John Kleist III serves as Vice Chair of the Period Zero Board of Directors and leads Talent Frameworks & AI Integration, helping shape strategies that prepare students for the future of work.

As Chief Growth & Alliances Officer at SkillsTX, John specializes in skills intelligence, AI, workforce transformation, and skills-first talent strategies. His work is guided by one belief: human potential is far more evenly distributed than opportunity.

Through Period Zero, John is committed to helping students recognize their strengths, make their capabilities visible, and build meaningful pathways into an evolving workforce with confidence, purpose, and possibility.