Pryor shared, “It breaks my heart to see a PhD in aerospace engineering get in their car and drive off to another state. Those are family members leaving—it’s a brain drain and a heart drain.” By linking students and skilled workers to local space industry opportunities, the coalition helps build intact, thriving communities.

Expanding the Model Statewide
Following a successful inaugural conference in November 2024 that connected 150 industry, academic, and government leaders, the coalition is now expanding its regional ecosystem model to other Texas communities with aerospace ambitions.

“We’re an equal-opportunity helper,” Pryor noted. “Space is about looking up—to the stars and to big ideas. There’s no better place to pursue them than Texas.”

Join the Coalition
Businesses, academic institutions, government agencies, and economic development organizations interested in space ecosystem development are invited to connect.

Website: TxSpaceCoalition.org

Watch the full interview with Mike Pryor on The Building Show’s Youtube Channel:

Mike Pryor Reveals Texas Space Coalition's Secret Mission

“Space is one of these beautiful places where it brings your eyes up. You're looking to the stars, and there's still room for big ideas—no better place to do them than right here in Texas.” — Mike Pryor, Texas Space Coalition

About the Texas Space Coalition
The Texas Space Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing regional space ecosystems by connecting academic, industry, and government leaders. Through partnerships, conferences, and strategic initiatives, the coalition stimulates innovation, workforce development, and economic growth in Texas’ space sector.

About The Building Texas Show:
Hosted by Justin McKenzie, The Building Texas Show features conversations with leaders and candidates shaping Texas communities. From elections to economic development, the show highlights civic engagement and local impact.

Media Contact:
Justin McKenzie
Host, The Building Texas Show
(210) 748-2312 | justin@buildingtexasshow.com
https://buildingtexasshow.com

###

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As organizations race to integrate AI, a new challenge has emerged: the technology is ready, but people aren’t. Global studies show that while executives see AI as essential to future growth, the majority of employees lack the skills and confidence to use it effectively.

According to PwC, companies leveraging AI are achieving up to three times higher revenue-per-employee growth than lagging peers. Yet the workforce isn’t keeping up:

• 68% of executives report a moderate to extreme AI skills gap in their organizations (Deloitte, 2025).
  

• Only one-third of organizations say employees are adequately trained for AI-related roles, even though 94% of CEOs rank AI skills as their top hiring priority (IDC, 2025).
  

• Just 22% of employees know how to use prompt engineering effectively, highlighting a major adoption barrier (Forrester, 2025).
  

Across studies, between 60–70% of companies entering 2026 lack formal AI training programs, despite record spending on automation and generative tools. The economic impact of the AI skills gap now exceeds $5 trillion globally (IDC).

“AI doesn’t replace human expertise — it expands capacity,” said Julie Anne Eason, Founder of MindFlare AI. “The problem isn’t access to technology; it’s access to practical, role-specific learning. Closing that skills gap is the fastest way to unlock real ROI.”

The Problem: Outdated Training Models

While businesses have invested heavily in AI systems, most learning and development programs are outdated and detached from daily work, according to Deloitte. Traditional “AI 101” seminars focus on tools, not transformation, leaving teams unsure how to apply AI in their specific job roles.

This problem is compounded by what psychologists call the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve — the well-documented finding that people forget up to 90% of what they learn within just a few days if it isn’t reinforced or applied.

That’s why one-time, or even once-a-week, AI training sessions fail to create lasting capability. Employees need daily immersion within their ongoing tasks, experimenting and refining how they use AI to get their work done faster, smarter, and more creatively than before.

And that’s where the MindFlare approach changes the game.

The Solution: Innovative Training that Sticks and Scales

MindFlare AI’s workshops combine global AI literacy standards with role-specific application, hands-on workflow design, and real-time AI learning assistants. Training becomes integrated, practical, and continuous.

This approach transforms AI education from theory into daily applied skill-building that fits seamlessly into existing workflows. The result: higher adoption, faster productivity gains, and measurable business value.

