John Masud Parvez is the Founder of VSHR Group. John has led impactful transformations for billion-dollar companies and spearheaded research-driven solutions across sectors, including healthcare, HR, and education. His expertise and 8 years of research on workforce transformation are featured in his book, “100x Business Workforce”, which is being translated into several languages.
In this episode, John talks about Technology and workforce change management.
Host: Marie-Line Germain, Ph.D.
Mixing: Kelly Minnis

Ep. 115 -  Technology and workforce change management - John Masud Parvez

As president and CEO of Freeman Companies, Rohan Freeman runs three successful engineering, construction, and real estate firms.
He’s also an accomplished mountain climber and the first African-American to climb the Seven Summits—the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.
And he’s completed the so-called “explorers grand slam” which includes treks to the North and South Pole.
“Sometimes I pinch myself, I feel pretty fortunate to get here and for some of the things I've accomplished,” Freeman told the CBIA BizCast.
Freeman grew up in Jamaica, moving to Hartford after high school and graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in civil engineering.
He said he started his firm in Hartford because it was home and his mother and brother both worked for the city.
“I started my firm, and then starting to get more into the fabric of Hartford and the community and understanding some of the major issues that were impacting the city and realized that maybe I could help in some small way,” he said.
Since then, the Freeman Companies has been involved in major projects in the city including Dunkin’ Park and a number school, housing, and redevelopment projects.
He also founded Seven Summits Construction, which centers on nonprofits, schools, and community based work and Seven Summits Realty, which develops housing to provide access to those less fortunate.
“I felt feel so connected to the city, and that's why I also want to give back,” Freman said.
“I lived here, my mom lived here. So it's important to me to give back, especially with the way my career has been shaped by the city.”
So how does someone who grew up on the island of Jamaica end up becoming a mountain climber?
“Good question,” Freeman said.
He said winter in Connecticut was a culture shock, but instead of moving somewhere warmer, he decided to embrace it and learn to snowboard.
“I'm like, ‘okay, so this is how you enjoy winter,’” he said.
“I'm like, ‘okay, I gotta do something else.’ And then my friends got me into ice climbing, and cross-country skiing.”
Eventually, one of his friends asked him if he wanted to climb Kilimanjaro.
“When I was a kid, we would talk about Kilimanjaro as some mythical place,” he said. "I'm like, 'Yeah, I want to go.'"
He said after doing his research and training, they successfully climbed the mountain.
And that got him excited for more.
“I wanted to replicate that challenge,” Freeman said.
“My mind always goes to, ‘am I saying I can't do it because I'm afraid? And also physically, could I accomplish this?’
“So I have to prove those things to myself.”
Over the years he achieved the feat of climbing the Seven Summits.
“It's knowing that I could break through these barriers,” he said.
“Sometimes you find yourself in some really challenging situation where you feel like you have your last ounce of energy to give, but you really have more.
“Going through these situations let me know that no matter how bad things are, there's always a little bit more to give.”
Freeman said the lessons he’s learned through mountain climbing have helped him as as a leader as he’s grown Freeman Companies.
“You may say, ‘physically climbing Denali, climbing Everest doesn't relate professionally,’” he said. “But I would disagree with you." 
“When we climb, we climb in a rope team,” he said. “So, when we move, we move together.”
“It doesn't matter how strong you are as a leader. You cannot move faster than the weakest guy is capable of moving.”
Freeman said that it’s the same in business and everybody on the team has equal importance.
“You need everybody to be contributing, and so you have to find that balance for your team," he said.

Related Links:
Freeman Companies
Website: https://freemancos.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freeman-companies-llc/ 
Rohan Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohanfreeman/ 

CBIA
Website: https://www.cbia.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

Adventurer Rohan Freeman Gives Back

This week the Business Brief podcast gets the pulse of the state’s health care workforce. 

Then, it looks at a Missouri grocery chain’s effort to reach more Hispanic consumers.

Business Brief: A health care workforce checkup


Join host Kyle Forrest and Sharath Hari, Vice President at Everest Group, as they discuss the rise of skills intelligence and how AI and data-driven skills platforms are helping organizations reimagine workforce strategy.

The Rise of Skills Intelligence: Insights from Unleash America

Revel 2025 was amazing. Such a capstone to the Summer so far. 
I had the honour of playing the closing set this year. 
This mix will pick you up with high vibes, send you on a rolling adventure, and then guide you to balanced centeredness.

