Redefining the Talent Pipeline

Written By YooSung Lee

A New Model for Cyber & Tech Workforce Development in Nashville

Why We Exist

PathHaus is an initiative born from JeongHaus, a company built on the Korean principle of “jeong” (정)—a deep, shared connection rooted in empathy, loyalty, and community. Just as JeongHaus creates spaces that foster meaningful impact, PathHaus carries forward that heart into workforce development. The name itself is a nod to both pathos—the power of human connection—and path—the journey of transformation each of our learners embarks on.

At PathHaus, we believe in developing whole professionals. We don't just teach technical skills—we cultivate values, critical thinking, and a growth mindset that prepares individuals to lead with purpose and competence. By integrating the principles of pathos (empathy), logos (skill), and ethos (character), our approach empowers learners to become not only effective workers, but trusted advisors, mentors, and change agents in their organizations.

With over 15 years of experience in government consulting and commercial tech, our leadership has seen that the most valuable traits in a candidate aren't found on a résumé. They’re demonstrated through perseverance, curiosity, and the ability to see opportunity where others see obstacles.

We exist to unlock opportunity for:

  • Veterans transitioning to civilian life

  • Immigrants and refugees with untapped experience

  • Underserved communities lacking access, mentorship, or direction

This isn’t just workforce development—it’s economic empowerment.

The Market Need

Nashville and Tennessee at large are experiencing a surge in demand for cybersecurity and cloud professionals. But the talent pipeline isn’t built to meet this need. Traditional hiring often favors certifications over capability, while recruiters lack the technical expertise to assess real readiness.

Key Stats:
- 6,250+ cybersecurity-related roles are currently open in Tennessee *
- 6–12 months average time it takes for new hires to reach full productivity *
- 1–2 years average retention for early-career tech hires *
- $4K–$20K: Average cost to recruit a single role through traditional firms *

We’re investing time and money in a system that fails to produce lasting results.

The Untapped Workforce 

Veterans

Veterans are disciplined, detail-oriented, and excellent problem solvers—but many are still underutilized in the private sector.

- 60%+ of veterans are underemployed, working below their skill level *
- Nearly 50% report their career transition as difficult or very difficult *
- Veterans often leave their first civilian job quickly due to misalignment *

Veterans don’t need more red tape—they need a direct path into meaningful work that leverages their experience.

Immigrants & Refugees

Nashville’s immigrant population is economically powerful—but structurally blocked from high-paying careers in tech.

- Make up 9.2% of the metro population, contributing $4.8B in spending power and $1.6B in taxes annually *
- Over 13,000 immigrant entrepreneurs support local job creation *
- 34% of adult immigrants in Tennessee hold a college degree or higher *
- Barriers include credential recognition, English proficiency, and access to mentorship

These are engineers, doctors, and translators driving Uber or stocking shelves—not because they aren’t capable, but because no one built a bridge.

Underserved Communities

We serve a broad spectrum of underserved groups who face systemic barriers to opportunity in tech:

- First-generation Americans and college students
- Residents from low-income or rural communities
- Working parents and caregivers
- Formerly incarcerated individuals
- Career switchers from industries like food service, retail, and gig work
- People without college degrees or with nontraditional education paths

What they lack isn’t intelligence—it’s access, structure, and encouragement.

Success Story: Luke – From Lowe’s to Sophos
When we met Luke, he was working full-time at Lowe’s. He was driven but unsure how to enter tech. We enrolled him in a tailored bootcamp that emphasized enterprise tools and real-world threat detection labs. Balancing work and study, Luke mastered key concepts in incident response and Splunk—and eventually landed a job as a Threat Analyst at Sophos.

Our Approach

We don’t train for tests. We train for roles.

Our immersive, scenario-based training bootcamps are aligned with real employer needs—not hypothetical ones. We mentor each student, ensure hands-on application, and measure readiness by capability, not credentials.

We also instill business intelligence and a professional mindset. Our goal is to develop not just skilled technicians, but future leaders and trusted advisors. We teach learners how to:

  • Identify automation and service opportunities for clients

  • Understand and exceed job role expectations

  • Develop a growth mindset focused on long-term career progression

  • Operate at the level above their role to earn advancement

  • Navigate salary negotiation and communicate their professional value

  • Understand project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Waterfall)

  • Prepare for the workforce through resume workshops and mock interviews

We hope that the ceiling of our own professional journey becomes the floor for those we mentor—and that they take that same mindset of mentorship and innovation everywhere they go.

Tracks We Offer:

  • Cyber Operations (Blue Team): SOC, IR, SIEM, Splunk, MITRE ATT&CK

  • Cloud & Platform Engineering: AWS, Terraform, Kubernetes, GCP

  • Compliance & Risk: HIPAA, RMF, NIST 800-53, CMMC, FedRAMP

  • DevSecOps: CI/CD pipelines, container security, Infrastructure as Code

  • Networking & Infrastructure: NGFW, IDS/IPS, Zero Trust, micro-segmentation, VPNs, traffic analysis

  • Red Team & Offensive Security: Penetration testing, phishing, physical security

Certifications are optional. Hands-on mastery is non-negotiable.

Reimagining the Employer Relationship

We work with employers to co-design talent pipelines that drive real business value.

What Companies Get:
- Pre-vetted, job-ready talent
- Hands-on experience with your stack and toolsets
- Retention strategies such as vesting hiring bonuses and 3–4 year job commitments

What We Ask:
- Feedback on your hiring pain points
- Mentorship or internship pathways
- Opportunities for direct hire or preferred placement

We’re not a bootcamp—we’re your long-term talent partner.

A Call to Action

Let’s stop hiring by resume keywords and start investing in human potential. Nashville has the opportunity to become a model city for inclusive tech development.

We are seeking:
- Hiring partners ready to pilot a new approach
- Nonprofits and agencies to help recruit untapped talent
- Investors and donors who believe in long-term, generational impact

Let’s build this pipeline together.

Sources

* Cybersecurity job openings in Tennessee: https://www.cyberseek.org/heatmap.html

* Veteran underemployment: https://mason.wm.edu/news/2024/america-solved-veterans-unemployment-within-a-decade-but-underemployment-continues-to-hold-back-their-talents.php

* First job turnover for veterans: https://www.nvti.org/2023/08/31/veteran-underemployment/

* Immigrant economic impact: https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/city/nashville/

* Immigrant education in Tennessee: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-tennessee

YooSung Lee