Across the country, millions of people face barriers to economic mobility because of their involvement with the justice system — barriers that can extend well beyond an individual and shape the economic futures of entire families and communities. Fair Chance Futures, formerly Justice Through Code, is working to close those gaps by pairing free technical and professional training with the social capital, career coaching, and employer access that help learners translate skills into opportunity.

That model has found a strong partner in the Kyndryl Foundation, whose grantmaking focuses on expanding access to economic opportunity through cybersecurity, AI, and workforce readiness. For Kyndryl, the partnership reflects a broader commitment to trust-based philanthropy: providing sustained, multi-year support while also sharing the company’s people capital, technical expertise, and global knowledge networks in ways that help grantees grow their impact over time.

For this installment of Five Minutes With…, NationSwell spoke with Monoswita Saha, Social Impact Director at the Kyndryl Foundation, and Aedan Macdonald, Executive Director of Fair Chance Futures, about how their collaboration is helping create pathways to economic opportunity for justice-impacted communities and why durable partnerships and programs both require trust at the fore. 

NationSwell: As it continues to expand its grant portfolio globally, what are some of the lessons Kyndryl Foundation has learned about the value of sustained support? 

Monoswita Saha, Social Impact Director, Kyndryl Foundation: Multi-year grants allow our partners to do more meaningful work: to get to know their communities better, deepen their partnerships, and build toward longer-term impact. As a newer foundation entering our third year, we’re just beginning to see the fruits of that sustained support, both in what we’re learning and in the impact our partners are having in the communities they serve.

Trust-based philanthropy is foundational to our work, and that means giving organizations the room to do what they do best while also measuring the work so we can understand what’s succeeding, where there’s a path forward, and how we can continue building together.

As we expand Kyndryl Foundation into new countries, including France and Mexico, we’re also continuing to deepen our relationships with grantees over multiple years — including Fair Chance Futures and Aedan’s team.

NationSwell: What initially convinced you that Fair Chance Futures was the kind of partner Kyndryl should be backing, and what does this partnership reveal about how you’re currently thinking about long-term impact?

Saha, Kyndryl Foundation: Really, it was everything. The work that Fair Chance Futures — formerly Justice Through Code — is doing with justice-impacted communities is an area where I’ve always seen real value and impact. Even in my previous work at Sesame Street, we worked with formerly incarcerated families and focused on creating those kinds of connections.

When we were introduced to Fair Chance Futures, their model felt unique not only in the justice space, but in the way they were engaging, skilling, and training their community. It really seemed like the perfect match.

As we’ve continued to build the relationship, we’ve also seen the strength of Aedan’s leadership: the strategic way he approaches partnerships, the work itself, and the value it can bring. For us, it comes back to trust — trusting the work, and finding new and creative ways to support it. After our first year together, we’re still digging in and identifying new ways to make an impact.

NationSwell: Aedan, Kyndryl is backing a broader portfolio focused on cybersecurity, AI, and workforce readiness. Where do you see Fair Chance Futures fitting into that larger picture?

Aedan Macdonald, Fair Chance Futures: For us, Fair Chance Futures fits squarely into that picture because there are 80 million Americans with a criminal record. That’s one in three adults, touching every community, school, and neighborhood across the country.

It’s also a population that too often receives the least attention, even though there is enormous upside if we invest not only in justice-impacted individuals, but in their communities and families. If philanthropy is trying to make the world better through economic opportunity, it’s very difficult to do that while ignoring a problem of this scale.

That’s especially true as AI begins to widen skills gaps. AI is an incredible tool: People who learn to use it can become far more efficient and competitive in the workforce, but the question is who has access to those skills in the first place.

That’s part of why we changed our name to Fair Chance Futures. Our work is now more broadly place-based, focused on communities impacted by the justice system. Whether you’re looking at West Virginia, Brownsville or Bed-Stuy in New York City, Texas, or other communities across the country, there are places that have been disproportionately impacted, and those are places we need to invest in.

Saha, Kyndryl Foundation: So much of what Aedan is saying resonates with how we operate at Kyndryl. Our culture is grounded in the Kyndryl Way: how we show up for our people, our communities, and our customers. So using our people’s expertise and resources to support organizations like Fair Chance Futures is really an extension of who we are.

That’s also why this work feels not only impactful, but meaningful and authentic to us as a company. We believe our expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and skilling is vital to the future success of these communities, so the partnership really goes hand-in-hand with our broader mission. When I hear Aedan speak about the work in that way, it deeply resonates with me.