“When people understand exactly how AI applies to their role, adoption stops being intimidating and starts being exciting,” Eason added. “That’s when companies move from experimenting to scaling.”

The Bottom Line: Invest in Readiness Now for Measurable Returns in 2026

AI training remains the single largest barrier between adoption and measurable ROI (Deloitte).

Most employees are unprepared for AI-enabled workflows (Forrester).

The cost of inaction already exceeds $5 trillion worldwide (IDC).

Many organizations are using their remaining 2025 training budgets to accelerate AI adoption and build readiness before the new year. The companies that invest in AI capability now will enter 2026 ahead of the curve—with trained teams, measurable ROI, and a clear competitive advantage.

MindFlare AI’s workshops close the skills gap, helping organizations build confident, capable teams ready for the next era of work. Book a custom AI readiness workshop before year-end and start 2026 ahead of the curve.

About MindFlare AI

MindFlare AI is a U.S.-based strategy and training firm specializing in AI readiness, workforce enablement, and human-centered integration. The company helps organizations reach new performance standards through intelligent collaboration between human talent and digital capability.

Founder Julie Anne Eason and her team have delivered AI and innovation programs for leading companies including Dell Technologies, HP, Red Hat, and the Channel Marketing Association, serving enterprises, growth-stage firms, and public-sector organizations nationwide.

Visit www.MindFlareAI.com to schedule a readiness call or learn more.

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Superior Insurance Advisors (SIA) today announced the launch of a Midwest-wide Employer Pharma-Funds Recovery Drive, a large-scale initiative helping employers, municipalities, and benefit trusts claim their share of the Department of Justice’s $600 billion Pharma Overcharge Recovery Fund.

The effort, spearheaded by Paul H. Flowers Jr. — a nationally recognized fiduciary-certified healthcare advisor and three-time best-selling author — aims to bring transparency and justice to a system long plagued by overpricing, pharmacy-benefit collusion, and misaligned incentives. The campaign also positions Gary, Indiana, as a regional hub for healthcare accountability and multi-state cooperation across the Midwest.

“This is a defining moment for business leaders,” said Flowers. “For too long, the truth about drug pricing has been buried under layers of middlemen and conflicts of interest. Employers finally have the opportunity to take back what’s theirs.”

The Department of Justice and several states have filed and consolidated lawsuits, including Insulin Pricing Litigation, alleging that major pharmaceutical manufacturers and PBMs—such as Prime Therapeutics (Blue Cross), Optum (United Healthcare), CVS Caremark (Aetna), and Express Scripts (Cigna)—systematically inflated prices.

Recovery efforts are being supported by national legal teams like Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, Keller Rohrback LLP, and Pearl Logic LLC. The fund allows self-insured employers, unions, and municipal plans to submit claims for reimbursement of excess payments going back more than a decade. The cutoff for insulin-related claims is January 15, 2026, and the newly announced cutoff for generic medications is November 15, 2025.

Flowers warns that “employers who fail to act now will leave millions of dollars on the table.” In partnership with Life Health & Legal Education Partners (LHALEP), Superior Insurance Advisors is hosting a series of open-access workshops to educate CFOs, HR leaders, and municipal administrators on claim eligibility, data collection, and filing strategies.

“This is about restoring fiduciary stewardship to healthcare,” Flowers explained. “We’re not just recovering dollars — we’re rewriting the rules of fairness in American benefits.”

The initiative briefly aligns with Opioid Free America, helping cities and counties responsibly utilize national opioid settlement grants to reduce dependence and improve community health outcomes.

Media Availability Media professionals are invited to contact Paul H. Flowers Jr. for live interviews and press briefings.

Given the short timeline before the federal claim deadline, coverage is considered time-sensitive and of public interest.

Contact

Paul H. Flowers Jr.
Phone: 844-513-5433
Email: Paul@SuperiorInsuranceAdvisors.com

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Intellum, the leading AI-first platform for scalable learning solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Promovre, a global end-to-end managed services provider with deep capabilities in learning development, consulting, trust & safety, technical services, and AI. This collaboration empowers organizations to combine Intellum’s learning platform with Promovre’s operational services to deliver high-quality, reliably managed learning at scale.

