Human Cloud

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.

Leaders,In this episode, Connor Heaney, President EMEA at CXC Global, draws on more than a decade of experience building one of the world’s leading extended workforce firms to reveal what it takes to engage and support independent talent at scale. He breaks down how AI is redefining efficiency, why navigating local compliance is critical for global freelance programs, and how CXC’s end-to-end solutions help organizations pivot quickly in today’s fast-moving market. Along the way, Connor shares how his father’s journey in gig work ignited his commitment to fairness and drives his view that technology and human insight must go hand in hand. Tune in for actionable advice on forging strong relationships, future-proofing your workforce, and leveraging innovation to stay ahead.

Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of Virgil HR, joins host Tony Buffum to talk about what it takes for HR to lead in today’s tech-driven workplace. With a background as an HR practitioner, Jocelyn shares how she built a compliance automation platform to eliminate the manual headaches HR teams face daily, especially when navigating fast-changing laws across cities and states.They explore why HR is still behind other functions in digital transformation, the barriers to adopting new tech, and how HR can become more tech literate without losing its human focus. Jocelyn highlights the importance of change management, explains how AI is changing the HR workforce, and breaks down why upskilling HR professionals is more important than ever.If you’ve ever struggled with implementing new tools, questioned how to stay compliant without slowing down, or wondered how AI will impact the people function, this episode is for you.

Leaders,In this episode, Craig Short, Co-Founder and CTO of Gigged.ai, shares how a side project connecting freelancer friends turned into an enterprise platform trusted by global brands. Craig walks through Gigged’s evolution from a simple gig-matching tool to a skills intelligence platform helping companies manage AI, internal talent, and flexible workforces.He explains how AI is boosting productivity without replacing people, and why human interaction remains critical in enterprise hiring. Craig also shares what it’s like to build a tech company in Scotland, why job titles are becoming less meaningful, and how the future of work depends on visibility into skills and the ability to match people and agents effectively.

Leaders,Beau Billington joins us to share his path from corporate burnout to launching The Free Agent, a boutique talent platform built on transparency, curation, and strategic impact. Motivated by the need for better work-life balance and more meaningful connections, Beau explains why flexible talent is quickly becoming essential for growing companies.He breaks down what has changed in the last two years, how business leaders are rethinking traditional roles, and what it takes to build trust between companies and their talent. From the origin story behind the name The Free Agent to how he scopes and prices fractional talent engagements, Beau shares practical insights from building a model that works for both clients and executives.If you're building a modern workforce, figuring out how to scale strategically, or want to understand what “fractional” really looks like in practice, this episode brings clarity and real-world perspective.

Leaders,In this episode, Ryan Tlustosch, Founder and CEO of Ourly, brings over two decades of experience in flexible labor marketplaces and 14 years in professional temporary staffing to the conversation. He shares lessons learned from his time at Robert Half and explains how Ourly was designed for knowledge workers who prefer W2 employment. Only handles payroll, benefits, and workers’ comp while averaging 36-hour weeks on engagements that often run from three months up to 18 months or more. He also reveals how a self-sorting community and hiring-manager-led vetting process maintain quality, and why educating organizations about W2 models is essential. Whether you’re exploring ways to tap specialized expertise or looking to reduce co-employment risk and streamline workforce planning, Ryan shares practical insights for both enterprise and SMB teams.