In this episode of Funded Futures, Emily sits down with Bijin Johnson, founder of Gradus, the AI-powered platform tackling one of the knottiest problems in business: finding great people without losing your sanity or your runway.

Fresh off winning VentureCrowd’s Pitch Night, Bijin shares the surprisingly human story behind Gradus, from his days as a systems engineer at Boeing to building an MVP in a three-week sprint powered by grit, insomnia and a touch of chaos.

He breaks down why recruitment is fundamentally broken, why referrals work but don’t scale, and how AI can finally make the hiring process faster, fairer and far less painful for both graduates and employers.

Expect thoughtful insights, founder-level honesty and a few good laughs as Bijin and Emily unpack:

• The leap from aerospace engineering to entrepreneurship

• How a grassroots grad community sparked a national movement

• Why hiring the wrong person can cripple a young company

• The true cost of recruitment and where AI can meaningfully help

• The future of “vibecoding” and building software with AI

• Sustainable growth vs. the trap of “scale at all costs”

A brilliant episode for founders, HR leaders, grads navigating the job hunt and anyone fascinated by how AI is reshaping work.