iBuild America Podcast

A music teacher and a former military corrections officer walk into the construction industry… and end up changing thousands of lives. Heather Luhn and Chris Tylutki didn't plan careers in workforce development — they...

She turned a $7,500 training program into a $60,000–$100,000+ career, and she's not stopping there. Dr. Belinthia Berry has spent 19 years bridging the gap between the classroom and the job site, and on this episode of...

Two million. That's how many immigrants in the U.S. have a college degree — and are unemployed or underemployed anyway. Not because they lack talent. Because they lack the English skills to prove it. Dr. Katie Brown...

Before Dr. Steve Brown was "Coach Brown," he was a kid in Washington, D.C. who dreamed of the Olympics but wasn't good enough — yet — to earn a track scholarship. So he walked onto the team instead. He played football...

Mario Gonzalez didn't apply for his job at the Home Builders Institute. He isn't entirely sure how his resume even got there. After 21 years in the Army and a plan for civilian life that "didn't really go to plan,"...

Michael D. Smith started his career at 12 years old, running the coat room at his local Boys & Girls Club for two dollars an hour. Today, he's the President and CEO of Eckerd Connects — a nearly 60-year-old organization...

Everyone's got an opinion about Gen Z. Liza Ochsendorf has receipts instead — and she's using them to build one of the most creative workforce development programs in New York. As Director of Workforce Development for...

Success isn't built overnight—it starts with someone willing to listen. In this inspiring episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Lorraine Lane sits down with Diane Roberts, Director of Youth Services at Employ...

What does it take to go from the streets to the front office? For Corey Davis, Center Director at the Gadsden Job Corps Center in Gadsden, Alabama, the answer is equal parts hustle, humility, and an unshakeable belief...

Ever heard someone say, “The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately?” That’s not a quote from a motivational poster — that’s the lived philosophy of Walter L. Simmons, the Secretary of the newly-created...

What happens when two women who've spent careers in the trenches of workforce development sit down and just… tell the truth? Host Lorraine Lane is joined by Meghan Burke, Director of School Employment Programs for Metro...

What happens when someone believes in you before you believe in yourself? What started as a role helping students at Job Corps became a lifelong mission. Korey Adams reflects on his journey from Job Corps counselor to...

What if the life you want is waiting—just outside of what you’ve always known?At the Talking Leaves Job Corps Center , located in the heart of the Cherokee Nation , that’s exactly what’s happening. In this episode, Jill...

Sometimes, all it takes is one person to see something in you. Lorraine Lane sits down with Rodney Butler, Executive Director at Adams and Associates, to talk about a 25-year journey shaped by leadership, growth, and...

Job Corps has always been about opportunity—and its future is full of even greater potential. In this episode of the iBuild America podcast, Dr. Francis Cole is joined by Korey Adams (CEO, Distinction LLC), Ramon...