David Yip's journey into EdTech is not your typical career story. With over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, David has worked across sectors like telecom, banking, and public services, leading large-scale digital transformations for global enterprises. But a few years ago, his attention shifted to education, where he saw a major gap between what universities were teaching and what employers needed. This gap, particularly affecting Gen Z, led him to found Impactive Systems, a company determined to tackle the employability challenge at scale through Alumly, an innovative networking platform. In this interview, David shares his insights on the future of education, the critical role of technology in shaping the workforce, and how he believes the next generation can bridge the "experience gap." Read on to discover how David is rethinking student employability, the future of internships, and why he's betting on a new approach to career-building for Gen Z.
Thank you, Laureano. I’m excited to share my journey and what we’re doing in Australia, as well as the mission we’re on to tackle a major challenge in EdTech. I’ve been in the tech industry for over 20 years, mostly in big tech, with companies like IBM, DXC, and more recently, Salesforce.
I’ve worked across many industries, not just education. I started in telecom sales and later moved into sectors like banking, finance, public sector, and retail. This experience gave me a broad perspective on how technology can solve different business challenges. Over time, I developed skills in large-scale digital transformation, which became highly relevant to EdTech.
A few years ago, I started reflecting on the next phase of my career. I’d done a lot in sales and technical leadership roles, but I wanted to apply my skills to something more meaningful. Education stood out as an area where I could make a significant impact.
Education had always been part of my work, though it wasn’t my main focus until recently. Whenever I worked with universities or education departments, I found it incredibly fulfilling. I realized that I wanted to work with clients who were making a real difference in the world, and education fit that perfectly.
But beyond that, I noticed a fundamental problem: education wasn’t quite fit for purpose. Students were graduating without the skills employers needed. Employers were spending the first few years retraining graduates because they weren’t work-ready. This was a systemic issue, and I thought, “Why does this gap exist between education and employment, and how can we fix it?”
I started thinking about how to apply my experience in large-scale transformation to the education sector. It’s a big goal, but coming from a background like IBM, where we handled large global clients, I was used to tackling challenges of this scale.
The common thread across all the industries I worked in—whether telecom, finance, or retail—was the need for large-scale change, enabled by technology. But it’s not just about technology; it’s about aligning people, processes, and culture to deliver value.
In education, I saw pockets of innovation, but the system as a whole hadn’t evolved to meet the demands of the 21st century. There was a clear disconnect between what students were learning and what employers needed. Universities were producing graduates, but they weren’t necessarily equipped with the right skills for the workforce. It was a systemic issue, and I saw an opportunity to bring the same kind of digital transformation to education that we’d seen in other industries.
The stakes are higher in education. If a student goes through a system that doesn’t prepare them for the workforce, it’s not just a missed business opportunity—it’s a missed life opportunity. That’s why I believe any transformation in education needs to be done with both care and urgency.
My time at Salesforce was pivotal. I was the inaugural Director for Education in APAC, and I worked closely with universities on transforming the student experience. We provided CRM solutions and helped institutions improve operations, but one gap stood out to me: how universities were managing relationships with industry, and how that translated to student employability.
Universities often focus on providing education, but not enough on preparing students for the workforce. Students go to university to get a degree, but ultimately, they want a job. The gap between their studies and the job market was massive, and it wasn’t being fully addressed. That’s when I started thinking about how to bridge that gap.
About a year and a half ago, I left Salesforce and founded Impactive Systems. I saw an opportunity that wasn’t being solved at the scale and speed I thought it needed. Our mission is to create impactful, proactive solutions to these challenges.
Initially, Impactive Systems started as a strategy consultancy. I advised senior leaders on the impact of AI and emerging technologies—how AI would change their workforce and how to manage that transition. But my goal was always to build a scalable product that addressed the student employability issue directly.
We spent months talking to stakeholders, testing ideas, and refining our approach. The key challenge was how to address employability at scale. There’s a lot of innovation happening in education, but we wanted to focus on how to help Gen Z students build their career networks and gain practical experience before they graduate.
One of the major problems I noticed was the lack of a real career network for Gen Zs outside of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is great for experienced professionals, but it doesn’t work well for students without much experience. Universities often tell students to create LinkedIn profiles, but many struggle because they don’t have enough work experience to showcase. It becomes an empty exercise. That’s where we saw an opportunity to create a platform specifically for students, helping them build their career network even before they have traditional work experience.
The core idea behind Alumly is that we’re creating a platform that blends elements of LinkedIn with elements of Upwork, but it’s specifically designed for students. We call it a “micro-internship” platform. Instead of students doing traditional six-month or year-long internships, which often don’t provide meaningful experiences, they can take on short-term projects—what we call micro-internships—that last anywhere from one day to a month. These projects give them real-world experience, and they get paid for the work they do.
