Brian Glover was sitting with his wife as she looked for jobs when he recognized the need for a new type of job board. Shortly thereafter, he built a platform designed to connect jobseekers with blue-collar jobs. That platform has since evolved into Previewed, a startup helping students prepare for their careers.
After he founded Previewed in 2023, Glover received positive feedback on the platform through customer discovery research. At the same time, however, users often conveyed that they wished they’d access to the startup’s features earlier in life.
Building on that feedback, Glover pivoted and the startup was transformed into its current form: a career readiness platform designed to help students between 10 and 17 years of age explore career options, develop relevant skills and find pathways and opportunities.
Students are always asked what they want to be when they get older, but they lack the clarity and resources to explore all of their career options, Glover said. With Previewed, he hopes to provide a clear foundation for students to explore and eventually enter the workforce.
“The best way to do so is to start at the root, and that’s to provide as much visibility with clarity so these kids can take action and have a solid foundation to step into the future,” Glover said.
Years of career preparation tools
Previewed provides an array of tools that support students throughout their journey as they prepare to enter the job market. The startup licenses its software to schools, which in turn provide students with access to the platform.
For students aged between 10-14 years old, Previewed offers gamified assessments that help students discover potential careers in an appealing, fun way, as well as simulations and videos helping the students prepare for career exploration. The platform also helps schools’ career directors connect students with opportunities to “shadow” people in jobs they may be exploring.
As students move into high school, Previewed provides more personalized, step-by-step resources to help them connect with employers.
In addition to helping students with discovery and development, Previewed functions as a drafting and scouting portal for early-career talent in skilled trades, Glover said. The startup helps students connect with employers to find internships, mentorships and jobs based on the interests the students express in assessments. At the same time, employers can scout students and view their history and interests on Previewed to find talent that aligns with their company’s needs and preferences.
“Microsoft would now have the ability to scout for the next Bill Gates and have true data, versus waiting for that individual to apply,” Glover said. “Now, it’s more proactive.”
Glover said that whereas many career readiness platforms are focused primarily on assessments, Previewed seeks to provide students with direct connections to trade schools, employers and career opportunities.
Funding and piloting Previewed
Previewed licenses its software to schools free of charge—a decision Glover said was made to ensure that no student is blocked from accessing career opportunities and connections. Instead, the startup looks to trade schools and employers to fund the development of its software.
Trade schools pay Previewed to help promote their programs to the platform’s student users—a total addressable market that the startup has identified as $30 billion. The access and exposure to these schools that students gain through Previewed can help trade schools increase their enrollment by 30%, Glover said.
Employers also pay a sponsorship fee to use the platform, which allows them to cut costs in recruitment fees by instead finding talent through Previewed.
QUICK BITS
Startup: Previewed
Co-founders: Brian Glover, Minnie Sankhe
Founded: 2023
Team size: 2
Location: Greensboro
Website: www.previewed.careers
Funding: Bootstrapped
In spring 2024, Previewed was awarded a $10,000 NC IDEA MICRO grant, which supported the development of the startup in addition to its bootstrapped funding.
Now fully embracing its pivot to focus on career readiness for students, Previewed is in the pilot stage. The startup ran a closed beta cycle during the spring 2025 academic semester. In the fall, the startup will run a pilot program with more than 27,000 students across six states using the platform.
“We’re looking at being able to provide clarity for employers, connect training schools with the talent, as well as provide the kids with all of the resources needed to be the best versions of themselves,” Glover said.