NationSwell: Considering the recent rebrand, what was the genesis of the work that Fair Chance Futures is doing, and how would you describe the impact that you’re hoping to drive? 

Macdonald, FCF: Our aspiration is to ensure that every community impacted by the justice system has access to economic opportunity. That includes people who have been directly involved in the justice system, as well as neighborhoods where incarceration has had a broader economic impact — for example, where families and communities have been affected by the absence of someone who could otherwise contribute economically. We’re deeply invested in providing what we see as some of the country’s most highly resourced, free educational programming for people impacted by the legal system, with both technical and professional career tracks.

What makes our model unique is that our mechanism for change is not just skills-building, it’s also social capital. Through research and through our own work, we’ve seen that if you provide people with skills alone, it’s still very difficult to make the jump into a job. Depending on the estimate, somewhere between 70 and 90 percent of jobs come through some kind of in-network referral.

If you’re only cold-applying to jobs, that dramatically narrows the field of opportunity. So we’re focused on closing that gap by embedding our programs in leading universities across the country and connecting our fellows to MBA students, university alumni, and business leaders. As a result, Fellows graduate with a network of roughly 100 professionals they can tap into during their career transition.

We’ve seen that do two things: First, it decreases the time from training to employment. Second — and this has become especially important amid tech-sector layoffs — it helps Fellows get back into jobs more quickly if they are affected, because they have a deep, established network to draw from.

Saha, Kyndryl Foundation: Because we’re a tech company, we’re obviously focused on building deeper impact around technical skills, but we also can’t forget the human-centered skills that make this work meaningful. 

Part of the importance of this partnership is that we’re helping enable critical skills while keeping the human piece at the center. We need those human connections, whether through mentoring or by using our people to connect with Fair Chance Futures and our other grantees. Kyndryl has employees in more than 60 countries, so our people capital is vital to the success of this work.

Because we have Kyndryls in so many different places, we have a real opportunity to use that people capital to connect the dots.

Macdonald, FCF: That idea of investing in people really resonates with me. When you look at Kyndryl’s perspective, practice, and culture, and then see that extended into philanthropy through multi-year support, it makes a lot of sense: you can’t change someone’s life by making a quick investment and hoping their entire future changes overnight, and that is also true for organizations.

As a nonprofit leader, I know how easy it is to get caught in a cycle of always moving quickly and planning year-to-year. Just as we invest in people, we also need to invest in organizations, because that’s what leads to long-term growth.

Even within our own program, our technical track is 20 months long, with three levels that people can test into, but what drives successful outcomes is the sustained support: the network Fellows build, the programmatic support they receive, and the lifetime career coaching available to them. There’s a real link between how we invest in people and how we invest in organizations, and I applaud the Foundation for recognizing that;  I think it’s something more foundations should strive toward. 

Saha, Kyndryl Foundation: We also think about this work in terms of ripple effects: When you train or upskill one individual, what does that make possible for their family? For their community? It’s almost a train-the-trainer model.

We don’t yet have all the research to measure the full effect, but we know conceptually that this work creates a ripple. It can be life-changing when it happens over time — not as a one-and-done investment, but as sustained support.

NationSwell: What has Kyndryl’s support unlocked in practice that’s changed what Fair Chance Futures can deliver on or imagine? 

Macdonald, FCF: Sustained support has allowed us to adapt much more quickly to a changing labor market. If you think about workforce training, the cycle for developing curriculum, making sure it is industry-informed, and ensuring people are learning skills that actually translate into jobs has shrunk rapidly over the last few years because of AI.

Sustained support has also allowed us to focus on updating our internal systems and processes so we can constantly iterate and provide curriculum that meets learners’ needs in an increasingly competitive job market. For example, in 2020 or 2021, we could develop a software engineering training program and make moderate changes over a two-year period based on learner feedback. Now, even though our most advanced program is nine months long and we know the modules we’ll teach, an individual lesson may not be finalized until four to six weeks before it’s delivered. The market is changing so quickly that material developed six months ago may no longer be as relevant.

Another important piece is engagement with Kyndryls. Our Fellows often say they didn’t fully believe what was possible until they worked with an MBA student or attended an event with Kyndryl. Getting in front of someone in a business context, receiving feedback, and realizing, ‘Okay, I can do this,’ is a huge unlock for Fellows. That kind of confidence-building is an essential part of the engagement.

I also think Kyndryl’s thought leadership has been very valuable. The Readiness Report they released over the past year is something we’ve returned to as we think about how skills are changing and how our programs should map to those changes. That kind of knowledge-sharing is especially important in corporate philanthropy. There are centers of knowledge inside companies and universities that help shape where we’re headed as a country and as a world, but very few people get access to them.