Promovre brings over a decade of experience as an E2E managed services provider, combining consulting, digital transformation, content moderation, learning & development, and technical services across global markets. Their expertise in managing operations, quality, and scale complements Intellum’s platform strengths, creating a seamless solution for clients who want both a powerful LMS and trusted execution support.

“Delivering learning at scale is more than content and systems. It requires disciplined operations and managed support,” said Dan Hynes, SVP of Partnerships at Intellum. “By partnering with Promovre, we’re giving clients not just the tools to deliver education but the operational backbone to run it effectively across geographies and functions.”

Through this partnership, clients can benefit from end-to-end managed learning programs: Promovre will support everything from content creation, localization, moderation, and deployment to learning operations, governance, QA, and technical maintenance. Intellum’s platform will serve as the delivery engine, enabling rich personalization, reporting, and learner engagement—all seamlessly supported by Promovre’s managed services.

"Promovre is focused on providing customizable solutions with a high level of operational expertise to our clients,” said Michele Mar, VP - Global BPO Operations at Promovre. “This strategic partnership with Intellum allows Promovre to further its L&D options to meet customer needs and deliver an even higher caliber of operational solutions to Enterprise and SMB clients globally."

About Intellum

About Promovre

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Santa Cruz Works, a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating a robust innovation ecosystem in Santa Cruz County, and Digital NEST, a nonprofit empowering underserved California youth with career-launching tech skills, are advancing their partnership to provide valuable workforce development opportunities for young adults through the AHSC 2025–26 Internship Opportunity Program.

Funded by the City of Santa Cruz through the California Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) grant, the program supports paid internships for underserved youth and local businesses, strengthening both career pathways and the regional economy.

The AHSC grant—part of California’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—promotes healthier communities by linking affordable housing with sustainable transportation and equitable economic opportunity. This new internship program advances that mission by connecting local talent to local jobs, reducing commute distances, and fostering a more resilient economy.

Through the program, ten local businesses have welcomed interns for six-month, paid positions. Each participating company receives up to $10,000 in grant funding to compensate their interns—lowering financial barriers for small businesses and startups eager to mentor emerging talent.

Santa Cruz Works recruits participating companies, while Digital NEST handles intern recruiting, training, and case management. Many interns come from bizzNEST, Digital NEST’s youth-powered creative agency, where participants gain paid experience in digital marketing, software development, and design through real client projects.

“This grant is a game-changer for our community,” said Bonnie Lipscomb, Director of Economic Development and Housing for the City of Santa Cruz. “It levels the playing field for residents who have faced systemic barriers to employment, while also eliminating cost concerns for businesses that want to mentor and grow local talent.”

“The earn-and-learn model is a proven solution to youth employment challenges,” said Cathy Wright, VP of Partnerships & Innovation at Digital NEST. “By providing paid experience, mentorship, and credentials right in their own communities, we’re preparing young people for wealth-building careers and a more equitable future.”

“We’re thrilled by the talent and energy these interns are bringing to local companies,” said Malina Long, Business Development and Programs Manager at Santa Cruz Works. “Their impact will ripple across our community for years to come.”

Participating Companies and Interns

• Climatize – Julian Guerrero, Video Production Intern

• Nurbli – Yuliana Morales-Galvan, Software & Development Intern

• X Academy – Fernanda Jordan, Marketing Intern

• Mission Hill Creamery – Julian Cabadas, Marketing Intern

• Siena House – Elsa Tamayo, Marketing Intern

• Go Ask Alice – Melanie Kate, Social Media Marketing Intern

• Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery – Edgar Robledo-Salgado, Video/Digital Storytelling Intern

• Innovation Within – Jared Esquivel, UX Contractor

• Clean Oceans International – Emily Ramirez, Social Media & Outreach Intern

• Senior Legal Services – Katherine Sarna, Communications Intern

The partnership between Santa Cruz Works and Digital NEST represents a model for community-driven workforce development—one that strengthens local companies, diversifies the talent pipeline, and ensures the next generation can build meaningful, sustainable careers right here in Santa Cruz County.

