Topic: Education

Impact Next: An interview with Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE)’s Jay Bailey

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster under-served communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2026, Impact Next — an editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed James “Jay” Bailey, President and CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE). Here’s what he had to say:

Greg Behrman, founder and CEO, NationSwell: What brought you to the field that you’re in right now? Was there an early moment, a relationship, or an experience that galvanized your commitment to driving bold action?

James Bailey, President and CEO, RICE: Part of my story is I’ve always been entrepreneurial: I started my first business at 12, bought my first house at 19, and made my first million by 23, but I didn’t have the right role models, and by 28, I’d lost everything. I went from a 10,000-square-foot house to living in a nine-by-nine storage unit. And that’s where I had to confront the truth: by the world’s standards, I had been successful, but I had zero significance. I hadn’t done anything to put a dent in this world.

A big part of that story goes back to losing my mother, Millie L. Bailey, when I was 19. She never made more than $40,000 a year, but she was one of the greatest philanthropists I’ve ever known. She worked with young people in the juvenile justice system, brought kids home for Christmas, made sure they felt seen, valued, and loved. When she died, all of that left my life, and money became my hiding place. Big houses, nice cars — all of it covered up a kid who was grieving.

I remember thumbing through a photo album and seeing pictures of all these kids throughout my life that my mother would make a part of our lives, ensuring that they had exposure to something different. Slowly I found my way back to my core, and to her example, and that’s when I stopped chasing success and started dedicating my life to significance.

Behrman, NationSwell: Is there a particular program, signature initiative, or some facet of the work that you would like to spotlight for us that is driving outcomes for the work?

Bailey, RICE: I love Atlanta. I was born and raised here, and I believe Atlanta has the chance to be the most consequential city of the next 100 years: the collision of corporations, culture, and community — if we get our act together — could create something few cities can match. But I love my city enough to be honest: we’re the worst city in the country for income inequality and economic immobility. And if you’re not willing to talk about race, I think you’re being intellectually disingenuous about solving it.

There are no poor white neighborhoods in Atlanta. There are no failing Latino schools in APS. Ninety-nine percent of the demographic drivers behind those statistics look like me. So when I chose to focus on Black entrepreneurs, it wasn’t just a social cause — I was thinking like an economist. If we’re 52% of the population but our companies account for just 8% of economic growth, there’s a disconnect keeping Atlanta from becoming everything it could be.

That’s why we chose entrepreneurship. Not because it solves everything, but because it can move the needle. I’ve long believed we lose GDP every year because brilliant ideas on the south side of the tracks never reach the marketplace — because people don’t believe they belong. And that’s why we rejected the traditional, episodic model of programming alone. Programming matters, but our goal was transformation.

You can’t ignore the loneliness, the depression, the isolation, the generational poverty and trauma. Before someone can grow a business, they have to see value in their own reflection. They have to feel belonging. Then you build the scaffolding — the infrastructure, the support, the pathways to actually start and scale. Both are necessary for the people we serve.

That’s built into the DNA of the Russell Center. It’s one of the few places in the country where the place that serves the people is built, run, and supported by the people it serves. Our architect, our contractor, the products on my shelf, even the snacks — they all come from our entrepreneurs. That circular economy creates allegiance, covenant, and community. And at the heart of it all, more than access to capital, is culture: a community of collaboration, support, and belief. That mindset shift is everything.

NationSwell: What makes this model different — what you have learned from the outcomes you’re generating?

Bailey, RICE: My core inspiration was the HBCU model — historically Black colleges and universities — which have been one of the greatest economic mobility engines in our community for the past 100 years. I wanted to build the entrepreneurial equivalent of that experience; I didn’t want a model where you come for four weeks or 18 weeks, graduate, and that’s it. What’s unique about what we do is that it’s a continuum of engagement across the life cycle of a business; you don’t graduate out.

That ties back to the circular economy we’ve built: companies that are thriving pour into the ones coming behind them. It creates the same kind of culture you see on a college campus — seniors tutoring freshmen, freshmen aspiring to be seniors. Every day, even outside the curriculum, people are being inspired, exposed to new pathways, and changed by proximity, and so much of that transformation has nothing to do with what’s on the transcript.

That model pushed us to think about serving the whole entrepreneur beyond just what we can teach. How deeply can we understand what makes a person himself, what he is trying to do, and what actually works for him? That’s why I value business experts at the same level as therapists and psychologists in our curriculum: That whole-person approach — our ability to grow, retain, and build real community as we grow — is something I haven’t really seen anywhere else.

Behrman, NationSwell: Can you walk us through a couple different facets of the work you’re leading that are particularly exciting to you right now?

Bailey, RICE: One of my biggest learnings in this work is that, yes, access to capital will always matter for entrepreneurs; you plan for that. But what I’ve found is that community is a deep need, in many cases even more urgent than capital. 

Where I come from, I didn’t grow up seeing a lot of Black billionaires or people running multinational companies. And when 98% of Black-owned businesses have just one employee, there’s a reason for that. So much of it comes down to how we see ourselves as entrepreneurs. I bought into the narrative that success meant hustling, grinding, doing everything yourself. What I want at the forefront of our work is breaking through that mindset — giving people the exposure, access, and belief to say, ‘Why couldn’t my idea become the next great company?’ That kind of exposure creates belief.

