Laid-Off Worker Helps 326 Colleagues Find Jobs in 18 Months

When Irvin Thevaranjan joined a video call where everyone's cameras were off and no one could unmute, he knew something was terribly wrong. The day before, his boss at Grubhub had praised his stellar performance and promised him a bright future at the company.

Hours after losing his job in February 2025, Thevaranjan started building something that would change how we think about layoffs. He created the Ex-Grubhub Talent Network, a tracker showcasing hundreds of laid-off workers to help them find new opportunities.

Eighteen months later, his network has listed 326 former Grubhub employees. Most have landed new jobs, thanks to Thevaranjan's relentless promotion and smart design.

"Irvin makes it his personal mission to get everybody employed," said Paul de Lucena, a former Grubhub employee who joined the network. The tracker sorts workers by specialty, making it easy for recruiters to find exactly the talent they need.

The network goes beyond just a public list. A private Slack workspace lets laid-off workers share job leads, talk about their struggles, and even discuss their hobbies. It's the support system most companies never provide after showing people the door.

Thevaranjan got his inspiration from Kristen Ubaldi, who created a similar list when Groupon laid off employees in 2020. He used his skills as an auditor to track down everyone affected by the layoffs, then tagged Grubhub executives on LinkedIn to boost visibility.

"I call it the empathy window, this short period of time where people feel bad for you," he said. He made the most of that moment to shine a light on talented people who deserved another chance.

Katie Cavote, a former Grubhub recruiter who never knew Thevaranjan at the company, reached out to help make the tracker more recruiter-friendly. Career coaches volunteered to lead webinars for the group.

C.J. Cross landed a job at Uber through a network referral after the 2025 layoffs. When he got laid off from Uber earlier this month, he knew exactly where to turn. "The very first thing I did was go back to the Grubhub group chat," he said.

The Ripple Effect

Career transition coach Tamara Pohle said she's never seen a layoff support group last as long as Thevaranjan's network. While LinkedIn offers millions of connections, it can feel overwhelming when you're trying to find your next role. Thevaranjan's focused community provides something more valuable: genuine human connection when people need it most.

The network has caught the attention of recruiters and HR professionals looking for better ways to find talent. Some are studying Thevaranjan's model to understand what makes it work so well.

His effort shows what's possible when someone turns their own setback into support for an entire community.

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