Seizing the moment to close the opportunity gap

A pivotal moment for the future of work

The global economy is in a period of major transition from traditional fossil fuel-based industries to more renewable and sustainable processes & accountability systems — what some call a “greening” of the economy. This transition is spurring innovation,  job creation, and both the opportunity and responsibility to embed more inclusive approaches into the hiring for fast growing “green” jobs. 

In that context, Autodesk FoundationLinkedIn, and Workday have been working together as part of a Just Transition Collaborative facilitated by NationSwell, with the shared goal to identify opportunities to accelerate more equitable pathways into green jobs by increasing the use of skill-based hiring. In an effort to catalyze collective impact, we are sharing key insights from our work here.


Focus and approach

The Just Transition Collaborative is focused on communities and regions most impacted by the shift from traditional fossil fuel to sustainable industries, guided by the concept of just transition: the notion that no one is left behind in the transition to a green economy. We are propelled by the shared belief that this economic paradigm shift presents a meaningful chance to help close the opportunity gap in America — by seizing the moment to rethink inequitable approaches to talent and training, and expand the use of more inclusive practices like skills-based hiring, particularly among communities that have traditionally been marginalized or experienced economic divestment.

We investigated key roles and workforce development practices in industries that sit at the crux of innovation and the creation of middle-skill green jobs: manufacturing, clean energy (solar power and electric vehicles, in particular), and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) compliance. By speaking directly with an ecosystem of stakeholders in Indigenous, Appalachian, and Midwestern communities that have the most to gain from support for more equitable career pathways, we were able to better understand the needs of job-seekers impacted by the economic transition, and identify ways in which funders in this space can help accelerate change. We heard from workforce development organizations (e.g., Navajo PowerCoalfield DevelopmentISAICThe Industrial CommonsStacks & JoulesTalent Ei), employers in greening industries (e.g., VehyaINCOGreenworkCDPPique ActionIndigenized Energy InitiativeJust Transition CentreCalifornia Labor Management Cooperation Committee) and job seekers on the skills-based hiring track (via Coalfield Development).


Think systemically, then get specific

Our research highlighted that skills-based hiring is only one piece of the inclusivity puzzle. More than anything, job seekers are looking for good jobs and opportunities to build their careers in a way that leads to long-term economic stability and overall health (e.g., comprehensive benefits packages, a safe and comfortable work environment). Both funders seeking to truly make a difference for the communities that have experienced many years of systemic inequity and economic disenfranchisement, and employers seeking to live up to their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments, must move at the speed of trust and acknowledge the wider issues in play. Often, talent is kept out of pipelines for good “green” jobs due to financial inclusion gaps such as the drop in pay from traditional fossil fuel roles, the cost of credentialing, over-emphasis on seasonal infrastructure roles, and the lack of accessibility to entry-level roles. 

With systems in mind, funders must then be prepared to get specific: workforce development solutions need to be hyper-localized to the communities in which they’re located (e.g., considering local transportation needs, workforce development networks, and specific recruitment ecosystems.) Specificity matters, even when it comes to language: we found that messaging focused on “green”, “low carbon”, and “sustainable” opportunities can lack resonance with key stakeholders who are more focused on honing their craft and securing their future.  

Building on this context, the Just Transition Collaborative uncovered three key insights that can guide more effective funding in this space. 

1. From job pathways to hiring ecosystems


Insight: Opaque pathways
Pathways into these types of “green” roles are opaque and often include many barriers to entry, including the need for academic qualifications or expensive credentials. Additionally, as industries emerge and evolve, new roles do not have standardized job descriptions and skill requirements. The lack of unified definition means that it’s difficult for skills providers to get funding and for job seekers to know how to gain access to those roles. Thus, sticking to traditional hiring routes (e.g., your own site, specific job boards) will not reach the widest talent pool, because many potential hires don’t know where to look or don’t think they qualify for the roles.

Solution: Hiring ecosystems
Businesses have success in reaching underserved talent by partnering with community and workforce development organizations with no barriers to entry as part of their hiring process. For example, Stacks & Joules has an Advisory Board of employers whereby they track relationships and how the trainee’s skills are matching industry needs. These partnerships are usually hyper-local, allowing the business to tap into and support the community nearby from a place of authenticity.Unions are also a vital and integrated source of training and quality jobs for job seekers, so funders seeking to make change in this space should consider how to help include local union representatives in any skills-based hiring ecosystem,  to ensure there are not two separate pipelines of talent development (unionized and non-unionized) that are competing for resources and opportunities.