The second thing we’ve identified is a huge donut hole in the ecosystem: the growth-stage entrepreneur who isn’t a venture-backed tech unicorn, but a bedrock, missing-middle business. If you’re a startup with an idea, there’s support. If you’re a high-growth tech founder chasing a massive exit, there’s support. But if you’ve got 15, 20, 30, even 150 employees and you’ve plateaued, there’s almost nobody built to help you break through. That’s why we’re building out the Scale Studio to surround those companies with the accountants, attorneys, consultants, and capital they need to grow. The businesses stabilizing our economy are the ones getting the least support.

And the third is campus expansion. Early on, when we mapped the barriers to starting and growing a business, things like housing, childcare, and healthcare were at the top of the list. So one of our big ideas is: how do we go from a 70,000-square-foot campus to something bigger — adding housing, medical care, affordable office space, and other supports around the entrepreneur? How do we fully build out that whole-entrepreneur model and make sure Atlanta stays affordable enough to dream? Because if the city becomes so expensive that people with ideas have to leave, then dreams can’t live here. We want to be a speed bump against that.

So those are the three big areas for us: mindset as part of the theory of change, support for the missing middle that no one is really serving, and expanding beyond our current footprint to truly meet the needs of the people we support.

Behrman, NationSwell: Of the socially motivated leaders you consider your peers, are there any whom you hold in particularly high esteem, and how has their approach shaped your own leadership?

Bailey, RICE: There’s one in Atlanta who absolutely needs to be on people’s radar: Dr. Lakeysha “Key” Hallmon, the founder of The Village Market. I remember meeting Key when she was just a teacher with a big idea, and now she’s built real spaces for entrepreneurs, business owners, and creatives. 

In Detroit, Alexa and Johnnie Turnage, the husband-and-wife team behind Black Tech Saturdays, are two of the most inspirational people I know; they make technology sexy and fun. I’ve been to Detroit to speak with them, they’ve brought their team down to Atlanta, and the passion they have for moving the community forward is infectious. 

And then, when I think about my core motivation, I have to name someone who’s no longer with us: Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first Black mayor. I draw endless inspiration from him. His courage helped change the direction of Atlanta and, in many ways, the South. He paid a real price for it, but he made that sacrifice to create opportunity. He’s responsible for creating more Black millionaires than any other mayor in American history, and he did it with grace, style, humility, and empathy. His legacy is still shaping all of us.

Behrman, NationSwell: Are there any resources you’d recommend — books, podcasts, Ted talks — that have influenced your thinking that might influence others as well?

Bailey, RICE: I quote Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” constantly, and then there’s “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley — Out of the night that covers me / black as the pit from pole to pole … I am the master of my fate / I am the captain of my soul. Those are two I come back to. And honestly, another quote that I return to all the time is simpler: “don’t quit.”

In terms of other things that influence my thinking, I’m a city boy with country leanings. My wife and I are landowners here in Georgia, and nothing clears my mind like getting out of the city, getting into the country, and hopping on my four-wheeler. For some people it’s a massage, a round of golf, whatever people do to unwind — for me, nothing compares to being on that ATV and just riding.

There’s something about it that brings me real joy, release, and freedom. The engine is so loud you can’t hear your phone, can’t feel it vibrate, can’t hear it ring. And that means, for a little while, you’re free — free to just be, without any connectivity to the device or the world. It’s how I get away from everything, and it’s one of the things I cherish most.

Five Minutes with… Walton Family Foundation’s Tina Fletcher

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

The Arkansas-Mississippi Delta is a case study in what community-rooted investment can make possible. Too often framed through deficit and disinvestment, the Delta is also a place of deep resilience, cultural richness, and local leadership; a region where people have been building and adapting solutions for generations, often without the level of sustained support they deserve. 

Tina Fletcher, who helps lead the Walton Family Foundation’s work in the Delta, is focused on helping shift that narrative by pairing long-term commitment with a community-centered approach to partnership. Across education, economic mobility, and leadership development, Fletcher’s work centers on strengthening what’s already working in the region and connecting the people and institutions best positioned to carry that momentum forward.

For this installment of Five Minutes With…, NationSwell spoke with Tina about what makes the Delta such a distinctive and inspiring place to work and why the greatest opportunity may be less about reinventing the Delta than investing in the talent and leadership that’s already there.

Here’s what she had to say:

NationSwell: For those less familiar, how would you describe the Delta — and what makes this region both unique and inspiring to you?

Tina Fletcher, Senior Program Officer, Walton Family Foundation: When it comes to the Delta, what stands out to me is just how much determination and resilience already exists. The Delta is a region rich in culture, community, and getting things done, with deep relationships and a strong sense of place that you can feel immediately. What makes it especially inspiring is that, despite being under-funded, the Delta has never lacked the capability to thrive. The Delta is full of people who have been leading and building for generations, people who aren’t waiting for solutions; they’re generating them in real time and in and meaningful ways. What’s needed now is investment that recognizes and accelerates that momentum because when you shift from “What’s wrong?” to “What’s working?”, the Delta looks entirely different.

NationSwell: How would you describe the Walton Family Foundation’s strategy on building trust and momentum in the Delta region over time?

