Believing in People: How Jared Rosenthal Builds Purpose-Driven Teams in the Age of AI

From the Bronx to Building a Tech-Enabled Screening Company

Jared didn't take the usual route. After earning a healthcare-focused business degree from the University of Michigan, he chose to serve low-income communities in the Bronx. That decision set the tone for a career rooted in meaning.

"Money itself seems almost too easy... I always wanted to do something I could be proud of, and could hopefully impact the world."

That sense of purpose carried over into Health Street, where Rosenthal now leads a team that provides employment screening services, including everything from drug testing and background checks to occupational health.

Health Street is also more than a lab referral service; it's a software company that acts like Expedia for workplace testing logistics.

Leadership That Sticks: Give People a Chance

One of the most powerful takeaways from Jared's conversation was how he reframed leadership from command-and-control to trust-and-empower. Early in his career, a leader named "MT" showed him that true leadership is about belief, and believing in others so deeply that they want to prove you right for the rest of their careers.

"The teachers that don't believe in you and the managers that don't believe in you, and the coaches that don't believe in you—once you do what they thought you couldn't do, you forget who they were…The ones that DO believe in you…I never stopped trying to prove them right. "

That mindset has shaped how Jared hires and promotes. He doesn't look for polished resumes; he looks for raw potential. Some of his best team members started in entry-level roles and moved up through grit and guidance.

The AI Tidal Wave: Risk and Opportunity

As AI in business changes how companies operate, Jared is thinking ahead. How will artificial agents change customer acquisition, SEO, and even how services are delivered?

"What we've done is built an API that allows external parties to ask questions...and it will reply," Jared explains.

Jared sees a future where AI in business handles the full customer experience, from search to payment, skipping traditional websites entirely. For companies like Health Street that have thrived through SEO, that's a seismic shift. If AI technologies become the gatekeepers and even start taking payments for services eventually, then we've already started adapting to AI search rather than just for search engine optimization. A lot of this future-forward thinking has been shaped in partnership with Anthony Petecca, Health Street's VP of IT and Security.

Owning His Life, Not Just a Business

Growing up around entrepreneurs and teachers, Jared was drawn to a life where personal and professional lines blurred. His parents, grandparents, and even his grandfather's arcade on the Jersey boardwalk modeled a life of independence and creativity, one where purpose isn't sacrificed for profit.

Final Takeaway: Lead With Who You Are

Jared's leadership hack? Be yourself. Authenticity doesn't just mean dressing in hoodies or skipping corporate lingo. Create a space where others feel safe being themselves, too.

"They see somebody being who they are, being authentic, and that in and of itself, I think, encourages others to be authentic."

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WRITTEN BY

Nicole Slaughter

Nicole is the Director of Digital Content and Marketing at Health Street, where she leads a team in delivering high-quality digital content and strategy. Her responsibilities include creating SEO-driven content, designing user-friendly web pages, creating infographics, producing and editing video content, and everything else that falls under Health Street's creative vision and content strategy. She graduated as summa cum laude from Arizona State University with a degree in Graphic Information Technology (User Experience).

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