In the 33rd episode of MPods, we sit down with Jake Schwartz, founder of Endorsed, University of Michigan alum, and former Apple engineer, to explore the bold mission behind his company: reducing global unemployment with AI.

Jake takes us through his journey from building websites at age 8 to landing his dream job at Apple, and ultimately leaving it all behind to pursue the startup path. He shares powerful stories from his time at Life360, insights from high-stakes hiring experiences, and the “aha” moment that made him realize hiring is in dire need of new solutions. Now at Endorsed, he’s building AI tools that empower companies to hire faster, smarter, and more equitably by uncovering diamonds in the rough that traditional systems often miss.

Along the way, Jake opens up about his Michigan roots, late-night hackathons, influential mentors, and why tinkering on side projects just might be the best career decision a student can make. He also reflects on the future of work, the role of AI agents in our lives, and why meaningful human connection should never be replaced, even as machines get smarter.