Press Release
November 11, 2025

Pathful Appoints Ryan Schwartzberg as Chief Commercial Officer to Accelerate Growth

Veteran EdTech leader with deep career readiness expertise joins to drive market expansion and customer success

Raleigh, NC – November 11, 2025 – Pathful, the nation's leading career readiness and development company, today announced the appointment of Ryan Schwartzberg as Chief Commercial Officer. Schwartzberg will lead Pathful's Sales and Customer Success organizations as the company scales its approach to bridging the education-to-workforce gap—providing authentic workplace experiences, progressive skill development, and professional connections that prepare learners for meaningful careers while enabling employers to actively shape and strengthen the workforce pipeline.

Ryan Schwartzberg, Chief Commercial Officer, Pathful

"We're thrilled to welcome Ryan to Pathful's leadership team at this pivotal moment in our journey to become the preeminent Career Readiness & Development company," said Ryan Hagedorn, CEO of Pathful. "Ryan brings deep expertise across the entire customer lifecycle—from new customer acquisition to expansion and retention—built over two decades of scaling revenue organizations in EdTech and SaaS. He understands what our customers need, how to compete and win in this market, and most importantly, how to build sustainable partnerships that deliver real results for students and learners.”

Schwartzberg is a revenue leadership veteran with over 20 years of experience in SaaS and EdTech, with a proven track record of scaling organizations from early growth through $75M+ ARR. His expertise spans the complete revenue lifecycle—from new customer acquisition to expansion and retention—positioning him to drive Pathful's next phase of growth.

Most notably, Schwartzberg led account management for Naviance at Hobsons, giving him immediate insight into customer needs, competitive dynamics, and district buying behaviors in the career readiness space. He managed 30+ employees achieving 24% quota overperformance while improving customer retention by 8.6% and growing average client spend by 13% year-over-year.

As VP of Sales at TeachTown, Schwartzberg helped lead the company through a period of rapid growth and market expansion. His operational improvements included reducing go-live time by 66%, improving gross retention by 18%, and cutting client churn by 20%—ultimately contributing to a successful secondary sale from Bain to L Squared Capital.

"I've spent my career in education technology because I believe in its power to change lives," said Schwartzberg. "What excites me most about Pathful is how the platform goes beyond traditional college and career readiness to deliver real-world career experiences that truly prepare students and adult learners for success. Having worked in this market, I know firsthand that educators are looking for solutions that connect students with real professionals, help them discover careers they're passionate about, and build skills employers actually value. Pathful delivers on that promise, and I'm honored to help more schools and districts unlock that impact for their students."

Schwartzberg's appointment reflects Pathful's continued investment in leadership that understands the unique challenges and opportunities in career readiness and is committed to building sustainable, customer-centric growth that delivers lasting impact for students.

About Pathful

Pathful is the nation's leading career readiness and development company, serving over 2.5 million students and adult learners nationwide. The platform empowers learners to identify and pursue meaningful career pathways through industry-informed experiences, comprehensive career exploration, and authentic skill development—creating a seamless bridge between education and future careers. Since 2013, Pathful has partnered with schools, districts, companies, workforce development organizations, and national associations to help learners discover careers they're passionate about, connect with industry professionals, and develop the skills needed to succeed in today's evolving economy.Learn more at pathful.com and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Media Contact:
Lindsay Hallam

lhallam@pathful.com

Lindsay Hallam
Lindsay Hallam has been shaping marketing strategy at Pathful since 2020, first at Nepris and then guiding the unified vision at Pathful through the merger with Virtual Job Shadow. With over 20 years of experience in EdTech and telecommunications marketing, she specializes in brand development, messaging architecture, and strategic positioning that bridges the gap between learners and meaningful career opportunities. Lindsay's expertise spans the full spectrum of marketing transformation—from establishing brand identity and go-to-market strategies to building integrated systems that drive organizational growth.
Blog

Why Career Readiness Can't Wait

No items found.
The $1.2 Trillion Wake-Up Call: Why Career Readiness Can't Wait MIT's groundbreaking research reveals the urgent need for a new approach to preparing students for the workforce.
career readiness, AI workforce impact, career development education, student career preparation, workforce transformation, preparing students for AI careers, transferable skills development, future of work education
Jon Reckinger
December 3, 2025
Blog

The Teetering Majority: Why Most Students Need Development, Not Just Exploration

No items found.
Discover why 55% of students are "teetering"—not lost, but stuck between interests and action. Stanford research reveals that traditional career exploration fails the majority of students who need structured development, not just more options. Learn how Career Readiness & Development bridges the gap between student aspirations and real-world success.
Career readiness and development, Student career development, Career exploration vs career development, Purpose-driven career planning, Work-based learning, William Damon purpose research, Failure to launch prevention, Student career pathways, Career readiness infrastructure, Professional connections for students, NEET statistics young adults, Career development at scale, Virtual job shadowing, Industry professional connections, Student career confidence, Why career exploration fails students, How to help students find career purpose, Difference between career exploration and development, Career readiness solutions for schools, Helping teetering students find direction, Authentic career experiences for students, Converting student interests into careers, Student career development best practices, College and career readiness, Student success strategies, Career education innovation, Youth employment challenges, Purpose in education, Work-based learning programs, Student engagement solutions
Brenda Solano, M.Ed.
November 21, 2025
White Paper

Why Career Readiness and Development Matters

No items found.
Closing the Gap Between Graduate Preparation and Employer Expectations
Ryan Hagedorn
November 20, 2025