About Santa Cruz Works

About Digital NEST

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Intellum, the leading enterprise learning management platform, today announced a strategic partnership with FreshCognate, an educational strategy, instructional design, and media company. This collaboration empowers enterprises to pair Intellum’s industry‑leading learning platform with FreshCognate’s boutique, end‑to‑end approach to educational strategy and execution—delivering learning experiences that drive measurable business impact at scale.

FreshCognate isn’t your typical instructional design firm. They are a team of innovators and creatives specializing in the strategy and execution of high‑quality, high‑impact learning experiences. From LMS evaluation and implementation to skills assessment and delivery, FreshCognate partners with organizations to tackle their most complex educational challenges—aligning every initiative with clear business objectives and outcomes.

“FreshCognate’s ability to design and deliver learning programs that truly move the needle aligns perfectly with our mission to turn learning into growth,” said Dan Hynes, SVP of Partnerships at Intellum. “Together, we’re equipping our clients with the expertise, tools, and insights needed to build engaging, scalable learning initiatives that deliver tangible results.”

Through this partnership, Intellum customers gain access to FreshCognate’s strategic consulting, creative design, and long‑term partnership model—enhancing their programs with deeper analytics, personalized recommendations, and solutions built to evolve alongside their business. Every initiative is crafted to be data‑informed, future‑focused, and aligned with organizational goals.

“For over five years, our partnership with Intellum has been instrumental in our mission. At Freshcognate, we're not a typical design firm; we're a boutique of creatives that takes a measured, innovative approach to solving complex educational challenges at scale. Intellum's technology provides the perfect foundation for us to deliver the kind of high-quality, impactful learning experiences we specialize in—from executive training to product education. We're proud of the solutions we've built together and look forward to continuing to create the future of learning with them,” said Doug Pietrzak, Founder of FreshCognate.

About Intellum

About FreshCognate

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RChilli, a leading provider of AI-driven solutions for recruitment transformation, is proud to announce its inclusion as a certified partner in the newly launched Oracle Fusion Applications AI Agent Marketplace. RChilli’s Profile Augmentation-Talent Data Refresh Agent is now live and available for Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications customers, delivering intelligent automation to enhance candidate data quality and accelerate hiring decisions.

Unveiled at Oracle AI World 2025, the Fusion AI Agent Marketplace empowers enterprises to discover and deploy trusted, partner-built AI agents within Oracle AI Agent Studio. RChilli’s certified agent stands out by helping organizations refresh and enrich candidate profiles automatically—without disrupting existing workflows.

“Being featured as an Oracle AI Agent partner is a proud milestone for RChilli,” said Sneh Lata, Director of Products, RChilli. “We’re excited to offer an intelligent solution that keeps talent data current, clean, and compliant—so recruiters can focus on hiring, not housekeeping.”

RChilli Talent Data Refresh Agent: What It Delivers

• 🔄 Automated Talent Enrichment: Replaces outdated profile information with structured, accurate, and up-to-date candidate data using public professional sources.
  

• 🎯 Decision-Ready Candidate Insights: Standardizes and enhances resume data to improve job matching and hiring quality.
  

• 🔌 Seamless Oracle Fusion HCM Integration: Fully embedded into Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM—no third-party setup needed.
  

• ⏱️ Faster, Cost-Effective Hiring: Cuts down manual effort and administrative overhead in candidate data management.
  

Why It Matters

As hiring becomes increasingly competitive, data quality can make or break recruitment success. The RChilli AI Agent ensures organizations are not held back by stale or incomplete profiles and can instead rely on real-time intelligence to hire faster and more accurately.

Now available directly within Oracle AI Agent Studio, RChilli's AI Agent is built to Oracle’s enterprise standards, ensuring security, performance, and compliance with frameworks like ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA, and NYC AEDT.

