HRTech Interview with Nisha Smales, Vice President of Workforce Solutions

Nisha, we’re delighted to have you on HRTech Cube! Could you please start by sharing your professional journey and how it led you to your current role as VP at InStride?
My professional journey has been fueled by a deep belief in the transformative power of education. I began my career working directly with underserved students, first as a science teacher in South Los Angeles and then as an assistant principal at a new charter school in St. Louis. I witnessed firsthand the barriers many Americans face in accessing high-quality education, as well as what’s possible when those barriers are removed. These experiences solidified my conviction that education is often the key to lifting people out of poverty.

I wanted to drive systemic change, and for that I needed to upskill. This led me to pursue an MBA at the University of Chicago, where I focused on building technical knowledge in economics and strategy. I then transitioned into strategy consulting, first at McKinsey & Company, where I helped C-Suite leaders across industries and geographies tackle their most complex challenges, and later at Bellwether, where I deepened my understanding of the U.S. education landscape.

Today, as a VP at InStride, I’m proud to be part of a movement to bring debt-free, employer-sponsored education to workers across America. Our work opens doors for individuals to earn life-changing degrees or certifications, in some cases offering them a second chance at the career they’ve always dreamed of. My team sits at the intersection of workforce and learning during a time of unprecedented technological change. It’s a dynamic and exciting space to be in, and I’m deeply motivated by the impact we can have in shaping the future of work and learning for all.

How does InStride work with organizations to align workforce education programs with broader business goals like talent development and employee retention?
At InStride, we take a consultative approach to designing workforce education programs that align closely with a company’s business goals. We start by understanding the business goals – for example, opening more locations or expanding into a new product category. Next, we work with the company to determine its talent goals: what does its workforce need to look like in order to enable or drive its business goals? Then, we want to understand where the workforce is today and what is working and not working when it comes to the company’s existing learning ecosystem. This typically involves the analysis of workforce data. With a solid understanding of what the company aims to accomplish and where its workforce is today, we then design an education program tailored to the company’s unique context.

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