Fletcher, WFF: At the Walton Family Foundation, our Delta Region strategy is simple, but not easy: show up, listen, be a good partner, and stay committed. Building trust in the Delta means investing in relationships just as much as we invest in results. In my role, I focus on strengthening what’s already working across education, economic mobility, and leadership, while finding creative ways to connect the individuals driving progress. I also bring a learning mindset to every table and conversation  I join, using data to inform the work without losing sight of community voice. That combination-commitment, consistency, humility, and rigor—is what turns trust into real momentum.

NationSwell: Can you share a moment or partnership in the Delta that changed how you think about community-centered philanthropy?

Fletcher, WFF: The biggest shift for me has been seeing what happens when communities aren’t just included—they’re in the lead. Across the Delta, I’ve seen young people, educators, and local leaders design solutions that are more relevant, effective, and sustainable than anything we could prescribe from the outside. I saw this firsthand in Jonestown, Mississippi, during a conversation with Mayor Columbus Russell, Jr., the youngest mayor in the state, and again in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, led by Mayor Joseph Whitfield. Both are young, energetic leaders working in step with residents, partners, and funders to move their communities forward. Those moments reinforced that proximity matters. Community-centered philanthropy isn’t just about engagement, it’s about shared ownership. When communities lead together, the results aren’t just impactful, they’re sustainable. And that’s when the work doesn’t just land, it takes root.

NationSwell: For funders looking to invest in the Delta, what guidance would you offer to ensure their approach is both effective and community-centered? What are some common mistakes you’d recommend they avoid?

Fletcher, WFF: First, start by listening and plan to stay longer than you initially imagined. The Delta doesn’t need more one-off investments; it needs partners willing to build over time. Fund what’s already working, invest in capacity, and trust local leaders to guide the way. A common mistake is chasing quick wins without understanding the broader system or underestimating how long trust takes to build. In the Delta, philanthropy must focus on building trust and staying committed, because that’s what ultimately drives results. Opportunities for impact are real and plentiful, but they require patience, partnership, and a deep belief in the people closest to the work.

NationSwell: As a leader, how has working in the Delta shaped your personal leadership style, or clarified what kind of leadership this work requires?

Fletcher, WFF: This work has taught me that leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about creating the conditions for the right answers to emerge. In the Delta, that means listening deeply, sharing power, and being intentional about whose voices shape your decision-making around the work. It’s also reinforced the importance of staying grounded in both data and humanity, balancing the desire for accountability and rigor with the realistic challenges Delta communities face. As a result, I am much more focused on connecting dots amongst stakeholders, leverage my organizations connections to benefit the communities we serve, funding what has proven to work, and making space for others to learn and lead. The kind of leadership this work requires is steady, collaborative, and deeply rooted in trust.

NationSwell: What gives you the most optimism about the future of the Delta, and where do you see the greatest opportunities for impact in the years ahead?

Fletcher, WFF: What gives me optimism is the talent and leadership already present, especially young leaders who are stepping up to shape what comes next, alongside seasoned leaders supporting them along the way. There’s a growing ecosystem of organizations doing powerful work, and the opportunity now is to connect and scale those efforts. I see real potential in more intentionally linking education to economic mobility, creating clear, local pathways from learning to earning and investing. The Delta doesn’t need to be reinvented; it needs to be invested in. And for funders willing to lean in, this is a moment with real momentum.

Cisco | Skills-to-jobs at scale

Cisco | Skills-to-jobs at scale

How Cisco Networking Academy is transforming the lives of learners

The idea for Cisco Networking Academy was born in 1997. Cisco employees returned to an under-resourced school where they had donated state-of-the-art networking equipment. They were excited to see how students and educators were being empowered by the technology. Instead, they found the equipment sitting unused. The lesson learned that day was that technology alone is not enough; without the knowledge and skills to use it, even the best equipment’s potential will go untapped. 

Cisco recognized that for networking technology to truly expand and thrive, there needed to be a workforce capable of installing, configuring, and maintaining those networks. There was a critical skills gap: educators and students lacked the training to leverage the new technology, and there was no established pathway to build that expertise at scale.

Beyond just technical skills, Cisco also saw an opportunity to transform lives by providing inclusive access to technology education. Cisco sought to use its own technology and vast networking expertise to create clear pathways for both new learners and those reskilling or upskilling, ensuring they become prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Thus, Networking Academy was launched.

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New York Life | From classrooms to cubicles

New York Life | From classrooms to cubicles

How New York Life is scaling grief support through its agents and expertise

New York Life Foundation’s impact in the childhood bereavement space began more than a decade ago, sparked by a partnership with Comfort Zone Camp. What began as a pilot grant quickly evolved into a larger commitment, driven by the realization that this was a space where New York Life could lead. With a corporate mission to offer peace of mind and financial support, bereavement support is deeply aligned with New York Life’s purpose.

Motivated by the lack of reliable data and practical support tools, the Foundation launched a research partnership with Judi’s House to create the Children’s Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM) to understand where childhood grief was most concentrated. The Foundation also conducted surveys with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to learn about grief in the classroom. Among its learnings from the initial 2012 survey: over 90% of U.S. educators say childhood grief is a serious problem that deserves more attention from schools, but only 3% had received training on supporting students through their school district. Asked how many students typically need their support due to the loss of a loved one each school year, 87% of educators said at least one, and 25% said six or more.