About RChilli

RChilli delivers powerful AI capabilities to help recruiters automate manual tasks, drive smarter hiring decisions, and deliver exceptional candidate experiences. With certified integrations on Oracle Cloud Marketplace, SAP Store, and Salesforce AppExchange, RChilli supports over 1,600 clients globally in building agile and intelligent hiring ecosystems.

👉 Learn more at: RChilli AI Agents for Oracle Fusion Applications

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RChilli today announced the launch of HRVerse, an AI-powered suite of 30 HR agents built to automate and optimize workflows across Recruiting and Core HR functions.

This milestone marks RChilli’s evolution from a recruitment automation provider to a full Total HR AI Agent platform, reinforcing its leadership in the HR technology space.

Each agent within HRVerse is designed to deliver measurable impact across the entire HR lifecycle — from candidate sourcing to employee development, engagement, mobility, and retention.

Platform Availability

HRVerse is already integrated with three leading HR & Recruiting platforms including
Oracle HCM, SAP SuccessFactors, Salesforce with expansion to all major HR systems underway.

Custom AI Agents for Enterprise Requirements

In parallel with its standard suite, RChilli is actively co-building custom agents with enterprise clients, tailoring automation to unique HR processes, policy frameworks, and tech stacks.
If your organization requires a bespoke HR agent, RChilli can design and deploy it to fit your architecture.

Categories of AI Agents in HRVerse

• Recruiting — Sourcing, screening, job matching, interview scheduling

• Learning & Development — Training needs analysis, course recommendations, progress tracking

• Onboarding — Document verification, compliance training, orientation

• Talent Management — Performance tracking, appraisal scheduling, career pathing

• Engagement — Surveys, feedback analytics, recognition programs

• Succession Planning — High-potential identification, roadmap creation

• Retention — Turnover analysis, proactive retention strategy

• Skill Development — Gap assessments, personalized upskilling

• Cross-Functional — Seamless integration across HR systems and departments

“HRVerse is not just automation — it is the foundation of intelligent HR operations,” said Vinay Johar, CEO of RChilli. “Within the next two years, HR functions across acquisition, administration, and employee success will be executed by AI agents that deliver real outcomes. With HRVerse, HR teams finally rise from task execution to strategic leadership.”

“This launch represents a bold new chapter for RChilli,” said Vinod, CTO of RChilli. “These 30 agents are the result of months of innovation, dedication, and cross-functional collaboration.”

Special Credits

• Inderpal Singh, Sr. Director of Development — Technical Innovation Leadership

• Vikesh Kumar, Director of Development | AI & Agentic AI Leader — Agent Architecture & Scalability

• Sneh Lata, Director of Products — Seamless HR Ecosystem Integration

Request Access / Custom Agent Consultation

Organizations can request early access, schedule a live demo, or scope a custom HR agent here.

About RChilli

RChilli empowers organizations with AI-driven solutions that automate data tasks, streamline decision-making, and enable HR teams to operate with greater accuracy and speed. RChilli solutions meet ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2 Type II, NYC AEDT LAW, HIPAA, FedRAMP Ready (Resume Parser), and GDPR standards, and are available on Oracle Cloud Marketplace, SAP SuccessFactors, and Salesforce AppExchange. Learn more at www.rchilli.com.

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While OpenAI recently announced plans to expand into employment and career services, European startup Talantir is already operational, providing a comprehensive AI-powered platform that serves both employers struggling to identify qualified candidates and early-career professionals seeking to demonstrate AI-era skills.

The announcement comes as the career technology sector undergoes rapid transformation, with major AI companies recognizing the critical need for new solutions in hiring and career development. OpenAI's recent statement about "expanding economic opportunity with AI" signals growing industry attention to this €10+ billion European market opportunity.

