By Riley Kaminer
A college degree used to be the golden ticket to a career. But for many recent graduates, job hunting feels more like rolling the dice. Sending out dozens of applications only to be ghosted is a frustrating reality. Meanwhile, startups struggle to find fresh talent, overshadowed by big tech’s HR machines that scoop up candidates before smaller companies even have a chance.
Andrew Kozlovski and Rodrigo Pecchio saw an opportunity to bridge this gap. The two met at the University of Southern California and later reconnected in Miami to build Drafted, a platform designed to transform how startups and early-career professionals connect.
“I wanted to work on something that truly impacts people’s lives,” Kozlovski told Refresh Miami. “When you look at hiring today, not much has changed in 30 years. Companies post job listings, wait for resumes, and hope the right candidate finds them. We knew there had to be a better way.”
Drafted flips the script. Instead of requiring job seekers to send out endless applications, it gives companies access to a shared talent pool – similar to how NFL teams scout draft picks. Employers can filter candidates by university, major, and skills, but Drafted goes a step further, using AI to assess cultural fit based on video submissions.
“We talked to 150 employers, and they all agreed: there are three key questions that determine whether someone advances to the next round,” Kozlovski explained. “Instead of a generic PDF resume, candidates answer these in a short video, giving employers a much deeper understanding of who they are.”
For Pecchio, the problem is personal. Originally from Venezuela, he moved to Miami as a teenager and saw firsthand how international students and young professionals struggle to stand out.
“You can have an amazing candidate who just doesn’t have much experience in the U.S.,” Pecchio said. “They might not even get a shot at an interview. Drafted amplifies their talent, making sure their potential doesn’t go unnoticed.”
The AI-driven culture matching is a core part of the platform’s approach. “Startups tell us all the time that they’re willing to train new hires on technical skills,” Pecchio added. “What matters most is culture fit. A perfect resume doesn’t mean much if the person isn’t a good match for the team. That’s why we built a way to quantify and prioritize those qualitative aspects.”
Based in Brickell, the duo is bullish on the city’s growing tech scene. Pecchio, who left California to return home, sees Miami as the ideal launchpad: “Tech is booming here. It’s a great place to build something new.”
For now, Drafted is free to use, but the plan is to introduce a subscription model for employers based on the number of hires they make. Kozlovski and Pecchio believe their edge lies in agility. “Legacy platforms like LinkedIn and Handshake have stopped listening to users,” Kozlovski said. “Students and employers are frustrated. We’re building this from scratch based on what they actually need.”
Since launching a year and a half ago, Drafted has gained traction fast, attracting 3,000+ startups and 1,000+ job seekers thus far.
“In the last three weeks alone, we’ve partnered with three of the top 25 business schools in the country,” Kozlovski said. “We’re just getting started.”
Pitctured at the top of this post: Drafted co-founders, left to right: Rodrigo Pecchio and Andrew Kozlovski.
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