In 2018, the Foundation launched the Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative (GSSI), enlisting New York Life’s  national agent network to deliver grief education and resources directly to schools. As momentum grew, agents began asking: Can we take this to nonprofits and other youth-serving organizations in addition to schools? The model was expanded to youth-serving nonprofits through GSSI+. 

In 2024, the Foundation expanded its bereavement support into workplaces. The Grief-Supportive Workplace Initiative was built around New York Life data that revealed a deep unmet need: although up to 20% of a given workforce might be grieving at one time, about 64% of employees report that their workplaces do not offer any bereavement support or training.

 

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AI for Nonprofit Empowerment

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Nonprofits face unique challenges when it comes to incorporating AI in their work.

NationSwell’s latest report, AI for Nonprofit Empowerment, funded by Annie E. Casey Foundation, provides knowledge on how nonprofit organizations can use AI to streamline processes and improve day-to-day functions, while maintaining focus on the work that truly matters.

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Impact Next: An interview with Tata Consultancy Services’ Lina Klebanov

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster under-served communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2025, Impact Next — an editorial flagship series from NationSwell — is spotlighting the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Lina Klebanov — Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for Tata Consultancy Services, North America.

Greg Behrman, CEO and founder, NationSwell: Tell us a little bit about your leadership journey — was there an early moment, a relationship, or an experience that galvanized your commitment to driving bold action?

Lina Klebanov, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Tata Consultancy Services: More than any other influence, my career path was inspired by my parents. They immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union and left behind everything and everyone, they loved to build a new life in America. Suddenly in a country where they didn’t speak the language or understand the culture, and had few, if any friends, they relied on the kindness of strangers and charitable organizations to get started. Their deep gratitude for their new-immigrant experience became a lifelong family value of giving back, and that spirit of service has always been part of me.

I carried that value and interest into my career planning, always intending to serve, but, when I was young, corporate social responsibility, or CSR, was an occasional activity of some companies. It was neither a defined career path nor a fully integrated strategy for business, so my search led me in other directions.

My original plan was to become a social worker, but, once I started shadowing cases, it occurred to me that I could be even more powerful helping create systemic change around the causes of so much of the personal and family crises I witnessed. That became my goal and, once concepts like corporate citizenship, community engagement and social responsibility emerged in my grad school experience, I saw my path clearly. 

My first real exposure to the power of CSR occurred during grad school. As a student in the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, I had the opportunity to intern with the Morgan Stanley Foundation. Working in its Community Affairs department, I saw how its efforts bridged business, community impact, and social good. From that moment on, there was no turning back. After a short time working at a nonprofit, I returned to Morgan Stanley and eventually led the company to the launch of its largest global volunteer initiative in the company’s history.

Behrman, NationSwell: What is the “North Star” of your leadership style? What is it about the way that you lead in the space that makes you an effective leader?

Klebanov, TCS: My leadership style is centered on empathy, humility, and a commitment to nurturing my team. It’s important to me to support each member’s potential growth and professional development. I make sure to always prioritize my reports’ well-being and work hard to ensure that, no matter how busy I may get, I am always actively listening and supporting both individual team members and collaborating teams.

I believe that effective leaders serve the needs of others first, but that might also be the mom in me. I do have three children, and I like to think that I separate the family and business nurturing that I do, but, at the end of the day, I’m not entirely sure they’re all that different.

Behrman, NationSwell: Is there a particular program, signature initiative, or some facet of the work that you would like to spotlight for us that is driving outcomes for the work?

Klebanov, TCS: One thing that’s really encouraged me lately is the growing emphasis on collaboration. Across every network and association, we’re part of, people are coming together to tackle big challenges at the local, national, and global levels. It’s been a through-line in our thought-leadership work and in our K–12 STEM programs.

Our Digital Empowers initiative in particular focuses on addressing digital inequity — the root barrier that keeps many people from accessing education, civic engagement, opportunity, and economic mobility. Through TCS Digital Empowers, we’ve built a large, cross-sector network of partners poised to work together to advance opportunities by addressing digital inclusion, STEM education, and workforce preparedness. 

Early on, the bulk of our CSR work centered on raising awareness of the need for high-quality STEM education — back when most people didn’t even know what “STEM” stood for. Over the years, our leadership expanded into include corporate volunteering, diversity and inclusion in leadership, and women’s representation in STEM. We were part of the Million Women Mentors Initiative and have continued evolving as technological transformation accelerates and disparities widen. Today, our focus is on leveling the digital playing field. Through Digital Empowers, we’re bringing together private, public, and nonprofit partners to ask: How can we collaborate to build transformational opportunities for the current and future workforce and for Society, in general? 

On the K–12 education side — which I’m particularly passionate about — the inequities tied to ZIP codes and other social influencers are heartbreaking and still too often overlooked. The pandemic exposed these gaps, but many under-resourced students and schools still haven’t recovered. At TCS, we believe that if you can’t see it, you can’t be it — and you often need to experience it to understand what’s possible. Our two flagship STEM programs give young people a chance to envision themselves in roles they never dreamed of before — as effective problem solvers, STEM prodigies and global changemakers. In those moments, they have the potential to positively impact students’ academic and professional trajectories.