EUROPE LEADS AS AI TRANSFORMS HIRING AND CAREERS

"OpenAI's announcement validates what we've been building for the past year," said Andrew Zupko, CEO of Talantir. "The future of career development is happening now, not in 2026. While others announce plans, we're already helping European companies hire smarter and European talent work better in the AI era."

Talantir's platform addresses the urgent crisis created by AI's impact on traditional hiring signals: with 60% of job applications now containing AI-generated content, employers can no longer reliably evaluate candidates through resumes and interviews alone, while talented individuals struggle to stand out in an ocean of AI-polished applications.

TWO-SIDED SOLUTION: EMPLOYERS AND TALENT BOTH WIN

Unlike announced future platforms that focus on a single side of the market, Talantir serves both constituencies simultaneously:

FOR EMPLOYERS (B2B):

• Work Simulation Platform: Shows actual candidate capabilities before interviews through 15-45 minute job-specific simulations
• Process Intelligence: Captures not just what candidates produce, but how they work—including AI usage, verification methods, and decision-making patterns
• AI Fluency Assessment: Tests candidates' ability to effectively use and manage AI tools in realistic work scenarios
• Verified Shortlists: Delivers ranked, work-proven candidates with full analytics in 48-72 hours

Early results from first customers demonstrate significant impact:

• completion rate—double the industry benchmark
• 5× faster candidate shortlisting (days instead of weeks)
• Reduction in cost-per-hire
• 15 recruiter hours saved per hire

"First assessment tool our candidates actually complete," said a Head of Talent Acquisition at a European tech scaleup. "We see real work quality before wasting interview time. It's transformed our early-career hiring."

FOR TALENT (B2C):

• Real-World Job Simulations: Practice authentic workplace scenarios designed by industry professionals
• AI Career Mentorship: Personalized guidance powered by AI to navigate career decisions
• Skills Verification: Demonstrate actual capabilities, not just credentials
• Career Roadmaps: Tailored development paths based on individual goals and market demand
• AI Fluency Development: Learn to work effectively with AI tools— the most in-demand skill in today's job market

"Too many talented people are invisible because everyone's CV looks perfect now," added Zupko. "Our platform lets real skills shine through. Candidates who complete our simulations show employers they can actually do the work—and they develop AI fluency in the process."

THE AI FLUENCY ADVANTAGE

A critical differentiator in Talantir's approach is measuring AI fluency—how effectively candidates use AI tools to enhance their work rather than replace their thinking. Recent data shows professionals with strong AI skills earn 28% more on average, yet most assessment platforms either ban AI use or cannot evaluate it.

"We don't penalize AI use—we measure quality AI use," explained Zupko. "The future of work isn't human versus AI. It's humans who work well with AI versus those who don't. We identify and develop the former."

The platform tracks:

• Prompt quality and iteration
• Information verification and fact-checking
• Appropriate tool selection
• Critical thinking in AI-assisted workflows
• Ethical AI usage patterns

MARKET TIMING AND EUROPEAN ADVANTAGE

Talantir's operational status gives it a significant first-mover advantage as the AI career services market emerges. The company has:

• Live platform serving customers across the EU
• Proven product-market fit through successful pilots
• EU University partnerships launching in Q4 2025 to create talent pipelines
• Full compliance with EU AI Act requirements from day one

The European early-career hiring market represents a €10+ billion annual opportunity, with approximately 1.2 million hires per year among companies hiring 20+ entry-level roles. Talantir specifically targets the €6 billion segment of high-volume hirers (20+ roles annually).

"Europe is leading in responsible AI innovation," said Zupko. "While we welcome competition from Silicon Valley companies, we've built deep expertise in the European market, European regulations, and European talent development needs. We're not planning to enter this market, we're already here, already working, already delivering results."

THE FUTURE OF WORK IS HERE

As major technology companies announce intentions to transform career services, Talantir's message to both employers and job seekers is clear: the tools to thrive in the AI era are available now.

