New investment supports expansion of platform that puts worker satisfaction and growth at the center of business success

Conduit, a workforce management platform reimagining frontline scheduling and training for the modern workforce, announced today it has secured $375,000 in funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. With this new funding, Conduit will launch integrations with major platforms like Square and Gusto, develop features for internal career and training program mapping, refine integrations with skills development platforms, and increase hiring. The investment will also enable Conduit to expand partnerships with a wide range of industries that offer apprenticeship and education opportunities, including manufacturing, healthcare, and green energy, while deepening its roots in frontline service industries such as food service, retail, and hospitality.

Turnover rates in frontline service industries have soared to 150%. In particular, young workers are leaving in record numbers, citing the need for flexibility, supportive management, and career advancement opportunities. As the primary interface between worker preferences and business needs, scheduling is one of the biggest contributors to burnout and attrition. Despite this, current scheduling tools are often rigid, manual, and fail to meet the needs of today’s modern workforce, costing businesses in the food service industry alone nearly $2B monthly.

“There's too much friction and frustration between workers, who seek more self-determination, and their managers, who genuinely want to support their teams but are stretched thin by outdated tools and limited time,” said Max Holmes, CEO and co-founder of Conduit. “Conduit is designed from the ground up to bridge that gap, giving workers more input into their experience at work while saving managers critical time currently being spent on burdensome administrative tasks.”

Conduit embeds worker autonomy and career mobility into its core functionality. Its AI-powered platform enables workers to actively participate in the scheduling process, collecting weekly shift preferences and aligning worker needs with business demands to create optimal, balanced schedules. The platform also automates shift swaps and call-off coverage, reducing disruptions and management overhead.

Beyond scheduling, Conduit acts as a career co-pilot, helping employees map their future by developing personalized learning pathways designed to help workers excel at their current role while building in-demand skills that open future opportunities. The platform also provides career development tools, connects users with training resources, and integrates with digital upskilling platforms such as SkillUp PA and CareerLink. By giving workers greater agency, opportunity and flexibility, Conduit has boosted work schedule satisfaction by as much as 50%, a leading indicator of a 25% reduction in turnover. Together with other unique platform features, turnover could drop by up to 50% annually, delivering $25,000 in annual savings.

“Today’s workforce wants more than a paycheck—they want purpose, growth, and flexibility,” added Holmes. “With this funding, we’re accelerating our mission to help frontline workers build better futures. At the same time, we’re giving businesses the tools they need to build workplaces where people actually want to stay.”

Conduit currently works with businesses in food service, retail, and similar shift-based industries, including franchise groups, corporate-owned quick-service restaurant chains, and regional brick-and mortar retail groups.

To learn more about Conduit, visit https://www.conduit.rocks/.

About Conduit

Conduit is the workforce optimization platform improving employee retention for service-sector businesses and creating sustainable career paths for workers. The company applies a unique combination of dynamic scheduling, employee development, and communities of peer-groups to tackle the big four drivers of employee turnover. By bringing these together, Conduit meets business owners and employees where they are, learns what matters to them, and then aligns their priorities to achieve mutually-beneficial objectives. Ultimately, this enhanced employment experience results in improved operations for businesses, reduced burnout for workers, and maximized earnings for all. Learn more at www.conduit.rocks.

About the Richard King Mellon Foundation

Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2024 year-end net assets were $3.1 billion, and its Trustees in 2024 disbursed more than $155 million in grants and program-related investments. The Foundation focuses its funding on six primary program areas, delineated in its 2021-2030 Strategic Plan.

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