An Innovative Approach to Upskilling Overlooked and Hidden Talent - Nitzan Pelman // Founder of Climb Hire

In Episode 170 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, I speak with Nitzan Pelman, Founder of Climb Hire, a nonprofit organization taking an innovative approach to up-skilling overlooked and hidden talent.About NitzanNitzan Pelman is a three time social impact entrepreneur whose life mission is to create economic opportunity for hidden and overlooked talent. She founded Climb Hire in 2019 as a way to generate upward mobility for people earning below livable wage. Climb Hire’s program model is based on Nitzan’s first-hand research as an Entrepreneur in Residence at LinkedIn, where she studied the powerful role that social networks can play in securing living wage jobs.Nitzan was the founding CEO of an Entangled Ventures company called ReUp Education that focuses on re-enrolling students who have dropped out of college (acquired in 2022 by Avethon). She also founded the New York region of Citizen Schools, a middle school initiative for low income students.Early in her career she worked at the Department of Education in New York City, KIPP, and Teach for America. Nitzan holds a Masters in Public Administration from New York University and a BA from Stern College for Women, and is an Ascend Fellow with the Aspen Institute, as well as an official “LinkedIn Influencer.”About Climb HireClimb Hire is an innovative upskilling nonprofit organization that helps overlooked and hidden talent develop the soft and in-demand skills, as well as the professional network needed to break into new careers with livable wages. Climb Hire places a strong emphasis on social capital, as LinkedIn data suggests that jobseekers are 9x more likely to be hired when referred by someone else.Once climbers finish a designated learning track, they pay it forward by returning to the program and teaching others, ultimately helping one another grow their networks and increase job opportunities, similar to an Ivy League-type university network for people who lack traditional means of gaining skills or social capital.Climb Hire mantaints 50+ employer partnerships with companies in industries ranging from tech, to healthcare, to financial services, effectively providing businesses with a pipeline of motivated, vetted talent. 80% of climbers secure new roles within 6 months, and their average income increases by $15-20k.