Research and thought leadership
Pathways Opportunity Council
Advancing Inclusion, Igniting Potential
01 -- Current Research
The Missing Workforce
Disability and Neurodivergent Inclusion in the Contingent Workforce. A white paper of the Council's Neurodivergence and Disabled Contingent Hiring Best Practices Working Group, released as four standalone research briefs in September and October 2026.
Every organization the Council surveyed believes disability inclusion matters. Almost none has built the machinery to deliver it in its contingent program. Seventeen programs answered the survey. Eight of sixteen do not track disability status of contingent workers. One of sixteen has a VMS that supports accommodation requests natively. The series makes the case on talent math, retention economics, and performance, and ends with what a program does Monday morning.
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Brief 1 -- September 2026
Goodwill Without Machinery
The Workforce Contingent Programs Cannot See.
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Brief 2 -- September 25, 2026
Nobody Owns It
Accountability, Contracts, and Cost in the Tri-Party Model.
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Brief 3 -- Coming October 2026
The Unexamined Front End
Screening, AI, and the Recruiter.
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Brief 4 -- Coming October 2026
Measurement Is the Intervention
The Maturity Model and What Programs Do Monday Morning.
02 -- About the Council
Who we are
The Pathways Opportunity Council is an invite-only council of workforce professionals focused on expanding access and economic mobility for underrepresented talent, including Black, Hispanic, disabled, and veteran communities, as well as other historically disadvantaged groups. The Council's mission is to elevate industry practice and the professional standing of its members by convening leaders committed to measurable improvements in access, hiring, and advancement outcomes. The Council prioritizes organizations that demonstrate sustained, authentic commitment to expanding opportunity.
The Council is a joint initiative of Defiant Solutions, Primary Talent Partners, and AgileOne, with the University of South Carolina Lancaster as institutional research partner. Research and thought leadership are sponsored by Primary Talent Partners and AgileOne and executed by Defiant Solutions as the Council's named consulting partner. For more information email us at pathways@defiantsolutions.com.
Defiant Solutions
Defiant Solutions is the named consulting partner for the Pathways Opportunity Council, supporting the Council's research, stakeholder alignment, and delivery of actionable workforce insights. The firm advises enterprise buyers and workforce solution providers on external workforce strategy, contingent labor governance, and go to market execution. Engagements commonly include diagnostic assessments, operating model and governance design, program and supplier strategy, and fractional strategic leadership.
Primary Talent Partners
Primary Talent Partners (PTP) is a woman-owned staffing firm focused on contingent workforce programs and full service staffing, including temporary and direct hire. Headquartered near Charlotte, North Carolina, with locations nationwide, PTP serves enterprise clients and supports MSP led and structured workforce programs. The firm operates effectively in margin constrained environments and uses a consultative approach to align candidates with roles, with an emphasis on inclusive talent delivery.
AgileOne
AgileOne designs and delivers global workforce and procurement solutions for Fortune 1000 companies. The firm provides consultative support to streamline processes for HR, procurement, and suppliers. AgileOne supports flexible and direct hire workforce programs and helps integrate technologies that capture and manage suppliers across the enterprise. Solutions emphasize operational efficiency, cost control, risk management, vendor management, and alignment to industry best practices.
Council Resources
Behind the Council's research sits its employer program register: 167 publicly documented inclusive hiring program entries at 144 North American public companies, each tiered by program intensity, verified for current activity, and paired with the source program pages and ESG report excerpts in a searchable PDF library. The register is re-verified quarterly and is available to Council members, along with the full white paper, the Implementation Toolkit, and the Working Group's monthly sessions. To request access, ask about membership, or talk with the Working Group about your program, email pathways@defiantsolutions.com.