The inspiration for this model came from Jeffrey Moss, who founded a company called Parker Dewey in the U.S. I first heard about the concept of micro-internships on a Harvard Business podcast, and it immediately clicked. It made so much sense—why make students sit through long internships where they might not be doing anything meaningful when you can offer them short, sharp experiences that are more aligned with the way Gen Z thinks and operates?
Gen Zs want to explore different career paths and try new things, and micro-internships allow them to do that. They can take on multiple projects, build a diverse portfolio of experiences, and develop a better understanding of what they enjoy and where their strengths lie. At the same time, employers get to work with talented students on a project-by-project basis, without the commitment of a long-term internship.
Our platform is employer-centric. We’ve worked closely with universities and employers to build a solution that’s easy to use and that provides value to both sides. Employers can post micro-internships and get the help they need right away. Students can apply for these short-term gigs and get paid for their work, while also building their resume and network.
Yes, unpaid internships are still a huge issue, especially in Australia. It’s changing, but the practice of unpaid internships has created what’s called “placement poverty.” Students are forced to choose between doing an unpaid internship that might help them get a job later or working a paid job at a café to pay the rent this week. That’s a tough choice to make, and it’s not fair to students who are trying to build their careers.
One of the key features of our platform is that all the micro-internships are paid. Students get compensated for their work, and employers get the help they need. This is essential not only for fairness but also for making the platform sustainable. Our business model is based on taking a percentage of the transaction when a student is placed in a job, similar to how platforms like Uber operate.
By ensuring that all gigs are paid, we’re addressing one of the core issues with traditional internships. We’re also making it easier for employers to hire students for short-term projects. Instead of committing to a six-month internship, employers can hire a student for just the time they need—whether it’s a week, a month, or even just a few days. It’s more flexible and efficient for both parties.
That’s one of the most exciting aspects of the platform. We’re giving students the opportunity to explore multiple career paths early in their university careers, rather than waiting until their final year to do a traditional internship. With micro-internships, students can try out different industries and roles to see what they like and what they’re good at.
For example, a student who thinks they want to go into law might take on a few micro-internships at law firms and discover that it’s not the right fit for them. They might then try marketing or IT and find that they’re more passionate about those areas. By offering short-term gigs, we’re allowing students to experiment and learn through real-world experience.
This also benefits employers, because they’re getting students who are more informed about their career choices and who have already developed relevant skills. It’s a win-win situation that helps bridge the experience gap that so many students face when they graduate.
Yes, there’s definitely a mindset shift that needs to happen. When people hear the word “intern,” they often think of someone with no skills or experience who needs to be trained. But the reality is that students today, especially Gen Zs, already have valuable skills that employers need. They’re digitally savvy, they’re great communicators, and they’re eager to learn.
We need to move away from thinking of interns as unskilled workers and start thinking of them as casual temp workers who can contribute to real projects right away. A lot of the tasks that employers need done—whether it’s helping at a conference, setting up a booth, or following up with customers—can be done by students who already have the necessary skills. They don’t need to be trained from scratch.
By shifting the focus from long-term internships to short-term gigs, we’re making it easier for employers to see the value in hiring students. And for students, it’s a chance to build their network and gain experience without having to wait until their final year of university. It’s a much more dynamic and flexible approach to employability.
That’s a big part of what we’re building into Alumly. We’re using technology to help match students with the right opportunities based on their skills and interests. Students can create profiles that showcase the skills they’ve developed—whether it’s through their studies, part-time jobs, or extracurricular activities—and employers can see those skills when they post a job.
For example, if a company needs someone to help with marketing at a conference, they can search for students who have experience in marketing or event planning. The platform does the heavy lifting in terms of matching students with the right opportunities, so employers don’t have to guess whether a student is qualified.
We’re also working with universities to help them recognize the skills that students are developing outside of the classroom. In many cases, students are already doing work that’s relevant to their career path, but it’s not being captured or recognized by the university. Our platform helps bridge that gap by making those skills visible to employers.
LinkedIn is a fantastic platform for experienced professionals, but it’s not ideal for students who are just starting out. Gen Zs don’t have the work experience to fill out a LinkedIn profile in the same way that older professionals do. As a result, they often find LinkedIn to be irrelevant or, as they say, “cringe.” It’s not a space where they feel comfortable or where they can really showcase their potential.
Alumly is designed specifically for Gen Zs. It’s built around short, bite-sized experiences—micro-internships—that allow students to build their resume and network over time. Instead of focusing on years of experience, we’re focusing on skills and achievements. Students can showcase the projects they’ve worked on, the skills they’ve developed, and the connections they’ve made.