Go Innovate Together, known as goIT, launched in 2009, gives K–12 students hands-on opportunities to consider how technology can solve real-world problems. Supported by former teachers, TCS volunteer mentors, public school systems and more, the program has expanded from its U.S.-based origin to a recognized global initiative that has reached more than 330,000 students and counting, something I am incredibly proud of.

As technology evolved faster than classroom instruction, we launched Ignite My Future, a professional-development program that approaches kids’ technology awareness and skills from another angle. It helps educators integrate computational thinking into core subjects, from math and science to social studies and even PE. Professional development programming for teachers helps them be more effective in teaching computational thinking and Ignite My Future classroom resources bring learning to life in an innovative way. It closes the gap for teachers who might lack access to up-to-date training and resources or those who just want to rise above. 

We intentionally focus on school districts with the greatest need, and weave mentorship into everything we do — it’s our secret sauce. Combined with Digital Empowers, these programs create a holistic, systemic approach to closing the digital gap.

Behrman, NationSwell: Is there a particular facet of the work that you are leading that you think is particularly noteworthy or exemplary?

Klebanov, TCS:  For me, what is exemplary is that, across all of this work, our goal remains the same: helping students — regardless of background or ZIP code — gain the confidence and digital fluency they need to succeed in any career, in any industry, in a world where every company is now, in some way, a tech company. If you’re asking about my favorite things, I have to tell you: it’s the sports connection!

We are constantly looking for creative ways to bring technology to life for students and have found a wonderful and exciting avenue for that through our sports partnerships. As the Title Sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon and a major partner in Formula E, with Jaguar TCS Racing, we’ve created hands-on experiential moments for students associated with both of these high-visibility sports experiences. 

A few months ago, in Miami, we partnered with a local nonprofit to bring middle school girls to a Formula E race, where they explored the technology—and computational thinking—behind Jaguar TCS Racing. They met an all-women panel of professionals working in the racing world—another field where female representation is limited—and had the chance to interview them and discuss what these role models love about their careers and just what it took to get there. Our GoIT TCS NYC Marathon Student Challenge, another example of how we merge STEM learning with real-world excitement, gave area students a chance to innovate for social good and compete with one another from the Marathon’s Expo pavilion. Winners of the digital innovation competition got to hold the finish line tapes and welcome race winners and finishers to the final steps in their achievement. The excitement of these K-12 students at those moments is palpable and I love being a part of that. 

Behrman, NationSwell: Of the socially motivated leaders you consider your peers, are there any whose work inspires you and whom you hold in high esteem?

Klebanov, TCS: I have so much respect for people in the social sector who do this work every day. They’ve devoted their careers to purpose — not just for the communities they serve, but for their colleagues through employee engagement efforts. And honestly, employee volunteer engagement doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. There’s so much pressure in this field to deliver, to maintain integrity, to prioritize quality over quantity. It’s hard work, and so many people do it with such heart.

There are too many leaders, colleagues, and friends I admire to name them all — but as a fun fact, I will just mention that our Tata Group founder, Jamsetji N. Tata, was named Top Philanthropist of the last century, with donations worth $102 billion — ahead of Bill and Melinda Gates and many others!

Behrman, NationSwell: Are there any resources you’d recommend — books, podcasts, Ted talks — that have influenced your thinking that might influence others as well?

Klebanov, TCS: 

Generally, I follow the sources that align with my values, but I also push myself to take in a diverse range of viewpoints. It’s not because I’m uncertain about what I believe in. I’m very grounded in that — but because empathy and humility matter. Trying to understand where others are coming from helps me see the fuller picture, continue learning and navigate this very chaotic world a little more gracefully.

Impact Next: An interview with Partners for Rural Impact’s Dreama Gentry

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster under-served communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2025, Impact Next — an editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Dreama Gentry, president and CEO of Partners for Rural Impact.

NationSwell: What brought you to the field that you’re in right now? Was there a moment, a relationship, or an experience that galvanized your commitment to driving bold action?

Dreama Gentry, President and CEO, Partners for Rural Impact: I grew up in Appalachian Kentucky and have never wanted to live anywhere else. My home region is too often portrayed through a lens of deficit and stereotypes. What I see are people with deep connections to the land and to family. I see the people and the community and that shaped me and provided me with opportunity. No one in my family had gone to college, and while I grew up in a community that I now realize was poor, I never felt lacking. My Mom and Dad surrounded  me with love and opportunity. 

There are few pivotal folks that come to mind.  The first is Ma, my grandmother. She encouraged me to dream and was always there for me. From the time I was little she would take me to the public library when she was in town visiting her mother who was in a nursing home. The library opened the world to me. I was a voracious reader and I knew from an early age that I wanted to go to college. I planned to be either a teacher or an archaeologist.

Pat Hurt was my guidance counselor. With a caseload of 450 students, she made time to see the quiet girl from the part of the county that many discounted. My junior year, Ms. Hurt encouraged me to apply to the Governor’s Scholars Program and to Upward Bound, both were six-week summer programs on a college campus. Accepted into both, I attended Governor’s Scholars and that experience set me on a path to Berea College — where most students were low-income and first-generation — and then to law school at the University of Kentucky. Practicing law, though, I realized I was not my passion.

