Ep. 210: Melissa Valentine, Associate Professor at Stanford & Author of Flash Teams, Breaks Down The Speed and Expertise Benefits In The Human Cloud

Leaders,

Melissa Valentine, Associate Professor at Stanford and author of Flash Teams, joins Matthew Mottola and Tony Buffum to break down how teams form, work, and scale in the human cloud. Melissa explains what Flash Teams are, why they unlock speed and expertise, and how leaders can access talent on demand without losing culture or control.

She shares real examples showing how fractional experts and AI accelerate problem-solving, reshape team design, and give organizations a faster, more flexible way to match people to the work that matters. Melissa also highlights the shift from traditional talent acquisition to talent access, and why HR is positioned to lead the next phase of workforce strategy.