If that information isn’t shared, it stays limited to the people making decisions within those institutions, and frankly, that holds others back. The way Kyndryl has invested in sharing that knowledge, and in engaging grantee partners around it, has been incredibly helpful. 

Saha, Kyndryl Foundation: When we’re developing thought leadership or conducting research around readiness for our customers and our Kyndryls, of course we want to share that first and foremost with our grantees.

We also think about that globally. Aedan is here in the U.S. with Fair Chance Futures, and we also support grantees like Girl Security, as well as partners in places like the Czech Republic, Japan, and India. So the question becomes: How do we share knowledge across that network? The beauty of a company like Kyndryl is that we’re at the epicenter of so much information, and we can help connect dots, share resources, and create knowledge transfer. Why wouldn’t we?

The work Aedan is doing is very unique, so why wouldn’t we connect Fair Chance Futures to partners doing related work globally? That kind of exchange makes all of us stronger.

NationSwell: When you think about a strong grantee partnership, what distinguishes “writing a check” from being the kind of partner that actually helps drive impact?

Saha, Kyndryl Foundation: It’s so much more than writing a check. For me, both personally and professionally, it comes back to building relationships and practicing trust-based philanthropy. That’s what real partnership looks like: open dialogue, transparency, and trust that our grantees know how to do the work.

At the same time, we’re measuring the work and looking at impact, but there is a constant dialogue. Aedan and our other grantees may come to us as a funder, but really, this is a partnership. We are both invested in the work because we know the impact is greater when we do it together.

We’re not the experts in every area; our grantees and partners are. Everything we do comes back to filling their buckets and transferring knowledge in the best way we can.

And we’re still learning and growing. This is year three, but what does year four look like? Year five, six, seven? There is so much opportunity ahead, and we’re grateful for partners like Aedan and Fair Chance Futures. We can’t do this work without them.

NationSwell: Aedan, from your seat, what have you learned about what grantees need most from corporate funders beyond just capital? 

Aedan: Engagement with team members across companies is incredibly important. As I mentioned earlier, there are institutions — like the leading universities where our programs are embedded — that are centers of knowledge. There are reports, research, and external resources that come from those places. But there is also the knowledge each individual carries, and the power of access to that knowledge.

That’s a huge part of what matters in corporate philanthropy. It’s not only whether dollars are available; it’s whether there is engagement across the company or organization to help drive transformation forward. That kind of sustained investment and engagement is what creates change. 

I often say this to people who have kids: Think about what you want to give your children to help them succeed. Do they have someone they can call when they have questions? Do they have financial support to overcome obstacles? Do they have access and education?

It’s very similar for us. Corporate philanthropy is uniquely positioned to provide that kind of connective tissue — especially when we’re focused on economic opportunity, where access and relationships are such a huge part of the equation.

Most of us can look back on our lives and identify moments that changed things for us: someone we met, a class we took, an opportunity that opened a door. The question is whether we can create and scale those experiences for people who may not have had that traditional pathway, or who need a little extra support getting there. That’s what corporate partners can uniquely bring.

The brand association matters, too. For better or worse, society often attaches value based on where someone works, where they went to school, or who they know. There is power in opening more doors so that someone can say, “I know someone at this company, and they gave me this advice.”

NationSwell: What are the lessons you’d impart on other companies or nonprofits aspiring to build the kinds of partnerships that are truly durable, strategic, and mutually reinforcing? 

Saha, Kyndryl Foundation: Trust-based philanthropy is a huge part of what makes our work successful and impactful. So is authenticity — making sure the work is true to your brand and your company — and building real relationships.

The kind of relationship we have with executive directors like Aedan is hard to replicate and hard to put in writing. It requires openness to change, openness to evolution, and a willingness to be thought partners.

Again, it all comes back to being a true partner — not just a funder. It’s about staying committed together, and staying committed long enough for the work to grow into what it can become.

Macdonald, FCF: I think any good partnership has to be treated like a relationship you’re building with someone else. And the foundation of any good relationship is showing up and communicating.

That doesn’t mean you’re in touch with every partner all the time, but consistency and dialogue are the most important pieces. In our case, over the time we’ve received support from Kyndryl, many things have changed and plans have been updated. We have to be responsive to the present moment.

A good partnership is marked by that level of communication: understanding how we’re thinking about solving problems, and trusting that we’re making decisions based on sound logic and what’s best for the people we serve. That kind of trust only comes from showing up and communicating consistently.