Education and connections to caring adults had changed my own trajectory, I returned to Berea College with a vision to raise aspirations and provide pathways to college in my home community. The work I do today started in an office in Rockcastle County High School thirty years ago. I worked alongside the guidance counselors, teachers and parents to build partnerships that encouraged kids and families to see college as an option. With the support of Larry Shinn a forward-thinking college president, I was able to grow that work from a direct service program in a single school to a regional initiative that served 50,000 children and youth across Appalachian Kentucky. In 2022 I created Partners for Rural Impact to create a movement of rural leaders across the nation committed to moving outcomes for rural youth. My team activates resources to support schools and communities, strengthens local capacity to implement what works and amplifies the bright spots in rural America.  My goal is a Nation where demographics do not determine destiny. And my contribution is to ensure that in rural communities there is the capacity to ensure that all rural young folks thrive.

NationSwell: When you look back on the scope of your career thus far, how have your thinking, your leadership style, or your philosophies changed over time?

Gentry, Partners for Rural Impact: My own life has been shaped by summer and out-of-school programs that gave me the chance to step onto a college campus. Coming from a small K–8 school where only six of eighteen classmates graduated high school, the few of us who made it to college all had that program experience in common. So, at first my work focused on creating and scaling strong programs that work across Appalachia — programs like Upward Bound, GEAR UP, Promise Neighborhood and Community Schools.

Over time, I saw that programs are essential and that they alone are not enough. Rural communities need a place-based approach where there is a backbone organization and someone that wakes up every morning thinking about aligning cross-sector partners, using data, and moving outcomes to ensure that every child in the community is getting the supports they need to thrive. It is only through this place based partnership approach that we can break the cycle of generational poverty and ensure all rural students are on a path to success.  

NationSwell: Is there a particular facet of your work, or the field more generally, that you think is not getting enough attention right now?

Gentry, Partners for Rural Impact: Since January, the focus has shifted dramatically. With so many safety nets and federal supports for children and families being dismantled, much of our energy is consumed by trying to slow or halt that erosion. That’s the elephant in the room right now. Before this moment, I might have answered differently, pointing instead to how often rural kids and families are left out of the equation — not by intent, but because decision-makers’ perspectives are shaped by urban and suburban experiences that overlook rural realities.

The challenge of the moment is supporting families and children during this moment. We must strengthen local capacity and support local organizations that are on the ground ensuring that families in rural places still have real paths to upward mobility. We must get serious about addressing poverty in America. I can focus my work on rural communities because I have colleagues leading organizations like StriveTogether, the William Julius Wilson Institute and Purpose Built communities that are primarily focusing on non-rural communities. 

NationSwell: There’s a stubborn narrative that rural communities are all the same, but rural America, like anywhere else, is complex and varied. What do you think people most misunderstand about rural places or the people who identify as rural? How does that misunderstanding impact policy, philanthropy, and the national conversation generally?

Gentry, Partners for Rural Impact: People often assume rural America is monolithic, when it’s as diverse as any city. Just as New Yorkers understand the differences between boroughs and neighborhoods, rural places vary widely in culture, history, and connection to land. That’s why Partners for Rural Impact refuses to define “rural” rigidly—if a community identifies as rural, they are part of the movement. 

Corporate and philanthropic leaders are often guided by policies or practices that limit giving to places where they have employees or where they have a presence. This results in limited giving to rural places. Only seven cents of every philanthropic dollar goes to rural areas—and even less to rural areas with the deepest need. These policies and practices are short sited and not designed for the world where we are now living. We all need this Nation to thrive. Each and every community is part of our ecosystem. What happens in Owsley County Kentucky impacts Washington, DC, New York City and Silicon Valley just as much as what happens there impacts Appalachia, the Delta, and our Native Lands.

NationSwell: Of the socially motivated leaders you consider your peers, are there any whose work has inspired you and whom you hold in high esteem?

Gentry, Partners for Rural Impact: I will focus on four who have supported me as I created Partners for Rural Impact. First, Geoffrey Canada has been a mentor since 2010. The way he created the Harlem Children’s Zone to focus on Harlem and the William Julius Wilson Institute to inform the nation informed Partners for Rural Impact’s structure.  At Partners for Rural Impact we focus intensively on three places — Appalachian Kentucky, East Texas, and Mexico, Missouri — and they are our places of learning that ensure we convene, coach and support rural places across the nation with a proximate lens.

Jim Shelton’s strategic thinking, tenacity, and trust impresses me. We met when Jim was leading a portfolio at the Department of Education that included Promise Neighborhoods. Now at Blue Meridian Partners, he is committed to a nation where all have a path to economic mobility. He invests deeply in the place based partnerships and trusts local leaders to chart their own solutions. Here in Appalachia, Jim King of FAHE showed me the power of a network to unite rural places across Appalachia and his thinking led to Partners for Rural Transformation which unites rural regions of persistent poverty. 

Another pivotal influence has been Jennifer Blatz of StriveTogether. After the 2016 election, most inquiries I received about rural America were focused on “what’s wrong” and “how to fix it.” Jennifer was the only person who asked how we could work together and StriveTogether could better serve rural communities. Her spirit of authentic partnership informed my decision to take Partners for Rural Impact national. Jennifer also shared her connections with philanthropy and took the time to introduce me and the work to others. Jennifer models what it looks like to enter the room with humility and true collaboration, and I try to bring that same approach into every partnership.

