In Episode S7E22 of the Brilliance Security Magazine Podcast, host Steven Bowcut sits down with Dan Benveniste, Founder and CEO of SkillWaze, to explore how innovation and AI are reshaping the way organizations identify, develop, and hire cybersecurity talent. Together, they discuss how SkillWaze’s unique approach bridges the gap between education and industry—helping Gen Z and early-career professionals gain real-world experience while giving employers access to verified, job-ready talent.
Summary
As the cybersecurity industry struggles with a growing skills gap, traditional education and hiring models are failing to meet the demand for qualified professionals. In this insightful conversation, Dan Benveniste explains how SkillWaze is reimagining the talent pipeline through an AI-powered “Learn and Earn” platform that connects employers with motivated learners via virtual apprenticeships, innovation challenges, and curated training.
Dan shares the fascinating evolution of SkillWaze—from its origins as Startup Genius and FindingGenius.com to its current form—designed to make learning practical, measurable, and directly tied to career outcomes. The platform enables learners to acquire and apply skills in simulated workplace environments, where AI, peers, and mentors assess their performance. These verified skill assessments then translate into authentic, employer-ready resumes, replacing unreliable self-authored credentials.
The discussion also explores the crucial role of AI and automation in personalizing training while fostering human collaboration through mentorship and team-based projects. Dan emphasizes that SkillWaze aims to build trust between employers and candidates by verifying not only what a person knows, but what they can do.
Steven and Dan further explore how the model benefits both sides:
- For learners: a guided, low-cost alternative to traditional college pathways, ensuring fundamental skills and real work experience.
- For employers: a pipeline of vetted, pre-trained talent that reduces hiring risks and shortens onboarding times.
The episode concludes with a forward-looking discussion on the future of education and workforce development, in which Dan envisions partnerships among universities, corporations, and trade associations to deliver hybrid learning programs. His goal: to make skill-based, employer-sponsored learning the new standard for cybersecurity and beyond.
About Our Guest
Dan Benveniste is the Founder and CEO of SkillWaze, a platform dedicated to accelerating the future of work through AI-powered, individually curated “Learn and Earn” experiences. A serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of executive leadership experience and more than $150 million in successful exits, Dan has held leadership roles ranging from co-founder at Foglight Software to global executive positions at NASDAQ and ETF.com.
Before founding SkillWaze, he led Startup Genius Inc., which evolved into SkillWaze in 2021, helping Gen Z professionals enter the innovation economy. The platform enables employers to develop and hire talent from their own branded virtual farm teams, creating a scalable, data-driven way to grow the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Dan is also the CEO of Alumni Bridge and a founding partner of the Women in Leadership Fund, reflecting his commitment to fostering innovation, opportunity, and inclusion in the future of work.
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Steven Bowcut is an award-winning journalist covering cyber and physical security. He is an editor and writer for Brilliance Security Magazine as well as other security and non-security online publications. Follow and connect with Steve on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.