2. Skills built and applied


Insight: Experience needed
Employers for the middle-skill roles seek and value on-the-job experience, and in practice they often will not hire entry-level talent without at least five years of experience. Plus, the field is so fast-moving that some certifications that prospective talent are obtaining through credentialing programs are not able to keep up with the real needs that businesses have.

Solution: Applied learning
Some workforce development organizations have innovated to offer talent not just skills training, but also on-the-job experience, ensuring that talent have the skills that matches pace with industry innovation and the experience that employers are looking for. Innovative organizations like Coalfield Development partner with other businesses to provide career pipelines once trainees have completed their programs, and facilitate connections with community leaders committed to hiring people who face barriers to employment.

3. Support doesn’t stop on day one


Insight: Barriers beyond hiring
One of the key barriers to underserved talent growing in these careers is the lack of ongoing support that acknowledges their life circumstances. Free workforce development placements can be successful in getting people into the jobs, but often lose them due to practical challenges faced by talent with little to no safety net (e.g., like lack of reliable transportation, or not having access to affordable childcare).

Solution: Ongoing support
New human-centered models are being created that are intentional about creating the space and support that underserved talent needs in order to thrive. For example, the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC), is committed to the wellbeing & professional growth of their team: each employee has a unique career path with mandatory and elective training, guided by a coach that is updated annually since people’s interests evolve over time. Acknowledging that their employees also have their own entrepreneurial aspirations and life priorities, ISAIC also gives employees access to the organization’s time (‘Learning Fridays’), space and resources to focus on personal needs. This holistic, talent-centric approach to development and support helps more people to grow in their careers and is good for business too — reducing turnover costs through increased retention and internal promotion.


How funders can help create more inclusive pathways into “green” jobs

Based on our insights, we believe there are four smart ways that funders can help to ensure that a more inclusive and holistic approach to talent hiring and development — including increasing use of skills based hiring — is recognized and practiced as an effective approach to building a talent pipeline within fast growing “green” industries:

  • CREATE HIRING ECOSYSTEMS
    Connecting your network to catalyze local ecosystems of employers, workforce development organizations and (ideally) unions, who can work together to find and support talent to gain the skills they need to thrive in fast growing industries.
  • FUND ACCESS TO APPLIED TRAINING
    Helping expand access for talent to get both skills training and on-the-job experience, particularly in areas where experience is required (explicitly or implicitly) and the industry skills required are evolving fast.
  • SUPPORT HOLISTIC SUPPORT FOR TALENT
    Offering the support needed to scale social enterprises and other talent development partners who can work with employers to provide wrap-around support for talent — including ongoing development opportunities and the space, time and money to allow for changes in circumstances.
  • ACTIVATE NATIONAL POLICY
    Work with your public policy and government relations teams to campaign and drive support for policy that provides adequate public sector funding for workforce development programming, modernized labor market reporting to identify in-demand roles, workers with paid time to develop their skills, and emergency cash relief to give more people the security they need to grow their career, and incentives for employer-based training and workforce partnerships; with a particular focus on low income communities most impacted by the transition to the green economy.

NationSwell Collaboratives build cross-sector coalitions of leaders and experts to advance specific impact priorities, by enabling open collaboration, learning, and cooperation, that breaks down silos and puts equity at the heart of solution-building.

To Build It Back Better, Reimagine a Future Where All Young People Can Find a Meaningful Career

It was either as a data entry and filing clerk where my mother worked in insurance or a cashier at our local grocery store. Neither were all that fulfilling or memorable.

But I do remember experimenting with how quickly I could type in the numbers with each insurance claim to help pass the time. And what I remember from being a cashier was getting as many hours as possible to increase my wages, and the stress from ensuring my cash drawer lined up with the receipts. Anything outside of that is a blur. 

These two jobs would introduce me to the world of work, but it was not my life’s work.

In an ideal world, a first job is a chance to earn money and gain skills that are transferable to a second job, a third job, and onward to a fulfilling career. For educated and connected young people, navigating this path is fairly straightforward. For others, including myself, it is more involved, but it is still achievable with determination and support from caring adults.

But for those without a safety net, the path forward is uncertain, fraught with the risk of missteps along the way.