NationSwell: What is the North Star of your leadership?

Gentry, Partners for Rural Impact: The North Star of my work in general is creating a nation where all young people have a real path to upward mobility, with my organization focused specifically on ensuring that rural kids and communities aren’t left behind. In thinking about my leadership, I am often asked what my “superpower” is — because we all have superpowers, and I think real progress comes when superpowers are activated.

My superpower is seeing patterns and connections. I can listen across multiple conversations and places, then weave them together into a web of relationships and strategies that solve more than one problem at a time. I thrive when I have put the right people, at the right moment, in the right place, together with the right problem. My ability to connect and align has become my biggest contribution to the work.

Five Minutes with… Katie Levey of TCS Digital Empowers

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

As technology continues to reshape every industry, too many workers and communities are at risk of being left behind. The Digital Opportunity Playbook, developed by the Tata Consultancy Services’ Digital Empowers team with partners across business, government, and the nonprofit sector, offers a practical roadmap for closing that gap. Drawing on insights gleaned from more than 70 leaders nationwide, the playbook outlines four “plays” that help communities and employers move from access to agency: expanding digital inclusion, strengthening K–12 STEM, building digital confidence, and reskilling adults for meaningful careers.

At a moment of rapidly shifting workforce needs, the Digital Opportunity Playbook is designed to help industry and community partners act together to align economic growth with equity by ensuring digital skills and pathways are accessible.

For this installment of Five Minutes With… NationSwell sat down with Katie Levey — Global Program Director of Digital Empowers — to learn about how the playbook came together, what it reveals about the future of work, and where the work is headed next.

NationSwell: Can you give us an overview of the playbook’s scope — how does it build upon TCS’s legacy of community investment?

Katherine Levey, Global Program Director, Digital Empowers: TCS has a long history of supporting underinvested communities’ entry into the digital economy through STEM, literacy, entrepreneurial and career readiness programs.

Digital Empowers builds on that legacy by bringing together stakeholders across sectors to collaborate on these issues. Sometimes that looks like research, insights, and webinars; other times, it looks more like collective action with partners who are working toward specific solutions in STEM, digital opportunity, or workforce readiness.

Before moving forward with the playbook, we spoke with 70 leaders from business, government, and nonprofits across the U.S. to help us understand where the need was greatest. From those conversations, we identified four key themes, or “plays,” that form the foundation of our work: expanding digital inclusion, strengthening K–12 STEM, building digital confidence, and reskilling adults for high-demand careers. 

NationSwell: What makes the playbook unique — how does it stand apart from other reports or initiatives in the space?

Levey, Digital Empowers: Unlike many white papers, the playbook draws on interviews with a wide cross-section of stakeholders to define problems as communities and industry see them together. The process took a lot of time, all of which proved to be a valuable investment. It  gave us a really strong pulse check on shifting needs and perspectives. The findings now serve as a foundation for collaboration through regional events and the new national Digital Opportunity Council.

The response from stakeholders has been consistent as we’ve shared elements of the playbook: Across companies and communities, there’s strong alignment around ideas related to workforce reskilling needs. These aren’t abstract “future of work” conversations anymore — the challenges are here and now. With limited funding and increasing constraints, collaboration is essential, and this initiative is designed to create the partnerships needed to address them.

NationSwell: During the course of those interviews, did you uncover any particularly surprising insights that might be surprising to readers?

Levey, Digital Empowers: Two points really stood out for us: First, in the workforce, there’s growing recognition that, while four-year degrees remain important, alternative pathways are  critical for the many people who can’t immediately access a bachelor’s degree. Companies are increasingly exploring credentialing, learn-to-work programs, and apprenticeships as viable routes to support opportunity.

Second, when we talk about STEM education, we’re not just talking about technical skills anymore. There’s a strong push to integrate social and emotional learning — soft skills like problem solving, leadership, communication, and the ability to collaborate and contextualize work. What surprised me is how often practitioners emphasized that this isn’t a “nice to have”; it’s essential. To ground AI and other technologies in the real world, people need both technical literacy and human skills. Teaching STEM proficiency alone isn’t enough. Without addressing barriers to areas like resilience and belonging, these technical skills can only go so far. The combination of STEM and social-emotional learning is what truly prepares people to thrive.

NationSwell: How does TCS define its role in shaping inclusive digital ecosystems, and what do you see as your responsibility beyond the private sector?

Levey, Digital Empowers: This work is really part of our DNA. TCS’ parent group, Tata Sons, was founded in 1868 with a vision to help India grow and develop. As the company grew into a global enterprise, Tata has invested in communities through skilling, literacy, and partnerships with diverse populations around the world, and that legacy of community investment continues to shape how we operate today.

With Digital Empowers, our focus is on building an inclusive ecosystem by working with communities rather than imposing solutions. While we run STEM-education, literacy and other programs nationwide, this initiative — and the playbook — has been more about listening: we’re gathering feedback, learning from different perspectives, engaging stakeholders closest to the issues, and bringing corporate partners into the fold. Through regional events and advisory councils, we’re ensuring collaboration is built in at every step.

NationSwell: What are the next steps for Digital Empowers after this report — and what are your call-ins for the NationSwell community?