Tracklist:
Notequal, Sense Illusion - Lost Horizon
Junction 17 - Bongo Chat
Unglued - Get A Rush
Hillsdom - Restless
Molecular - Don't Know
Maysev - Left
Pola & Bryson, Goddard - Listen
Break - Don't You Ever Stop (Calyx Remix)
FourD - Titanic Roller
Hoax - Noir
Harriet Jaxxon - 4 Me
DLR, Kathryn Brenna - Burn It Down
Break, Pola & Bryson, Cimone - This Chance
Conrad Subs - Get Down
Sola, Skittles - Owed an Apology
Workforce, Bobbie Johnson - Deep Ones
Untrue - Dem Style
Break - All You Gotta Do
Drex174 - Sweet Thing
Reel 2 Real - I Like to Move It (Mythic Image Remix)
Potential Badboy, Chez (Hey Soundboy)
Hoax, Zilah - What You Came Here For
Scurrow - Downfall
Ragga Twins, Iskia - Defibrillator
Note, Kublai - Cold Blue
Melysma - War Business
Alien Perfect - Ghost
Nubiyan Twist - Hypnotized (Zimma Refix)
Dez - So Beautiful
Fortune & Chance - Tempest Arise
Britney Spears - Baby One More Time (Shaking Edit)
Chase & Status - Flashing Lights (Bennie Refix)
Lens, Pola & Bryson, Goddard, Sarah Ikumu - Jungle Diva
Shaki, K2K, DA TU - Let's Have Some Fun
Archangel - Holding On
Nothing - Song For A Drifting Rose
Led Zeppelin - D'yer M'ker (IN2IT Jungle Bootleg)

Much Respect and Big Love to all these amazing artists!!
Revel On!

Revel 2025 - IN2IT (live recording)

Discover how the CII Model Career Centre initiative guides students, freshers, and professionals toward career success. From psychometric tests and career counselling to skill development and job placement, learn how this platform prepares India’s youth to be employable, confident, and future-ready.

CII Model Career Centres

Guiding practitioners with a four-step model—Story, Assessment, Pathways, and Working—to help every client build strengths, request supports, and thrive at work.

Beyond Barriers: Career Development and Disability

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Kimberly Green, Director of Acute Care Services at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. Earlier this year, she joined the podcast to discuss Chesapeake Regional’s innovative Nurse Draft Day workforce recruitment program. On this episode, we highlight an upcoming workforce event at Chesapeake for neurology nurses called Brunch and Brainwaves. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) (twitter.com/VirginiaHHA) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/virginiahha/) using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

VHHA Patients Come First Podcast - Kimberly Green

Welcome to the electrifying world of the Stress Factor Podcast episode 327, where we bring you an exclusive return of Ste-j after a two-year hiatus! This episode is a sonic journey that promises to ignite your senses with a blazing hot liquid, minimal, dark, and heavy roller drum & bass studio mix. Ste-j has meticulously curated 25 tracks that span a thrilling 90 minutes, delivering an immersive experience that is pure auditory bliss. Get ready to lose yourself in the rhythm as the beats take you on a ride through the depths of sound.

In this episode, Ste-j showcases his signature style, focusing solely on the music without any interruptions. This means you can dive deep into the pulsating basslines and intricate melodies that define the drum & bass genre. Each track flows seamlessly into the next, creating a continuous wave of energy that will keep you moving, whether you're at the gym, working, or simply unwinding at home. The absence of talking allows you to fully absorb the artistry and craftsmanship behind each selection, making it a perfect backdrop for any activity.

Don't miss out on this unique listening experience that celebrates the return of one of the scene's most talented DJs. Episode 327 is not just a podcast; it's a celebration of sound that invites you to immerse yourself in the vibrant world of drum & bass. So plug in, turn up the volume, and let Ste-j's expertly crafted mix transport you to a realm where the music speaks for itself. Enjoy the ride!

Tracklist
01. Workforce - Falling Down ft. Tyler Daley [Must Make Music]
02. Zero T - Moments Fade ft. Steo [The North Quarter]
03. Dubhead - Waves ft. Kathryn Brenna [Transparent Audio]
04. Workforce - How They See It [Must Make Music]
05. Creatures - Mayhem ft. DRS [Overview]
06. Kazra & Limmz - No Mention [Critical Music]
07. Survival – Nothingness [Audio Tactics]
08. Bailey - Letter From Detroit [Sun And Bass]
09. Rufige Kru – Spirits [London Records]
10. The Sauce - The Beat [The Sauce]
11. Seba & Paradox – Cypher [Metalheadz]
12. Survival - Don’t You Ever Stop (Calyx Remix) [Symmetry]
13. Workforce – Drowning [Must Make Music]
14. Rufige Kru - Siamese Ghost [London Records]
15. Calculon - Can It Be ft. Leilah Reich [Shoot Recordings]
16. Mindstate – Zim [ThirtyOne]
17. Paul T, Edward Oberon & Benny L - Let It Go [V Recordings]
18. Need For Mirrors – Gratitude [ThirtyOne]
19. Zero T - I Just Can’t [Sofa Sound]
20. Ruti – Lungs (Calibre Vocal Remix)
21. Seba – Flow [Spearhead]
22. Rockwell - Estranged ft. LaMeduza (Bredren Remix)
23. Breakage - Style [Index]
24. NC-17 – Clumsy [Dispatch]
25. Degs, Hologram & Ragga Twins - Hang Up The Mic [Hospital Records]