We’ve also designed the platform to be more engaging and user-friendly for this generation. It’s mobile-first, with features like TikTok-style short videos and social media-style messaging. We’re meeting students where they are and giving them a platform that feels relevant and useful to them.
One of the key features is that it shifts the focus from just gaining work experience to building a professional network. When students complete a micro-internship, they’re not just gaining skills—they’re also building relationships with employers and colleagues. Over the course of their university career, they can do multiple micro-internships and graduate with a network of 20 or 30 people who know them, have worked with them, and can vouch for their skills.
That network is incredibly valuable when they graduate. Instead of finishing university with just one or two contacts, they have a robust network that can help them find job opportunities and advance their career. It’s a much more organic and effective way to build a professional network than the traditional internship model.
Our growth strategy is centered around partnerships with universities. We’re working closely with institutions to implement Alumly as part of their career services offerings. We’re starting in Australia, but we have plans to expand to the U.S. and other markets. Australia is an interesting market because we have large universities by global standards—some institutions here have 40,000 to 50,000 students. By partnering with just a few universities, we can build a substantial network of students and employers.
We’re also leveraging the relationships we have with employers and alumni to create a network effect. The more companies that use Alumly to hire students, the more attractive it becomes to universities. And as more students use the platform, more employers will want to post jobs. It’s a virtuous cycle that helps us scale quickly.
Another key part of our strategy is working with governments on national skills taxonomies. In Australia, the government is exploring a national skills taxonomy that will help us match students to jobs based on the skills they’re developing in their studies. Once you have a standardized language for skills, it becomes much easier to connect students with relevant opportunities. I compare it to how HTML revolutionized the internet by creating a common language for websites. A skills taxonomy will do the same thing for education and employment.
We’re still in the development phase of the skills taxonomy, but the goal is to make it as granular as possible so that we can match students with very specific job requirements. For example, let’s say a company needs help with social media marketing. They might list skills like content creation, social media management, and basic graphic design. A student who has experience running their own social media account or creating content for a school club could be a great fit for that job.
Another example could be an IT-related micro-internship where a company needs help setting up a website or managing a database. The skills they’re looking for might include basic coding, web design, or data entry. Even if the student doesn’t have professional experience, they might have developed those skills through a class project or personal interest. Alumly helps surface those skills and match students with the right opportunities.
Universities play a crucial role in connecting students with employers. One of the things we emphasize to institutions is that Alumly is designed to help them bridge the gap between education and employment. By partnering with us, universities can offer their students more opportunities to gain real-world experience and build their professional network.
A big part of Alumly is also focused on alumni engagement. Alumni are often hiring managers or business owners, and they’re always looking for skilled workers. Unfortunately, many universities don’t engage with their alumni in a way that’s valuable to both sides. Alumni are often seen as a source of donations rather than as a valuable resource for current students.
We’re changing that by creating a platform that allows alumni to hire students for micro-internships, provide mentorship, and stay connected to the university in a meaningful way. This not only helps students build their network, but it also strengthens the university’s relationship with its alumni.
For now, Alumly is free for universities as we’re still in the early stages of building our user base. Our business model is based on transactions—when a student is placed in a micro-internship, we take a percentage of the fee, similar to how platforms like Uber or Upwork operate. This makes Alumly sustainable in the long run, and it ensures that students are always paid for their work.
We’re working closely with universities to make sure the platform integrates smoothly with their existing systems and career services. We see ourselves as partners in helping institutions improve their students’ employability outcomes.
When it comes to hiring, I’m a big believer in bringing in people who have a fresh perspective. I intentionally hire people who haven’t worked in education before, especially in product design. I want my team to look at problems with fresh eyes, without the assumptions or biases that come from working in the same industry for too long.
For example, my product designers have backgrounds in other industries, not EdTech. That’s intentional because I want them to think creatively and come up with solutions that might not occur to someone who’s spent years working on LMSs or SISs. I want them to challenge the status quo and think outside the box.
Curiosity is another key quality I look for. I want people who are curious about how things work and who aren’t afraid to ask questions or propose new ideas. We’re solving complex problems, and I need a team that’s willing to dig deep and think critically about how to address them.
While our focus is currently on Gen Z and student employability, the long-term vision for Impactive Systems is much broader. We’re starting with students because that’s where the pain point is most acute, but the future of work is changing rapidly, and I see Alumly evolving to support lifelong learning and career development.
As the lines between education and employment continue to blur—especially with the rise of AI and automation—we’re going to see more people moving between jobs and industries throughout their careers. Our goal is to create a platform that supports that fluidity, helping people upskill, reskill, and stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.
Ultimately, it’s about creating a system that works for everyone—students, employers, and universities. We’re just getting started, but I’m excited about the impact we can have in the years to come.
