Experts agree that some of the most successful entrepreneurial innovation often arises from observation and interaction. More specifically, when entrepreneurs are able to identify unmet needs where they live and work. Such was the case when Rafael Alvarez realized that a large group of graduating seniors from a charter school where he volunteered were not planning to attend college. After discussing his observations he found out that the vast majority hadn't even considered college an option.

At the time Rafael was working with Compaq Corporation where he discovered after asking around, that the company was having difficulty filling entry level information technology positions. With these two observations, Rafael decided to form Genesys Works. He passionately felt that if those students could be placed in a professional environment during their senior year of high school, it would drive the critical decision of what they would do after graduation, and thereby impact their careers and lives.

In this interview with host Sheela Sethuraman, Rafael delves into the details on what makes Genesys Works successful. He explains what makes a good applicant to the Genesys Works program and what kind of preparation they receive. He also talks about the results of Genesys Works' expansion efforts and shares some of the analysis that has helped them fine-tune their expansion efforts.