This was true before the COVID-19 crisis, and the pandemic has only further exacerbated the inequities and injustices at the root of our country’s decline in upward mobility.

As we seek to build it back better, it is critical to understand the educational and economic challenges young people face, so we can create a future where everyone is supported in their journey to cultivate and utilize their talents that lead to a rewarding career.

Though I did not know this when I was filling out my college applications, education is not a guarantee of a good job after college though those making the investment would like to believe it to be so. Each year, 1.2 million low-income and first-generation students go to college, and only one in four emerge with well-paying jobs with growth potential. Still, some form of postsecondary experience is better than none.

For young people with limited education, who often lack social capital and experience, securing a full-time job that offers good pay is even more challenging. According to a report released by Burning Glass Technologies, nearly half of young workers aged 16 to 24 not in school, without college degrees, and lacking work experience, were unsuccessful in progressing to better-paying jobs within five years.

This is troubling, obviously. But the promising news is that means that roughly half of young people are successful in progressing to better-paying jobs. What can we learn about their success that would allow us to create the context for more young people to succeed? How many successfully completed some form of postsecondary training? How did they begin to develop a social network that would help them build on that first job? Which employers invested in their success? Which employers evaluated their recruitment and hiring practices to give these young people a fair shake? 

There are more questions than answers, but to build it back better, these are the questions we should be asking, ones that are broader than which skills and education a young person needs to get the next job. Each of us has a role to play in helping our young people reach higher heights—both by giving them the tools they need to succeed but also by removing the systemic barriers that prevent them from being successful. 

We know this is possible, and we know no one of us can solve this alone. Together, working across sectors, we can reimagine and create a future where all young people can thrive.

Tyra A. Mariani is the president of the Schultz Family Foundation.


For #BuildItBackBetter, NationSwell asked some of our nation’s most celebrated purpose-driven leaders how they’d build a society that is more equitable and resilient than the one we had before COVID-19. We have compiled and lightly edited their answers.
Presented in partnership with the Schultz Family Foundation.

To Build It Back Better, Rethink Human Nature

For #BuildItBackBetter, NationSwell asked some of our nation’s most celebrated purpose-driven leaders how they’d build a society that is more equitable and resilient than the one we had before COVID-19. We have compiled and lightly edited their answers.
This article is part of the #BuildItBackBetter track “The Relational Era: Building a Culture of Connection, Bridging and Belonging” — presented in partnership with Einhorn Collaborative.

“Because people suck.”

That’s the campaign slogan of Oliver, a Massachusetts goldendoodle who is running a long-shot bid for the White House against two more well-known human opponents: President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.

Anyone who has been following American politics for the past four years — really, anyone who has even glanced at cable news or their social media feed — might be inclined to agree with Oliver’s campaign. Racism, xenophobia, greed, and polarization all seem to be the norm, peppered with casual violence and hateful speech. It’s enough to make you downgrade your views of humanity and cast your lot with (if not your ballot for) a goldendoodle.

But that would be a serious mistake, especially for workplace and educational leaders. Because while it’s easy to feel discouraged these days, things will get even worse if we succumb to the notion that people suck and that our species — and our country — is beyond redemption.

That’s because our assumptions and expectations about human nature actually seem to dictate human behavior. For instance, a study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison published recently found that having a more optimistic view of human nature actually influences more positive behavior in real life. But the opposite seems to be true as well: When children believe that aggressive, antisocial behavior is the norm, they’re more likely to behave badly as they get older.

This means we need to guard against the assumption that people are born bad. It also means we can encourage better behavior by designing our institutions, from our schools to our workplaces, to spread more positive messages about humanity.

To build a culture that values honesty and cooperation over, say, back-biting and divisiveness — research offers a few important lessons and strategies.

1. Language matters. The words we use to describe our world actually influence how we behave in the world. When we convey that we expect people to cooperate and look out for each other, we increase the odds that they’ll actually do so.

In one study, for instance, Stanford University researchers had people play a game where they could either work together to achieve a common goal or compete with their partner. When people were told they were playing the “Community Game,” they were more than twice as likely to cooperate with their partner than when they were playing the “Wall Street Game”—even though it was actually the same game.

2. Images matter. In case you had any doubt about the power of images, consider this study: Toddlers were shown a series of pictures, then encountered an adult who needed help with a task. When they saw images that had dolls facing each other in the background of each image, the kids were three times more likely to help the adult than after seeing single dolls, or dolls facing away from each other, in the image backgrounds.