For employers, this means:

• Stop wasting time on AI-polished resumes
• See real work before making hiring decisions
• Find candidates who can actually deliver in AI-augmented roles
• Reduce hiring costs and time-to-hire significantly

For early-career professionals, this means:

• Demonstrate real capabilities, not just credentials
• Develop and prove AI fluency
• Get personalized career guidance
• Stand out in a crowded, AI-homogenized job market

"The career development market is undergoing its biggest transformation in 50 years," concluded Zupko. "We're not waiting for that future—we're building it today, with European companies and European talent."

ABOUT TALANTIR

Talantir is a European AI technology company providing a work simulations platform for the future of work. For employers, Talantir delivers work simulation-based hiring that reveals actual candidate capabilities and AI fluency before interviews. For early-career professionals, Talantir provides AI-powered career development, skills verification, and mentorship to succeed in AI augmented workplaces.

Founded in 2025 and based in Portugal, Talantir serves customers across the EU with full compliance with the EU AI Act.

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Intellum, the leading provider of scalable learning management solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Udemy, a leading AI-powered skills acceleration platform serving nearly 81 million learners and more than 17,000 organizations globally. This collaboration empowers organizations to integrate Udemy Business content alongside Intellum’s powerful platform for personalized skills development at scale.

Udemy offers high-quality content and learning experiences created by more than 85,000 instructors worldwide, covering in-demand topics from generative AI and vibe coding to leadership and personal development. With Udemy Business, organizations gain access to over 30,000 curated courses from foundational to certification preparation, as well as hands-on practice, assessments and role plays, empowering workforce development and upskilling aligned with business goals.

“Partnering with Udemy allows us to combine Intellum’s personalized learning paths with the rich, dynamic content of Udemy Business,” said Dan Hynes, VP of Partnerships at Intellum. “This integration gives our clients the flexibility to deliver on-demand skills development alongside custom training, and track impact across every learner journey.”

Through this partnership, organizations using Intellum will gain seamless access to Udemy courses and curated learning paths directly within their LMS experience. Administrators can assign, track, and report on Udemy content from within Intellum, creating unified, streamlined learning ecosystems that support skilling and performance goals.

“At Udemy, our mission is to transform lives through learning. This partnership with Intellum extends that mission to more enterprises, enabling their people to build skills, grow careers, and contribute to meaningful business results,” shared Blaine Trainor, Vice President of Ecosystems at Udemy.

About Intellum

About Udemy

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More than 4,000 Americans have now signed the petition supporting the Truth in Job Advertising and Accountability Act (TJAAA), a citizen-driven initiative demanding transparency and honesty in employment postings. The rapid growth underscores a national call to end the spread of so-called “ghost jobs”—positions advertised with no intent to hire.

In the past week alone, the TJAAA Working Group has met with staff from the offices of Senator James Lankford (OK) and Representatives Nikema Williams (GA), Eugene Vindman (VA), Brad Sherman (CA), Terri Sewell (AL), Pablo José Hernández (PR), Beth Van Duyne (TX), Troy Downing (MT), Monica De La Cruz (TX), Henry Cuellar (TX), and Tim Burchett (TN).

These discussions follow earlier conversations with Senator Ruben Gallego (AZ), Senator Jack Reed (RI), and Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI), Troy Carter (LA), Gwen Moore (WI), Maxwell Frost (FL), Roger Williams (TX), Alma Adams (NC), and Keith Self (TX).

“Every signature represents someone who was ghosted, misled, or ignored in their job search,” said Eric K. Thompson, founder of the TJAAA Working Group. “Congress is starting to listen—not because of lobbyists, but because thousands of ordinary Americans are standing together to demand truth in hiring.”

The TJAAA proposes common-sense measures to ensure job postings reflect genuine openings, prevent misuse of applicant data, and hold employers accountable for transparency in the hiring process. Supporters argue that deceptive listings inflate job-market statistics and waste millions of hours of unpaid applicant labor each year.

Advocates encourage constituents of the listed legislators to reach out and voice support. The petition, hosted at change.org/StopGhostJobs, continues to gain momentum as workers, job seekers, and business leaders call for reform.

About the TJAAA Working Group

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