Stress Factor Podcast 327 - Ste-J - August 2025 Drum & Bass Studio Mix

Over the past 10 years, Middletown-based AI Engineers has more than tripled in size.
The architecture, construction, and engineering firm has grown from 90 employees to 350 in the U.S., with an additional and 70 employees working overseas.
And annual revenue from $18 million to $77 million.
Now factor in the speed of technological change, the challenge of finding qualified new employees, and the need to manage a multi-generational workforce.
So how does a mid-sized company navigate that much change successfully?
“We’re known for agility and rapid decision-making,” Tariq Islam, AI Engineers’ new chief of staff, said during a conversation on the CBIA BizCast.
“So we’re able to react a lot quicker than a lot of other organizations, and that kind of sets us apart for a company of our size—our ability satisfy the customer.”
“Plus, we’re always looking for new technology to implement quickly. We leverage partnerships to find qualified engineers and we’re very focused on succession planning,” he added.
Seven years ago, the company established a group of 15 people to look for new technology from start-ups, pilot programs, and places outside their industry.  
“We were early investors in drones,” said Tariq’s father Abul Islam, who founded the company in 1993.
“We’re always looking for new trends and ways to create operational efficiencies.” With new technology comes a new workforce with new skills, Tariq said.
To find qualified civil engineers, the company partners with academic institutions to attract graduate and international students.
They also rely on statewide resources, including support from CBIA on immigration licenses.
“We have a whole program in place for helping engineers from overseas get their Connecticut licenses, as well as licenses in other states,” Abul Islam said.
“It doesn’t matter where they get their degrees from, it’s the war of talent right now.”
And as it seeks out new technology, the company tries to recruit employees from startups and pilot programs.
“We’ve been successful at recruiting people as we find new technology,” Tariq Islam noted.
The challenge of connecting different generations of employees is one that the company has taken head on.
“A lot of institutional knowledge comes from the employees of my father’s generation,” Tariq Islam said.
“And there’s a collaborative spirit that the younger generation brings—they have different styles of working.”
Bridging the knowledge and technology gap is a process that takes time, father and son agreed.
But sometimes innovation comes from a simple place.
“You basically have to get everybody into a room and let them talk to each other so they can understand different perspectives,” he said. “Then it happens.”
Related Links: 
AI Engineers
Website:  https://www.aiengineers.com/ 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-engineers-inc/ 
Abul Islam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abulislam/ 
Tariq Islam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tislam410/ 
 
CBIA 
Website: https://www.cbia.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/ 

The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts—we appreciate your support! If you have a story to tell, contact Amanda Marlow.

Bridging Technological, Generational Divides

I am Dhruv Banga, currently working with CII Skills, where I focus on initiatives that empower youth through skill development, vocational training, and career readiness.

I’m passionate about creating real impact by connecting students and job seekers with industry-aligned opportunities. At CII, I work closely on promoting Model Career Centres (MCCs), supporting employer-led training programs, and building scalable solutions for a job-ready workforce. I regularly share updates, insights, and resources that help bridge the gap between education and employment in India.

Missouri Business Alert’s Business Brief is a podcast covering business news and issues shaping the state.

Tressa and Aaron provide engaging training tips with every podcast!
support@tadtraining.com

With a foundation in performance and formal classical music, IN2IT stepped into the electronic music scene in the early 2000s as both a DJ and music production enthusiast. His passion for rhythm, dance, and sound led him to purchase a sound system at just 23 and begin hosting renegade forest parties—sparking a lifelong devotion to music and associated gatherings.

Now living on the unceded ancestral lands of the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, Secwepemc peoples, IN2IT continues to channel that same fire. As co-owner of North Lake Sound, he carries forward the spirit of those early gatherings. He has continued to progress and sharpen his music production and DJ skills over the years. He plays at a variety of local West Kootenay rave and dance events, and is proud to have played at Shambhala Music Festival's Village Stage in 2024 and 2025.

His sets move through a wide spectrum of dance music, with a sharp and soulful focus on DnB and Jungle. For him mixing is storytelling, promotion, and self-care - a way to share the artists and tracks he loves most, and a ritual that feels as much like therapy as it does celebration.

Feel free to message me on Soundcloud :)  
<3

A podcast for the business-minded in Connecticut. Interviews consist of business and community leaders who are shaping the future of Connecticut’s economy. The CBIA BizCast provides new content every other week, introduces members of the business community, and tells stories about how businesses are innovating and growing in Connecticut!

BizCast provides new content every other week, introduces members of CBIA staff, and tells stories about how businesses are innovating and growing in Connecticut!

Are you interested in getting an insider’s look at HR? Dear Human Resources takes current HR topics and trends, looks at the research, talks to experts (both practitioners and researchers), and gives listeners a behind-the-scenes’ perspective on HR topics. Our podcasts also explore how other fields such as architecture, social justice, or science influence HR. We conclude our podcasts with one breakthrough idea, which could radically change the field of human resources. 
Listen to Dear Human Resources on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Legal Disclaimer: This HR podcast series provides content to listeners and an opportunity for dialogue. It does not offer legal advice, and makes no representation as to the accuracy and suitability of the content for a particular purpose.

The host, Dr. Marie-Line Germain, is a professor of Human Resources and Leadership at Western Carolina University (a campus of the University of North Carolina).  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-line-germain/

New tracks tagged #Workforce