The Team

Jamai is the Founder and CEO of Innovate+ Educate (I+E). For 13+ years, I+E has been a leading voice for industry alignment to advance new career pathways based on skills.  I+E put up the first Wikipedia on skills based hiring in 2009, leading the march for the importance of filtering in, not out, in hiring and advancement. Jamai has worked extensively with State programs, IT companies, Higher Ed, and K-12 to promote skills-based hiring and a shift that will ensure opportunities for both learning and employment, degreed or not. Jamai served as the Education Foundation Director at the North Carolina Technology Association and led the education efforts statewide to advance industry partnerships with education.  In 2008, Ms. Blivin returned to NM and launched I+E, with founding partners Lockheed Martin, Intel and IBM. Jamai serves on national advisory boards included UpSkill Enterprise, DistributED, Content Evolution LLC and Social Tech. She is also a consultant to Tallo.com. Jamai serves on multiple advisory councils including the Family Independence Initiative and the ACT State Leadership Board. She is a proud board member of her favorite nonprofit, National Dance Institute NM. Jamai holds a BSBA and MBA in Finance. She and her husband have seven children. 

Kris recently transitioned from 25 years as a high-profile local Workforce Board Director to independent status. She brings expertise gained in multiple states designing and implementing programs customized to a variety of local economies. Her current focus is on creative solutions for program and policy challenges facing the post pandemic economy. Kris was named Director for the NOVA Workforce Board in the Silicon Valley amidst the great recession in 2009. During her tenure, NOVA grew to encompass the tech-based economic engine between San Jose and San Francisco. She was recruited from her position as founding CEO of the Workforce Development Council of Seattle King County where she built the WDC from a startup into a successful non-profit. Previously, Kris was the Director for the Stanislaus County Private Industry Council. She was Assistant Director for statewide Dislocated Worker Programs for the AFL-CIO and Project Manager for the Governor’s Job Training Office, both in Colorado. She began her career serving in poverty programs in Appalachian Ohio. 

Kevin is the found of Uphill Partners - a unique professional consultancy working with private and public sector partners at the intersection of workforce, economic development and climate resilience, Kevin is the former CEO of Workforce Southwest Washington which leads the public workforce system for Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. Since 2003, WSW has invested more than $80 million in helping job seekers secure employment and business find the talent they need in Southwest Washington. Kevin was also the CEO of South Central Pennsylvania Works regional workforce development board investing more than $12 million of public workforce resources annually across an eight-county region of South Central, Pennsylvania. Kevin has served on numerous boards including, the Board of the Columbia River Economic Development Council, the Cowlitz Economic Development Council, the STEM Network Governance Committee, the Mount St. Helen’s Institute, and the US Conference of Mayor’s Workforce Development Council, where he Co-Chaired the Public Policy Committee. Kevin has a BA in Environmental Studies and a Masters in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management, both from the University of Pittsburgh.  

Peter has led nonprofits in the San Diego region for 30+ years. He joined the SDWP as CEO in 2012. Peter and his team have transformed the SDWP and reimagined workforce development. He has built a very diverse budget from multiple investors (public, private and philanthropy). They manage a countywide network of full-service career centers. With an emphasis on underserved populations, but available to all job seekers, the SDWP and its partners reach 80K+ annually. The SDWP created the first and only workforce Income Share Agreement (ISA), an innovative student financing model to access post-secondary skills - students pay back to the fund, creating an ‘evergreen’ fund that empowers future participants. The SDWP utilizes labor market research and deploys content with custom educational materials and website to inform and inspire students, teachers and job seekers. They co-created the ‘Launch Pad’ with the Cajon Valley School District – an innovative in-person K-12 experience that integrates career exploration with academics. Other innovative projects: TechHire, Cybersecurity, Construction apprenticeships, youth employment, Reentry for justice-involved, and more. Recipient of the “NAWB WIOA Trailblazer” award, the SDWP is a nationally recognized leader. Peter was named nonprofit CEO of year by the San Diego Business Journal and is an Aspen Job Quality Fellow.