Akraya Acquires iRelaunch to Expand Access to Experienced Talent

Deal combines two return-to-work leaders as demographic changes point to a structural talent shortage

Akraya, a global managed services and workforce solutions company, has acquired iRelaunch, a leader in career re-entry programs and one of the largest communities for professionals returning to work after a career break.

Akraya’s Women Back to Work program and iRelaunch, along with other leaders across the field, have been working to solve the same challenge: how to unlock the talent of experienced professionals who have stepped away from the workforce. This acquisition brings those efforts together, combining iRelaunch’s market leadership and community with Akraya’s ability to deliver programs at scale to create a more integrated, end-to-end solution for return-to-work programs.

This acquisition comes amid significant changes in the labor market. While attention has focused on job cuts from AI and automation, demographic trends such as lower birth rates, reduced immigration, and an aging workforce are leading to a shrinking labor force. Meanwhile, many skilled professionals remain sidelined by hiring systems that penalize career breaks for caregiving or other reasons.

“Over the past decade, we’ve had the privilege of empowering returners to rediscover their confidence, rebuild their careers, and find meaningful work,” said Sonu Ratra, co-founder of Akraya and founder of its Women Back to Work program. “This acquisition allows us to expand that impact and bring more opportunities to the people we serve – while giving employers access to an untapped pool of skilled, experienced talent.”

“We’re not just acquiring a company—we’re betting on people,” said Amar Panchal, CEO of Akraya. “In the age of AI, judgment is the differentiator—and judgment comes from experience. Returners bring that experience and have invested in AI readiness to apply it to today’s fast-changing roles. By combining iRelaunch with Women Back to Work, we’re building a scalable model that delivers proven talent—faster and with confidence.”

Now in its 19^th year, iRelaunch supports a community of over 125,000 experienced professionals in all stages of relaunching their careers after career breaks ranging from one to over 20 years. iRelaunch has partnered with more than 350 employers to access, hire, and onboard returning professionals for their career re-entry roles and programs. The iRelaunch Return to Work Conference and Job Fair is the largest and longest-running career reentry event in the U.S. The 40^th iRelaunch Conference will be held Oct 6-8, 2026.

Akraya has scaled return-to-work initiatives through its Women Back to Work program, helping companies source, onboard, and retain skilled technology professionals returning to the workforce.

Together, the two organizations will provide an end-to-end talent solution that brings together community, program design, and staffing support. This will help companies find, hire, and retain experienced workers more effectively.

"Teaming up with Akraya will allow iRelaunch to offer employers the most comprehensive suite of services to tap the high-caliber returning professional talent pool. Our combined services will accelerate the recruiting and onboarding of returners for the long term and create more opportunities for professionals to successfully relaunch their careers," said Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO and Co-founder of iRelaunch. "Akraya’s acquisition of iRelaunch puts us in the best possible place to normalize career breaks—our mission since inception. I couldn’t be more thrilled."

Tami Forman, co-founder of Path Forward and Executive Director of Akraya’s Women Back to Work program, joined the company last year to expand its return-to-work services. This acquisition builds on that momentum, bringing together leaders across advocacy, program design, and workforce strategy to accelerate impact.

“I’ve worked to connect employers and returners for more than a decade, so I know how powerful these programs can be,” Forman added. “Today, technology is changing more rapidly than ever, which means that the skills candidates need are also constantly shifting. This is going to require companies to fundamentally rethink who they hire and how they support new employees to be successful. That will be good news for returners.”

As part of the integration, Akraya will combine its return-to-work program capabilities, built over more than a decade through its Women Back to Work program, with iRelaunch’s platform and community to create a unified solution for evolving workforce needs.

The combined organization will help employers rethink traditional hiring models and build more effective talent acquisition strategies for hiring experienced professionals such as AI and other technologies reshape work.

About Akraya

Akraya is your trusted partner for Digital Transformation. Our global teams deliver scalable Product Engineering, Data, AI and talent solutions that accelerate outcomes and build future-ready enterprises. Recognized by Glassdoor as a top workplace, we combine people-first values, deep expertise and transformative processes to drive measurable business impact. Women Back to Work (WBW) is Akraya’s career re-entry platform, connecting global enterprises with highly skilled professionals returning to the paid workforce.

As Akraya and iRelaunch come together to expand access to experienced talent, learn more about our return-to-work approach and what it means for employers and returners here: Women Back to Work FAQs

About iRelaunch

iRelaunch is a pioneer in career re-entry and the leading community in the U.S. for professionals returning to work after a career break. Through its programs, conferences, and employer partnerships, iRelaunch has helped shape the return-to-work movement and expand opportunities for experienced professionals.