JEFFREY KONDEL
FOUNDER & CEO, ROOTS EDUCATION CO., VENICE
ROOTS Education Co. designs and manufactures turnkey Industry 4.0 training systems for semiconductors, robotics, logistics and other technical fields. It serves K–12 schools, technical colleges and workforce centers nationwide — and with its roughly 20 employees and 10 strategic contributors ROOTS is disrupting technical education by making advanced workforce training more accessible and relevant. “Our goal is to certify 3,000 learners by 2030, ultimately affecting far more lives. A trained worker's higher wage strengthens a household, supports other jobs and improves opportunities for the next generation,” says Kondel. “The impact is not merely additive — it multiplies across families, employers and communities.”
EDUCATION: ITT Technical Institute (BS, MBA), George Washington University (Master's Certificate in Project Management)
INDUSTRY TRENDS: Three forces are converging: CHIPS-driven semiconductor reshoring, AI and robotics transforming the factory floor, and programs such as Workforce Pell making short-term technical training more accessible. The technician gap — not the Ph.D. gap — is America's bottleneck. The nation that builds this talent pipeline fastest will lead.
NEXT BIG FOCUS: My next focus is scaling ROOTS internationally, training 3,000 technicians by 2030 and embedding AI coaching into every system we build. We envision an intelligent training platform that multiplies the reach of great instructors rather than replacing them — closing the technician gap one classroom at a time.
FOOD FIX: Nearly anything I can grill. Taking undistracted time for the preparation and cooking — and then watching everyone enjoy the meal — brings me a sense of peace.
NEXT GEN ADVICE: Learn to build things — with your hands and your mind. The skills gap is the opportunity of your lifetime. Do not wait for permission or fear setbacks. Remember that resilience is not simply a trait; it is a practice. Practice it daily.
DAILY RITUAL
“I focus on our core principles, make decisions based on customers rather than competitors and lead by example. I surround myself with excellent people and continually strengthen an operating system that does not depend on me for everything. Most importantly, I stay engaged — you cannot lead workforce development from behind a desk.”