Episode 9

Written By Dr. Mikah Sellers

The Bridge to Nowhere: Closing the Strategic Talent Gap with Piyush Mathur

Guests: Piyush Mathur

Air Date: 3/2/2026 8 am ET

How do you bridge the gap between a strategic business plan and a workforce talent plan? In this episode of Forces of Change, hosts Dr. Mikah Sellers and Annie Graziani sit down with Piyush Mathur, co-founder of SkillsBridge AI and a veteran of People Analytics at Nielsen and Johnson & Johnson.

Piyush explores the "plumbing problem" facing modern enterprises: the disconnect between corporate ambition and human capability. He shares the powerful "Bridge to Nowhere" analogy—a cautionary tale for leaders who invest in HR technology and video training licenses without a structural plan for the AI-driven skills revolution.

Whether you’re navigating Digital Transformation or trying to build a Skills-Based Organization, this episode provides a masterclass in aligning Generative AI with human potential.

In this episode, you will learn:

The Talent Intelligence Gap: Why strategic business plans and talent strategies are often operating in silos. Leveraging the Talent Graph: How to connect data from GitHub, Microsoft Copilot, and HRIS systems to unlock personalized employee growth.

The "Netflix-ification" of Learning: Why hyper-personalization is the new standard for employee experience and career development.

Privacy vs. Progress: How to navigate "surveillance state" concerns while maintaining transparency and trust in Data-Driven HR.

Future of Work & GenAI: Practical strategies for using Generative AI to automate routine tasks while upskilling your workforce for high-value roles.

Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Dr. Mikah Sellers

Dr. Mikah Sellers is a best-selling author, workforce futurist, and enterprise transformation leader with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of leadership, learning, and innovation. His work explores how emotionally intelligent leadership—and the systems that support it—can unlock human potential in an era shaped by artificial intelligence and automation.

He earned his doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Learning from the University of Pennsylvania, with research focused on immersive, experiential executive education and emotional intelligence. A former Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Digital Officer, Mikah has led global teams and advised Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and high-growth startups through digital and cultural transformation.

For over a decade, he taught at Georgetown University's School of Continuing Studies, where he was recognized as an award-winning faculty member for his impact on adult learners and leadership education.

https://www.mikahsellers.com/
Next

Episode 8