Episode 49: Solving the Talent Gap in Middle America + Igniting Human Potential
Featuring: Ankur Gopal, Founder and CEO of Interapt
Co-hosted by Endeavor Louisville
Competition for top talent in today's market remains a key challenge for scaling companies, and few founders understand how to bridge the gap between the skillsets needed and flaws that currently exist in the hiring process. Ankur Gopal, Founder and CEO of Interapt, believes we have the opportunity to ignite human potential. And today on the show, Ankur sits down with Jackson Andrews, Managing Director of Endeavor Louisville, to shares how he and his team at Interapt are continuing to solve the tech talent gap in the heartland through their unique programs and how together, founders can build a more inclusive narrative for the tech industry.
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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
(02.30) Jackson asks, “Could you please tell us about building a company in Kentucky?”
(02.45) Ankur says, “ I met a few entrepreneurs from Kentucky in Chicago. I was planning to go to Silicon Valley and they encouraged me to build a company in Kentucky. I said it was not a good idea, but they insisted and introduced me to some key business leaders in the area. Sure enough, we started selling in Kentucky. So, we made a plan to stay in Kentucky for one year and see how it shook out. That was ten years ago. We are here in Kentucky.” “Nobody wanted to move to Kentucky. I jumped back to being a young entrepreneur. If nobody wants to live in Kentucky, I am going to find people who want to live in Kentucky and scale them up. It was an entrepreneurial solution to a business problem. That’s how we started. We started to solve this business problem in a creative way.”
(07.50) Jackson asks, “Could you please share the workforce that you are building?”
(08.42) Ankur says, “I just wanted people that I can do the work and willing to work hard. I can do the rest. I cannot teach that, but I can teach everything else. We first did this with college kids and it worked out. We did with high school graduates who may not have the same digital literacy that many of us grew up with. We went to poor areas that worked. We found veterans, minorities and women who were out of the workforce for ten years and that work. When you look at all these people with different backgrounds, the common thread between all of them is the drive and desire to change their lives.”
(11.50) Jackson asks, “How were you able to build and maintain the culture? How did you expand your company while everything has been virtual?”
(12.20) Ankur says, “There is always a bit of luck in every entrepreneurial story, but I also believe that you can always create your own luck. We have been positioning ourselves, people, and model in front of people for years. We were affected by the pandemic like the rest of the companies. Most of our training programs were in person. We shifted everything in person being online in 7 days. But, on the positioning side, we had customers that were highly affected due to the pandemic and quarantines. They needed IT support. We built a division with 10 people. Then, we built more. We are yes first company. We do say no, but we try our best. We take on the hard stuff and deliver the hard stuff. That’s a great team to have.”
(17.57) Jackson asks, “What do you see as the future of technology talent and skills in the United states and beyond?”
(18.10) Ankur says, “I think it is going to be one of cross pollination and multi skill set. Your skill set lasted 20- 30 years in the 80s. Now a skill worths about 4 years.If people are not refreshing and adding on top of their skill set, they will be obsolete.”
(26.07) Jackson asks, “What’s some of the best business advice you’ve ever received?”
(26.25) Ankur says, “ I was trying to build my company, but I was losing money. I got an offer from a company that is basically doing what I am doing. My dad said, “How long did it take you to get that job?” I said three weeks. He said, ``why don't you give a chance to your company for 6 months and if it doesn't work, apply to that company. It worked.”
ABOUT ANKUR GOPAL
“As founder and CEO of a high-tech company, my job is to define a strategy to grow the company in a patient and sustainable manner. It is also coming up with products, services, and solutions that meet the growing demand of the software development ecosystem. Interapt started in Chicago as a three-person initiative and has now grown to 50 full-time and part-time employees and contractors in multiple locations. We have goals to become a 250-plus person organization, serving a wide range of clients from startups to the Fortune 500.”