In other words, humans are so primed for connection that even just the mere hint of affiliation between people is enough to dramatically change our behavior for the better. The dynamics in an office or a classroom can be transformed, then, when we recognize this human drive for kindness and connection—and surround ourselves with images that evoke it.

3. Actions matter. We typically associate “copycat” behavior with crimes. But evidence suggests people, especially kids, emulate the good as well as the bad. A study in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, for example, found that kids as young as two years old are much more like to help people in need when they see other people do so first.

So don’t assume humans are inexorably immoral, and nothing you do matters. There’s no telling how your own good behavior might inspire others to follow suit. In fact, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that when one person behaves generously, it inspires observers to behave generously later, toward different people. In fact, the researchers found that kindness could spread by three degrees across a social network. “As a result,” they write, “each person in a network can influence dozens or even hundreds of people, some of whom he or she does not know and has not met.”

None of this is to suggest that the violence and conflict we see around us is an illusion; but it does mean that it’s not inevitable. By changing the story we tell about human nature, and designing our institutions around the deep human potential for goodness, we can build a world that makes us proud.

Jason Marsh is the Executive Director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley and the founding editor-in-chief of the center’s online magazine, Greater Good.

To Build It Back Better, Find the Jazz in Democracy

For #BuildItBackBetter, NationSwell asked some of our nation’s most celebrated purpose-driven leaders how they’d build a society that is more equitable and resilient than the one we had before COVID-19. We have compiled and lightly edited their answers.
This article is part of the #BuildItBackBetter track “The Relational Era: Building a Culture of Connection, Bridging and Belonging” — presented in partnership with Einhorn Collaborative.

Before I got involved in politics, my first passion in life was music.

Growing up as the son of Indian immigrants in Greater Milwaukee, I found music to be a powerful force to understand and bridge the stark divides of our community — the most racially segregated metro area in the United States. I played with a surprising combination of bands, each a motley crew spanning multiple lines of difference. At one point, I was in a jazz ensemble, a 70s-era funk cover band (think James Brown and Earth, Wind, and Fire), a hip-hop band (complete with turntables and breakdancer), alternative rock and punk rock bands (influenced by Radiohead and Green Day), an Eastern European folk band that specialized in Klezmer music (our full-page ad in the Milwaukee Jewish Chronicle was a big moment)… and more.

Each genre tapped into different subcultures within Milwaukee. When I witnessed the convergence of these spaces and their musical fusions, I saw expressions of American democracy in action.

It was this experience as a musician that propelled my interest in political change, and the vision for Millennial Action Project (MAP). Today, MAP is the largest nonpartisan organization of young elected leaders, focused on developing a generation of political bridge-builders to strengthen our democracy.

As I launched MAP, I couldn’t stop thinking about the mindset that came from jazz. This uniquely American art form taught me how to listen — and jazz musicians take listening to another level.

Thinking back to my first day of jazz camp, our instructor said, “Put away your instruments. We’re not going to play a single note. We’re going to sit here and listen.” So we listened to Coltrane, Monk and the jazz greats. We listened to our fellow musicians. We learned how to open our mind and be more present with people. Equipped with a big ear, an open mind, and a compassionate heart, we could improvise, experiment and evolve together to reach new musical dimensions. At its core, jazz is a “call-and-response” art form, thriving on interaction among bandmates and with audiences. I realized that these jazz modes can flourish outside of music too.

There are many individual actions and institutional reforms needed to reinvent our democracy in this turbulent time. Part of the solution that each of us can embrace? We must all become jazz artists. Let me elaborate.

I believe that three key jazz modes can help us build a healthier democracy—each mode is essential to bridging our fraught divides and creating transformative change:

  • Listening: listening with humility opens our minds and hearts to new or different perspectives. This practice activates our sense of empathy and allows us to build authentic relationships.
  • Improvisation and innovation: just as musicians riff on each other’s ideas, the jazz mindset in politics reframes an idea, breaking out of old partisan silos. Importantly, this process is done with your full sense of identity and originality, reinventing what you just heard into a new transcendent idea.
  • Call-and-response: this quintessential aspect of jazz captures the importance of live, fully-present conversations to learn, evolve, and form coalitions. While American political discourse has devolved into a “call-and-shutdown” culture, a more dynamic version of American democracy is a call-and-response political system.

