Atlanta is at an inflection point — a city bursting with innovation, creativity, and ambition — yet wrestling with one big question: how do we prepare our people for an AI-driven future before the future passes us by? In this special Job Ready Executive Roundtable: Atlanta Edition, host Charlie Nguyen, CEO of Employer Funded Financial Aid (EFFA) and creator of the Job Ready Podcast, convenes a powerhouse group of leaders shaping the region’s economic and educational landscape to answer exactly that. Featuring: Dr. Ghassan Al-Regib, Georgia Tech’s John and Mary Lou McCarty Chair Professor and founder of the AI Makerspace, who breaks down his five-layer framework for preparing students to thrive in an AI-first world — from data literacy to ethics and creativity. Dr. Matthieu Bloch, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering, who unpacks the why, what for, and how of AI — challenging business and education leaders to think beyond automation toward purpose, equity, and the new architecture of learning. Clint Bailey, CEO of TechBridge, a nonprofit using technology to break the cycle of generational poverty, who shows how AI can be a great equalizer — empowering untapped, nontraditional talent from underrepresented communities to access high-growth tech careers. David Nuckolls, Executive Director of the Georgia Center of Innovation, who offers a candid view of Georgia’s readiness to lead — from data centers and energy infrastructure to the state’s growing network of tech hubs far beyond Atlanta’s urban core. Professor James Oliverio, five-time Emmy Award-winning composer and Founding Executive Director of the University of Florida’s Digital Worlds Institute, who draws powerful parallels between Georgia’s booming film and gaming industries and the broader AI talent revolution. Together, they tackle the hard truths and opportunities shaping Atlanta’s next decade: How can AI become an equalizer, not a divider, across Georgia’s diverse communities? What happens when productivity skyrockets — but traditional jobs shrink in the short term? Can higher ed reinvent itself fast enough to deliver affordable, skill-based, lifelong learning? What will distinguish human-led, AI-powered work from human-less, AI-dominated automation? And how do we teach curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in an era when machines can already do so much? From data infrastructure to ethics, from workforce inclusion to lifelong learning, this roundtable pulls no punches. The conversation spans everything from Georgia Tech’s AI curriculum and the $10K online master’s experiment, to the ethics of machine decision-making, the promise of AI in creative industries, and the state’s long-term vision to make Atlanta a top-3 tech hub. What emerges is a candid, forward-looking dialogue — one that bridges academia, business, and community voices to redefine what “job readiness” means in an AI-powered economy. Key Themes: AI as both disruptor and democratizer The gap between skills and opportunity Rethinking assessment, learning, and leadership in the age of intelligent tools The moral, creative, and human edge that technology can’t replace If you care about the future of work, education, and inclusive growth — or if you simply want to understand how one of America’s fastest-growing innovation hubs plans to stay ahead of the AI curve — this episode is your front-row seat. 🎙️ Job Ready isn’t just about what’s next for jobs — it’s about what’s next for humanity’s place in the age of AI. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
