Career intelligence for a non-linear world
We built RiseIQ to reimagine how students, institutions, and employers connect — through verified skills, continuous guidance, and shared intelligence.
The principles behind everything we build
Skills matter more than credentials alone
We believe in recognizing real capability and potential, not just paper qualifications.
Guidance should be continuous
Career support should evolve with you, not be a one-time event.
Opportunity should be accessible
Career pathways should be clear and open, not opaque and hidden.
Technology should empower
AI should augment human judgment, not overwhelm or replace it.
Our Story
RiseIQ was born from a simple but persistent problem: despite years of education, talent, and ambition, we saw students graduating with impressive credentials but little clarity about what came next.
Career pathways are fragmented. Guidance is episodic. Signals are outdated. Meanwhile, institutions struggle to measure outcomes, and employers struggle to identify real potential.
We believed this could be fundamentally reimagined.
Why RiseIQ Exists
Careers are no longer linear — yet the systems designed to support them still are.
RiseIQ exists to build career intelligence for a non-linear world — where skills evolve, opportunity shifts, and decisions matter earlier than ever.
Our goal is not to replace human judgment, but to augment it with intelligence that is continuous, personalized, and grounded in reality.
What we're building
An autonomous career agent that works alongside individuals throughout their journey — and connects the whole ecosystem.
- Understands skill development
- Interprets opportunity signals
- Guides decisions across education and employment
- Connects students, institutions, and employers
- Ensures aligned outcomes across the ecosystem
“Our mission is to elevate careers by making opportunity clearer, fairer, and more aligned with real capability.”
Our Team
Product, systems, finance, operations, and student perspective — one shared mission.
Sud Seshadri
Founder
Sud is a technologist, architect, and builder at heart, known for designing and scaling secure, intelligent systems across cloud, DevSecOps, and AI.
He founded RiseIQ from his belief that one of life's most important decisions, a career, still lacks the kind of intelligent, structured support available in other domains.
At RiseIQ, he is building a new category of career intelligence where data, technology, and human context come together to guide life-changing decisions.
Meet the rest of the team
Ganesh Marimuthu
Head of Engineering
Ganesh Marimuthu is a seasoned engineering leader with deep expertise in building and scaling mission-critical systems across global financial institutions. With a strong foundation in trading and foreign exchange platforms, he has held key engineering roles at Citibank, MUFG, and RBC.
Throughout his career, Ganesh has demonstrated exceptional ability in driving engineering rigor, operational excellence, and system reliability — leading cross-functional teams to architect and deploy large-scale platforms that demand precision and real-time performance.
At RiseIQ, he leads engineering strategy and execution, building the platform's core infrastructure with a focus on scalability, performance, and innovation.
Jay S
Head of Products
A seasoned product and technology leader with 20+ years of experience driving high-impact outcomes across banking and healthcare, Jay brings a rare blend of strategic vision, execution excellence, and deep technical expertise.
She has a proven track record of leading complex, regulatory-driven platforms — particularly in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), real-time payments, and compliance systems.
At RiseIQ, Jay leads product strategy and execution, shaping the future of career intelligence through scalable, intelligent, and deeply personalized platform experiences.
David Gilkey
Head of Sales and Revenue
David Gilkey is a seasoned leader at the intersection of enterprise architecture, executive strategy, and revenue growth, with a strong track record of helping regulated enterprises and public sector organizations modernize securely in the age of AI.
Throughout his career, David has led high-impact solution architecture and revenue teams, driving complex enterprise engagements across cloud, SaaS, and AI-enabled platforms.
At RiseIQ, David leads sales and revenue strategy, driving growth through strategic partnerships, enterprise engagement, and market expansion.
Jennie Gray-Seshadri
Head of Finance and Operations
Jennie brings 17+ years of experience turning complexity into clarity across finance, operations, and planning.
She started her career in the Federal Government, where the stakes were high, the systems were complex, and the margin for error was zero.
At RiseIQ, Jennie focuses on building scalable finance and operations systems that support growth without chaos — so the team can stay focused on what matters most.
Arjun (AJ) Seshadri
Founding Student Advisor
AJ is currently pursuing his Bachelor's degree at Penn State University, studying Finance and Management Information Systems (MIS), bringing together a strong foundation in both business and technology.
From the earliest days of RiseIQ, AJ has helped shape the platform through a true student-first lens.
At RiseIQ, AJ represents the voice of the user, helping ensure that everything we build stays aligned with the people it's meant to serve.
Advisory Network
RiseIQ is supported by advisors across education, technology, and talent — a network grounded in real-world outcomes.
Education & Workforce
Advisors with deep experience in higher education, workforce development, and student outcomes.
Technology & AI
Practitioners and researchers shaping the future of AI systems, infrastructure, and intelligent platforms.
Talent & Strategy
Leaders in organizational strategy, talent acquisition, and human capital across industries.
Looking ahead
RiseIQ is early, by design. We are working closely with students, institutions, and employers to shape a platform that delivers meaningful impact before scale. If you believe careers deserve better systems, we'd welcome the conversation.
Early access cohort forming now