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.
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 Signals are outdated.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.
Our Mission
To elevate careers by making opportunity clearer, fairer, and more aligned with real capability.
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 Team
The team behind RiseIQ brings product, systems, finance, operations, and student perspective into 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, where he led the development and delivery of high-performance, low-latency systems operating in highly regulated and complex environments.
Throughout his career, Ganesh has demonstrated exceptional ability in driving engineering rigor, operational excellence, and system reliability. He has successfully led cross-functional teams to architect, build, and deploy large-scale platforms that demand precision, resilience, and real-time performance. His experience spans the full engineering lifecycle—from system design and architecture to implementation, optimization, and production support—ensuring consistent delivery of robust and scalable solutions.
Ganesh graduated from a top-tier engineering institution in India, bringing with him a strong academic foundation that complements his extensive industry experience. At RiseIQ, he leads engineering strategy and execution, building the platform’s core infrastructure with a focus on scalability, performance, and innovation—powering the next generation of intelligent, career-centric systems.
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—guiding products from concept through large-scale implementation
With strong foundations in data science, machine learning, and AI, she brings a forward-looking approach to product development—leveraging intelligent systems to drive smarter decisions and better user outcomes.
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. His experience spans federal and state transformation initiatives, where he has successfully guided organizations through complex modernization journeys while aligning technology adoption with compliance, governance, and long-term strategic objectives.
Throughout his career, David has led high-impact solution architecture and revenue teams, driving complex enterprise engagements across cloud, SaaS, and AI-enabled platforms. He brings deep expertise in compliance-aligned architecture, including FedRAMP and IL4/IL5 environments, alongside hands-on experience in AWS cloud infrastructure and secure system design. His ability to bridge technical architecture with business outcomes has enabled organizations to adopt modern technologies while maintaining operational integrity and regulatory confidence.
At RiseIQ, David leads sales and revenue strategy, driving growth through strategic partnerships, enterprise engagement, and market expansion. He brings a disciplined, trust-first approach to scaling in regulated and institutional environments—ensuring that as RiseIQ redefines career intelligence with AI, it does so in a way that is secure, compliant, and built for long-term impact.
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. From workforce analytics to cost management to enterprise-wide planning, she’s led programs that connect the dots between people, money, and mission.
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. His ability to bridge insight and action, combining academic focus, peer engagement, and practical input, helps keep RiseIQ grounded, relevant, and continuously improving.
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 — intentionally building 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.