This week, we launched The Current — a video interview series exploring the intersection of people, finance, and data through the lens of the people doing the work of building and molding the employment ecosystem. In each episode, I'm joined by an operator, founder, or builder who is changing how employment systems work.
Our first episode features Don Weinstein, who led the creation of ADP Marketplace as Global Chief Product and Technology Officer. We have more conversations queued up with thought leaders from across the industry, whose expertise ranges from insurance to data infrastructure, 401(k) plans to budding regulatory AI frameworks.
The name of the series is a nod to the constantly evolving nature of these interwoven sectors: what's current in the industry, the current of ideas moving through it, and the electrical current that mirrors how data moves between technology systems.
The world probably doesn't need another podcast. But after spending years building at this intersection, I kept coming back to a few things that made me feel like now is the right moment to explore a deeper dialogue with The Current.
1. A rapidly changing landscape
AI is rapidly transforming the way we work, and with that speed comes a wave of unresolved questions. How do we use AI safely with sensitive employment data? How should it be regulated? How do we determine who gets access and for what purposes?
These aren't hypothetical. They're the questions that companies are actively working through today. The only way we collectively move forward is by sharing what we're learning openly, across disciplines, in real time.
That need for shared thinking is part of what led us here. But it's not the only reason.
2. A more connected ecosystem
Despite the many different verticals that fall under the umbrella of "employment" (retirement, insurance, benefits administration, compliance, data infrastructure, fintech), this is a deeply interconnected space. What happens in payroll affects benefits. What happens in compliance shapes retirement. The decisions one node in the network makes ripple across the rest.
But the people building in these spaces don't always get to hear from one another. That's a missed opportunity, because each discipline has hard-won lessons that are directly relevant to the others. One of the things I've valued most in recording these first episodes is how often a guest's insight about their corner of the industry connects to something in a completely different one.
Which brings me to the reason that ultimately tipped the scales.
3. The people who deserve the airtime
The problems these builders are solving are genuinely hard. The work they're doing affects all 160+ million individuals in the U.S. labor force: how they get paid, how they access benefits, how their most sensitive data moves between systems. And yet, the people building this infrastructure and working behind the scenes don't get nearly enough recognition. The Current is our way of changing that, one conversation at a time.
Our goal is to give these people a platform to share their ideas by asking informed questions, bringing sharp people to the table, and creating a space where all of these interconnected industries can learn from the people actually doing the work.
The first episode with Don is live now. Give it a watch, share it if it resonates, and if you're building something at the intersection of employment and technology, reach out. I'd be happy to learn more about your corner of the ecosystem.