President John F. Kennedy’s final speech was a tribute to poet Robert Frost, focusing on the role of arts in democracy. “When power corrupts, poetry cleanses,” he said. America’s troubled, yet revolutionary journey to pluralism has yielded uniquely American art forms like jazz. It makes sense, then, that those art forms contain the ingredients for democracy to function at its best. When we listen, we empathize with others; when we improvise and innovate, we transcend old divisions; when we call and respond, we work together. Now, when the heart of American democracy is severely weakened, jazz is a tonic for democratic renewal.

Steven Olikara is a political entrepreneur based in Milwaukee, WI. He is the founder and CEO of the Millennial Action Project and host of the Meeting in Middle America podcast.

The Fight for Climate Justice

In partnership with Starbucks, NationSwell convened a digital discussion between four luminaries — Dr. Robert Bullard, Bill McKibben, Michael Kobori and Heather McTeer Toney — where we explored some of the most compelling and innovative potential solutions to the issue of climate justice.
Here are some insights from that conversation.

  • You can’t analyze social issues without considering climate change. America is segregated and so is pollution. Zip code is still the most accurate predictor of health, wealth and wellbeing.”

  • Climate justice can defined as making sure that no matter where you are or what you are, the institutions that surround you are ensuring equity in how we experience air, water and land.

  • Equality of response will not achieve equity — we must focus on the underserved.

  • Climate change will not wait for us, so we need to be bold now.

  • But justice is intergenerational work, so don’t expect quick wins.

  • No individual can change the course of climate change now — it will take collaboration, policy change and shift in power.

  • This is not about a filter we put on our cars; this is going to be about taking care once and for all of this confluence of problems and if we can’t do it together then we can’t do it. We’re not going to solve it one Prius at a time; the most important thing individuals can do is be less of an individual.

  • Women leaders are fundamental to social movements — from Civil Rights, to Women’s Movement, to Anti-War through Climate Justice; we should look to and lift up the female leaders who are bringing their community with them.

  • Follow young people: they are braver in demanding justice and have the most at stake.

  • Collaborative community organizations have the most power to build effective solutions — partnerships built on the idea that communities must speak for themselves and harnessing the energy of local students e.g. HBCU Community Equity Consortium

  • To activate more people, we need to stop being judgmental about climate activism — “Stop being judgmental about climate, stop putting climate issues in a box; I’m proud to be a climate activist and I love bacon, you don’t have to be vegan! There is a diversity of problems and and a diversity of solutions to those problems.

If you missed the event, you can watch it here.

5 Things You Need to Know About Leading a Multigenerational Team During COVID-19

Over the last few years, managers began embracing the concept of the multigenerational workforce, with 5 generations working side-by-side for the first time in history. Experts regularly noted the benefits of a multigenerational workforce, including better business performance, better market insight, and a stronger pipeline of talent. Then the COVID-19 crisis hit, and employers everywhere have been challenged in ways that they could not have predicted or even imagined. Companies have faced periods of profound disruption while helping employees adapt to new work environments and technologies, often while juggling caregiving demands at home. How can managers focus on the bottom line and continue to blend multiple generations into cohesive teams, all while dealing with the COVID-19 curveball? 
In a recent AARP-sponsored interview, Reuters special projects editor Lauren Young sat down with Johnna Torsone, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at the 100-year-old technology and global e-commerce company, Pitney Bowes, to discuss the multigenerational workforce, the impact of COVID-19, and ways employers can bolster organizational resilience through age diversity and inclusion during these unprecedented times. Here are 5 takeaways from that conversation:

