What if data could show you exactly where your career could go? Carlo Martinez built Steppingblocks to do just that, helping students uncover new paths to success.

When he first started out in data science, Carlo Martinez never imagined it would lead him to build a company reshaping how students, universities, and governments think about careers.

“I had no idea data science even existed when I graduated college,” Carlo said. “But once I got into it, I realized the power of using data to make decisions. At the bank, I was helping portfolios make money with data, and I thought, why can’t people use the same kind of insights to make decisions about their lives?”

That thought sparked the beginning of Steppingblocks. The idea was to create a digital career counselor where students could search for a major or career path and instantly see the real outcomes of people who made those choices. Where did they work? What skills did they need? Where did they succeed?

The early version was built directly for students and job seekers, but one big problem became clear. “No student at any given point is going to pay for their own career development. They just expect it to be accessible for free.” That realization changed everything.

The team pivoted to work with universities and state systems instead. Schools wanted to show success stories and governments wanted to understand graduation outcomes and workforce trends. By partnering with institutions, Steppingblocks could provide valuable data while giving students free access through their schools.

Along the way, the company grew into what the team now calls the SteppingFam. “My co-founder, Rob Ganaway, started as an investor and soon after became a co-founder, leading the business development and finance arm of the company. That was huge because it meant I could focus on the tech and innovation while he handled the business side.” Another early teammate, Dr. Jacob Bonne, started out covering analytics consulting and sales and now leads a growing partner success team.

What has surprised Carlo most about the journey has not been the technology but the people. “Startups are constantly changing, and that makes it hard for people looking for a comfort zone. Some thrive and others struggle. With AI changing everything, it is even harder to find stability. That is why we just hired a People Operations Manager, something I never thought we would need.”

When it comes to advice for other founders, his message is simple. “If you are bringing someone onto your team, you can only see a small part of who they are at first. You need to ask what success looks like for them and what it looks like for you. Clarity in expectations = clear success or failure in mutually accepted parameters, that can be avoided by reducing uncommunicated expectations.”

From a simple idea about data-driven career choices to a tool now shaping decisions at universities and governments across the country, Steppingblocks has stayed true to one vision: using data to help people make better decisions about their lives. At Groundswell, we are proud to highlight founders like Carlo who are building tools that empower the next generation, proving that when purpose meets data, the impact can be transformative.

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