2023 MTC First Quarter Meeting
Taj Mecham, Senior Regional Director of Workforce
TRANSFR Inc.
In this session Taj Mecham (TRANSFR Inc.) will share the possibilities of immersive work-based learning experiences in virtual reality and augmented reality. Mecham will discuss the need to create strategic partnerships across industry, education, workforce development, government, and special interest groups to connect job seekers to outreach and training for living-wage careers across Arkansas as well as across the US.
Career Exploration simulations help learners experience a 'day in the life' and perform a common task through virtual reality where they are introduced to a coach who 'walks them through' this experience. It is important to measure success metrics and key outcomes as industry partners.
The presentation will cover immersive work-based technology's opportunity to increase trainee confident, lower recruitment and training costs, align industry training instruction and foster hope for job seekers from diverse backgrounds, many of whom face extensive barriers to exiting poverty.
Taj Mecham is building workforce ecosystems for communities in Arkansas and Louisiana, and pioneering TRANSFR’s mission of creating and paving new career pathways. Mecham shares Transfr’s immersive work based learning experiences in VR and AR that connects learners to opportunities for career exploration and for career training. Mecham has worked to create strategic partnerships in Arkansas with the Arkansas Office of Skills Development, Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Boys & Girls Clubs, Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Arkansas Community Colleges, and many others to connect job seekers to workforce development opportunities and training for sustainable careers.He built his career growing business teams and positively impacting communities through enterprise healthcare technology, energy & power software, & other companies. Mecham has seen the value that education can deliver to underserved communities first-hand. He spent two years in Brazil in rural areas as an ecclesiastical volunteer missionary and also serving communities across North America as well as the world through his business experiences.
Mecham uses his business acumen for problem-solving and passion for understanding human need, and translating that into meaningful results for customers and for trainees.
Veteran workforce executive Mecham’s true north is taking action to make a difference and unlock the future for individuals. He learned the value of hard work growing up on a farm in Utah with his family, working at an early age in different jobs and excelling in various sports. Mecham and his wife are the proud parents of three beautiful children as well as the owners of one dog, eight chickens and two ducks.
James Reed, COO
Michael Wiesinger, VP of Commercialization
Kodiak Robotics
Kodiak Robotics' COO James Reed and VP of Commercialization Michael Wiesinger will explore safe and scalable autonomous trucking technology.
- Which technologies will take autonomous trucks from the lab to the roads
- How to work with fleets and partners to build a turnkey solution that creates value for the entire trucking ecosystem
- How trucking fleets are already planning to integrate autonomous technology into their networks to maximize safety and efficiency
James Reed serves as Kodiak’s chief operating officer. Reed brings to Kodiak over 25 years of experience in technology, manufacturing, banking, logistics and finance. Prior to joining Kodiak, Reed served as president and CEO of USA Truck, a publicly traded logistics and transportation company. He also served on USA Truck’s Board of Directors. Before USA Truck, Reed was chief financial officer of Interstate Distributor Co. and president of its subsidiaries Interstate Distributor Logistics and Spectrum Logistics. He previously held corporate and operational finance roles at Intel Corp, EMC, T-Mobile USA, and Chase. Reed graduated from Brigham Young University with his bachelor’s degree and also his master’s in business administration.
Michael Wiesinger is the vice president of commercialization at Kodiak, and responsible for driving business development and major partnerships, defining Kodiak’s commercial product and deploying it with the mission to optimize value for Kodiak’s customers. Wiesinger spent most of his career in the automotive and supply chain industries. Wiesinger worked for Detroit Diesel, a Daimler Truck subsidiary, before he joined BCG, where he focused on strategy, operations and supply chain topics for some of the world’s largest automotive OEMs. He was also part of the team that launched Ware2Go, a UPS company, where he built the company’s initial warehouse network and led all supply chain related topics. During his time at business school, Wiesinger launched a new ride pooling service for Gett in London.
