Big Bet: Transform how job seekers in Cleveland, Ohio connect with quality employers and jobs, using AI to align their core interests and innate skills for longer-lasting career opportunities.
Project: Arena for Greater Cleveland Works uses an AI-native matching tool to help job seekers find jobs that align with their core interests, innate skills, and long-term goals. Instead of relying only on resumes or past experience, the platform looks at a person’s strengths and predicts their likelihood to stay in a role, helping career coaches guide them toward more stable opportunities. The tool also gives real-time insight into local labor market trends, so training and job placement efforts stay aligned with what employers actually need. By supporting both job seekers and the career coaches who support them, the project helps more people find jobs they can keep, grow their income, and build long-term economic stability.
Serena Jezior leads systems-level strategic workforce initiatives in Greater Cleveland to connect people with high-quality jobs and strengthen the local economy. Working with local and national partners, she advances action-oriented solutions that leverage technology and innovative approaches to tackle persistent challenges that undermine economic security and advancement. Her experience centers around inclusive economic development, strategic communications, philanthropy, and public policy.