  1. Remember That Many of Your Employees are Also Caregivers. With the shift toward remote work, it is important for employers to recognize the challenges posed to work-from-home staff as caregivers. Caregiving responsibilities can affect workers of all ages—whether it is caring for a child, sick relative, parent, or grandparent. Employers need to consider the necessary mental, emotional, and financial support and resources to enable their employees to thrive. At Pitney Bowes, they are expanding services for workers who are also serving in caregiving roles.
  2. Meet Employees Where They Are. It is critically important for employers to develop resources that meet employees where they are, regardless of age or life stage. This is especially true today in the context of COVID-19 as different generations manage a variety of uncertainties, such as how the pandemic will affect one’s retirement income or what the impact of coronavirus will be on opportunities for younger workers. Employers must re-evaluate and design policies and employee resources with an eye toward universal design.
  3. Offer Flexibility Wherever Possible. Employees of all ages and life stages have enjoyed the flexibility generated by the shift to remote work, which has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And though many employees like idea of going back to the office in some capacity, they wish to retain the ability to work from home when an office setting is not necessary to perform their job. Pitney Bowes had a strong flexibility policy prior to COVID-19—nearly half of their staff were already in flexible work arrangements, and it is noted as one of the top reasons why people stay at the company.
  4. Build Diverse Teams to Drive Innovation. If innovation is a goal, then you need a diverse team to get you there. And remember that diversity is multidimensional, including gender, race, age, and a host of other factors. In fact, research shows that an age-diverse, multigenerational team results in more innovative solutions than a homogenous team. Torsone noted, “There’s no question in my mind that different generations bring strength to the workplace. So, companies having the leadership that knows how to manage effectively or lead multigenerational groups and diversity on multiple dimensions are going to be the companies that are going to be the most successful in the future.” And she is not alone in her opinion. In fact, a recent AARP survey of nearly 6,000 global executives from 36 OECD countries found that 83% of global executives recognize that a multigenerational workforce is key to business growth and success. Yet, 53% do not include age in their diversity and inclusion policies.
  5. Be Optimistic. Periods of profound disruption can uncover new sources of strength and resilience. There is tremendous opportunity for the private sector to rise to the occasion and chart a new path forward by further investing in workers and re-evaluating corporate policies and practices with an eye toward universal design. Employers that do so – and embrace age diversity and inclusion – will be positioned for sustainability and business continuity, even in the face of global uncertainty.

These are just some of the ways employers can leverage diversity and inclusion for long-term growth and success. AARP is currently taking an in-depth look at the policies and practices to support the multigenerational workforce through a collaborative initiative with the World Economic Forum and OECD called “Living, Learning, and Earning Longer.” This includes working with major multinational companies to develop the business case for age diversity and inclusion, which will be released in the form a digital learning platform in early 2021.
To learn more about this work, or to join our learning collaborative of multinational employers, visit our site.
Jeffrey Gullo is a Senior Adviser for International Affairs at AARP.

To Build It Back Better, End Childhood Poverty

For #BuildItBackBetter, NationSwell asked some of our nation’s most celebrated purpose-driven leaders how they’d build a society that is more equitable and resilient than the one we had before COVID-19. We have compiled and lightly edited their answers.
To build it back better, we have to end childhood poverty. Before the pandemic the U.S. childhood poverty rate was 13.7%, which is 65 – 90% higher than it English-speaking, wealthy nation peers. And the U.S. is last among these peers on what it spends on children. We cannot talk about investing in the future and not invest in children and the people who care for them. 
There is not one one magical solution that will build it back better, but there are two things we can do right now: (1) end the gender pay gap; and (2) insist that your local government spend more on youth services, even if it means redistributing monies from more well-funded departments. 
Right now, we see this problem every time we open our eyes. Eleven million school-aged children don’t have enough to eat because their families cannot afford it; if they did they would do better in school and district budgets could be spent more on education.  Or that 2.5 million children are chronically house-less; and therefore are bathed in cortisol daily, which increases their likelihood of having learning differences and “co-morbidities” like heart diseases and diabetes. On top of this, we lament that children are just hanging on the corner or playing video games all day, but we cut youth services that provide summer internships and affordable enrichment opportunities. 
But the challenges to instituting this necessary change are clear: even though we say we do, we don’t value women or children enough. Moreover, this indifference and discrimination has been built into the return model and until governments, investors and other financial stakeholders are willing to give it up, we will have to rely on the moral impulse of leaders to do the just thing. 
Closing the gender pay gap would mean that women would have anywhere from $500k – $1M extra over the course of a generation to contribute to their families’ basic needs. While all women do not have nor want children, the evidence is also undeniable the ripple effect for children would be tremendous. Rather than distribute those costs to each of us through our taxes, corporations should be responsible for not building their prosperity on the backs of children, and oftentimes the women – especially BIPOC women – who care for them. And local governments can step in the infrastructure that provides the opportunities for young people to make the investments in themselves so that down the road they as a society can reap the benefits of their genius.
Aaron T. Walker is founder and CEO of Camelback Ventures. To learn more about Aaron’s work, visit their website.