The Human Cloud Podcast

Leaders,Developer talent is global, but opportunity is not. For our 200th episode, Paul Rios, Head of Revenue Experimentation at Telescoped and former HubSpot leader, breaks down why more companies are turning to Latin America for engineering.We cover the hotspots driving growth, the loyalty and cultural alignment of LATAM talent, and why “will over skill” matters when building product teams. Paul also explains Telescoped’s invite-only TrustRank model, how curated shortlists beat endless resumes, and what an AI-first go-to-market stack looks like in practice.If you want to hire smarter and build faster, this episode shows you how.

Leaders,Anurag Bhalla, Co-Founder and CEO at Outsize, shares his journey from corporate and consulting to building one of the most impactful platforms for independent talent across Asia and Africa. He explains why traditional employment models fall short, how cultural attitudes toward work are shifting, and why companies are turning to flexible, project-based talent to stay competitive.Anurag highlights the rise of the five-to-fifteen-year independent segment, the emotional shift from “I am my company” to “I am my skill,” and how enterprises can build agile workforce models that balance a strong core with flexible capabilities. He also discusses why independents often deliver stronger outcomes than traditional employees and how organizations need to rethink engagement, speed, and incentives to succeed in this new era of work.

Leaders,Brad Jackson, Founder of Out Of Office, joins the Human Cloud Podcast to unpack the world of experiential marketing and why events have become a top revenue driver for sales and marketing teams. Brad explains what separates trade shows, conferences, and true experiential activations, sharing memorable examples from pop-ups to major brand stunts. He breaks down how freelancers are shaping the future of the industry, why mid-sized agencies are struggling, and how trust has become the new currency in connecting brands with the right partners. Brad also discusses the challenges of measuring ROI, what it truly costs to host an effective event, and how his platform is helping agencies and brands replace outdated spreadsheets with smarter workflows and a living roster of talent. This episode is a candid look at where experiential marketing is headed, the skills that matter most, and why flexible talent will define the next chapter of brand engagement.

Recorded live at SHRM25 in San Diego, host Tony Buffum speaks with Clayton Lord, Senior Program Director at the SHRM Foundation, about the launch of Skills First Future, a new initiative designed to help HR professionals and employers embrace skills-based hiring and advancement strategies.Clayton explains how the program provides a library of 500+ resources, a Skills Action Planner for personalized assessments, and SHRM’s new credential for skills-first professionals. He also highlights the importance of change management, the role of technology in skills mapping, and why incremental adoption can make a big difference for organizations of all sizes.This episode shows why a skills-first approach is not just a trend but the inevitable direction of HR, and how leaders can take their first steps today.

Leaders,Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) President Ursula Williams discusses how staffing and workforce solutions continue to evolve, and how that evolution prompted the reimagination of SIA’s award-winning event. The last five years have brought unexpected swings, and Ursula explains why this feels like a true inflection point, how AI and automation are transitioning from buzz to everyday tools, and why speed and quality now determine who wins.She shares what SIA is seeing across the supply chain, why remote work reshaped competition, and how executives are balancing optimism with real constraints. We also explore SIA’s reimagined CollaborationX, a reimagination reflecting the market’s shift beyond gig models toward a broader, tech-driven ecosystem, and practical ways leaders can stay ahead of what’s next.

Recorded live from SHRM25 in San Diego, host Tony Buffum sits down with Adrian Gessen, SVP of Organizational Development at Goodwill, to explore how technology and mission-driven leadership intersect in the nonprofit sector. Adrian shares how Goodwill’s federated model empowers communities through the power of work, why donations fuel their mission, and how tailored benefits can meet the diverse needs of employees.They also discuss Goodwill’s partnership with Refresh, which functions as a “super app” to consolidate benefits, increase engagement, and provide meaningful rewards. From workforce development to community partnerships, Adrian highlights how technology is helping Goodwill strengthen impact, measure engagement, and scale services for those who need it most.

Leaders,In this episode, Eusebi Llensa, Co-Founder and CEO of Outvise, shares how his background in management consulting shaped the vision for building a platform focused on specialized expertise in telecom, media, and technology. He explains why transparency and trust are essential in client relationships, how Outvise more than doubled revenue after COVID, and what sets specialized consulting apart from traditional firms.Eusebi also breaks down the challenges and opportunities in connecting businesses directly with flexible experts, why scoping and execution matter as much as strategy, and how the industry is moving toward more on-demand solutions. From client wins to the evolving role of platforms, this conversation highlights how flexible talent is reshaping the future of work.

Recorded live at the SHRM Annual Conference 2025 in San Diego, Tony Buffum speaks with Logan Sugarman, Founder and CEO of Refresh, about how HR can make benefits and resources easier for employees to access and use. Logan explains how Refresh’s white-labeled app integrates with thousands of HR tools to create one centralized, personalized hub for everything from payroll to wellness programs. They discuss how to double engagement with benefits, reduce 95% of manual HR effort, and maintain employer branding long after an employee leaves. The conversation also covers the importance of staying connected with alumni, simplifying change management, and creating technology that supports, not replaces, the human side of HR.

Recorded live from SHRM25 in the SHRM Labs booth, host Tony Buffum talks with Zain Zaidi, Founder and CEO of TransCrypts, about how technology can make background checks and verifications faster, smarter, and employee-owned. Zain shares the personal experience that sparked the idea, how the platform saves HR teams millions in time and costs, and why real-time proof of employment can prevent costly delays.

Leaders,In this episode, Kris Tait, Chief Business Officer at Croud, discusses how marketing is evolving in the age of AI and why flexible talent is becoming essential for global brands, from his start in a small English town to leading a 650-person agency with 3,000 on-demand “Croudies,” Kris shares how Croud blends data-driven performance with creative brand strategy to deliver results. He explains how AI is reshaping marketing, why local nuance is key to global success, and how agencies are shifting from pure execution to becoming strategic partners. Real-world examples from brands like Netflix, Figs, and Nespresso reveal how Croud’s model delivers speed, security, and scale, while keeping the human oversight needed for quality and creativity in an increasingly automated world.