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Jodi Mac

Chief Innovation Officer | Techstars Founder | Builder of New Products, Markets & Workforce Models

About Me

Jodi McPherson is a Techstars founder, innovation strategist, and business transformation leader with more than 30 years of experience helping organizations identify emerging opportunities, launch new products, and build scalable growth strategies. As CEO and Co-Founder of Work Simplr, Jodi is leading the creation of a new category of AI-enabled, project-based work designed to connect talent, education, and employers in more meaningful ways. Her work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, workforce innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future of work. Prior to founding Work Simplr, Jodi spent nearly two decades in executive leadership roles at Pearson, where she led product innovation, market expansion, and business growth initiatives across a $130M+ portfolio. Throughout her career, she has built and commercialized new products, developed strategic partnerships, guided organizational transformation, and advised founders and leadership teams on innovation strategy and execution. A recognized speaker, mentor, and startup advisor, Jodi has worked with entrepreneurs, educators, workforce organizations, and business leaders to translate emerging trends into practical action. She is a frequent contributor to conversations about AI adoption, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and the changing nature of work. Jodi holds a Bachelor of Science from North Carolina State University, a UX/UI Design Certificate from General Assembly, and a Google AI Certification. She is also the inventor of a U.S. patent and an active advocate for creating economic opportunity through innovation. Her focus remains simple: helping organizations build what comes next before everyone else sees it coming.

Jurisdiction

United States

Notable Employer

  • VP Innovation and Digital Strategy at Pearson

Experience

Seniority LevelExecutive
Years of Experience20+ years
Current StatusActive
Founder | CEOWork Simplr
2021 - Present

Founded and lead an AI-enabled workforce platform connecting students, employers, and educational institutions through project-based work experiences. Built and managed an AI-enabled marketplace platform serving multiple stakeholder groups. Evaluated business models, pricing strategies, customer acquisition approaches, and operational workflows. Developed AI-powered matching and workflow systems supporting more than 5,000 projects and a 98% completion rate. Conducted extensive market research, customer discovery, and performance analysis to guide product and business decisions. Analyzed user behavior, operational performance, and platform effectiveness to identify opportunities for improvement. Produced reports, recommendations, and strategic insights used to support growth initiatives and customer success. Business Impact Generated more than $2.5M in marketplace activity. Achieved 86% customer retention. Built scalable systems supporting multiple customer segments and revenue streams. Worked with Microsoft, Gates Foundation, CEMD, US News

AI EvaluatiorMercor
2026 - Present

Evaluated AI-generated business, entrepreneurship, financial analysis, and startup strategy content to improve model performance and output quality. Performed structured evaluations of AI-generated outputs using established quality frameworks. Conducted side-by-side comparisons of model responses to assess quality, accuracy, completeness, and relevance. Verified factual accuracy through research and evidence-based validation. Identified reasoning flaws, unsupported conclusions, inconsistencies, and hallucinated information. Reviewed business plans, startup scenarios, financial forecasts, market assessments, and strategic recommendations. Delivered detailed written justifications supporting evaluation decisions. Applied quality standards consistently across large volumes of business and financial content. Provided actionable feedback used to improve AI model performance and response quality. Relevant AI Evaluation Experience Evaluated hundreds of AI-generated business and financial outputs. Assessed reasoning quality, factual accuracy, and recommendation validity. Produced structured written feedback used to improve model performance. Applied objective evaluation criteria across complex business scenarios.

VP Innovation and Digital StrategyNotablePearson
2001 - 2021

Led strategy, operations, product development, and business analysis across a $130M+ portfolio serving higher education institutions and workforce organizations. Drove 55% revenue growth and 400% customer expansion through data-informed decision-making. Led cross-functional teams spanning product, engineering, operations, sales, and marketing. Conducted market analysis and customer research to guide product and growth strategies. Evaluated performance metrics and operational processes to improve outcomes and efficiency. Produced business cases, strategic recommendations, and performance assessments for executive stakeholders. Product, Operations & Business Leadership Roles | Pearson | 2001–2012 Managed enterprise SaaS products and operational initiatives. Led process improvement efforts and customer experience enhancements. Conducted market analysis, business planning, and operational reviews. Partnered with stakeholders to evaluate opportunities and implement solutions.

Education

Diploma of Bachelor of ScienceNorth Carolina State University
1987 - 1992
Diploma of UXUIGeneral Assembly
2020 - 2021

Certification

Total Certifications3

AI For App Building

Google

2026

Credential ID: J5RMXLF2TNPJ

AI Professional

Google

2026

Credential ID: 2OHZRRUUH9HC

AI for Research

Google

2026

Credential ID: WTERQXAVWXUL

Skills

Core skills10
Interests8
Languages1

Skills

Innovation Strategy
AI Transformation & Adoption
Business Model Innovation
Product Innovation & Commercialization
Future of Work Strategy
Digital Transformation
Design Thinking & Lean Startup
Strategic Partnerships & Ecosystem
IP Expert
Go-To-Market

Interests

Artificial Intelligence
innovation management
economic mobility
talent development
category creation
Product Strategy
AI-Powered Workforce Systems
Human-Centered AI

Languages

English