Darnell Epps on opening career pathways episode artwork

EPISODE · May 13, 2026 · 38 MIN

Darnell Epps on opening career pathways

from HBS Managing the Future of Work · host Harvard Business School

Demand for skilled-trades workers remains high, yet many graduates of vocational programs struggle to land jobs. The founder and CEO of Thurgood Industries discusses how making skills visible through portfolios of real work can improve matching and expand access to opportunity. He also reflects on his own path—from incarceration to Yale Law School and founding a workforce platform—and how it informs his approach to building more inclusive career pathways.

Demand for skilled-trades workers remains high, yet many graduates of vocational programs struggle to land jobs. The founder and CEO of Thurgood Industries discusses how making skills visible through portfolios of real work can improve matching and expand access to opportunity. He also reflects on his own path—from incarceration to Yale Law School and founding a workforce platform—and how it informs his approach to building more inclusive career pathways.

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Darnell Epps on opening career pathways

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This episode was published on May 13, 2026.

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Demand for skilled-trades workers remains high, yet many graduates of vocational programs struggle to land jobs. The founder and CEO of Thurgood Industries discusses how making skills visible through portfolios of real work can improve matching and...

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