Levey, Digital Empowers: Digital Empowers is launching a series of regional events, Collaborating for Connected Futures, in New York, Detroit, Chicago, and Dallas to take the playbook deeper at the community level. The first, held in New York during UN Week, will bring civic, industry, and nonprofit leaders together to explore digital inclusion, hear directly from community voices, and spark new partnerships that adapt the four “plays” locally.

In parallel, we’re also establishing the Digital Opportunity Council — a national forum of companies and select nonprofits committed to expanding digital opportunity and workforce development. Designed to be light on time but high on impact, the Council will focus on digital skills, workforce readiness, and community partnership, with members connecting regularly to co-define problem statements and co-design informed solutions. We are currently accepting partners interested in serving on the Council.

To learn more about opportunities to get involved, reach out here.

Impact Next: An interview with The Jed Foundation’s John MacPhee

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster under-served communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2025, Impact Next — an editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed John MacPhee, CEO of The Jed Foundation (JED).

NationSwell: What brought you into the field? Was there a moment, a relationship, or an experience that galvanized your commitment to driving social and economic progress?

John MacPhee, CEO, The Jed Foundation: I spent 20 years in the corporate world, working in transportation and pharmaceuticals. It wasn’t a deliberate choice at first — I needed to pay the bills — so I worked hard, learned as much as I could, and advanced. Over time, though, I began asking bigger questions: What’s my purpose? How can I make the world a better place? That led me to shift from the corporate sector into the “for-purpose” world, using my knowledge of healthcare to make a difference. I went back to school for health policy and eventually joined The Jed Foundation, a systems-change organization focused on mental health and suicide prevention for teens and young adults nationwide.

The mission resonated with me on many levels. I’ve seen loved ones struggle with alcohol and drug use, and we’ve lost family members to overdose. I faced my own battles with mental health and problem drinking as a young adult, even failing out of college, before getting help and returning to school and graduating. Those personal experiences made JEDs focus on supporting young people through systems-change feel deeply aligned with my own story.

A final turning point came through my mother. While dying of cancer, she told me she felt I had “lost my way”  — that the boy she raised, who once dreamed of being a math teacher and basketball coach, and she was worried that I had drifted from my purpose or “why”. Her words pushed me to reconsider my path. Fifteen years ago, I made the switch into the nonprofit and public health world, and I’ve been committed to this purpose-driven work ever since.

NationSwell: Looking back at the scope of your career, how have your thinking, your leadership style, or your philosophies evolved over time?

MacPhee, The Jed Foundation: I came up in a hard-driving corporate environment, spending ten years in a fast-growing pharmaceutical company where I learned how to run and build businesses. I brought those skills with me into the nonprofit space, but it’s different: In the corporate world, it’s often easier to motivate teams because incentives are more consistent; in the nonprofit world, people are driven by a more varied set of motivations, and connecting with them requires a more tailored approach to each team member. 

That was an adjustment for me, but I’ve carried over the business practices I learned in corporate to help guide how we run JED today.

NationSwell: What would you say defines the present societal and economic moment? Which trends are filling you with optimism, and which are giving you more pause or concern?

MacPhee, The Jed Foundation: We’re in a moment of dramatic change. Technology is moving at incredible speeds — AI today, social media, and the iPhone just 15–20 years ago — and that pace is reshaping the environment for mental health. Despite the challenges, I remain optimistic because the world is full of beauty, good people, and numerous examples of people helping each other. Unfortunately, those stories rarely get told; instead, we’re flooded with negative headlines that distort the balance of what’s truly happening. It’s important for all of us, and especially for young people, to intentionally seek out joy, progress, and good news to stay grounded.

At the same time, I worry about the polarization in our public discourse. On complex policy questions like immigration, LGBTQIA+ rights, gender-affirming care, and parental involvement in schools, earnest people can and do disagree. But, the way these debates are unfolding too often vilifies individuals and entire groups, which not only deepens division, but also creates legitimate fear for people and the communities they love. Policy debates could be approached with more humanity and kindness; instead, they’ve become another source of harm. All of this makes the current environment especially tough for young people, who are navigating rapid change, overwhelming narratives, and a climate of fear and division.

NationSwell: What are you seeing in the field right now that’s not getting enough attention?

MacPhee, The Jed Foundation: We need to ensure young people see a fuller picture of the world — one that includes the good alongside the challenges. Hope is warranted, but it’s something we have to fight for and intentionally lean toward.

When it comes to technology, I think the conversation is often misplaced. The real issue isn’t simply whether social media or technology is “good” or “bad,” but how it’s been wrapped up in profiteering. As a society, we normally protect children from aggressive marketing, whether it’s for medicine, tobacco, or other harmful products. Yet we’ve allowed an industry to capture seven or eight hours of young people’s lives every day through addictive algorithms, monetizing their time and relationships without meaningful guardrails. The question for youth mental health isn’t just about technology itself, but about how we’re going to protect children from being exploited in this way.

NationSwell: Is there a signature social or economic project or initiative you’re working on right now that you’d like to lift up?

MacPhee, The Jed Foundation: We partner with youth-serving organizations, including schools, districts, and community-based groups, around a simple yet critical idea: If you serve youth, you must prioritize their mental health and take purposeful, planned action to reduce suicide risk. That means following best practices, and we support this through programs like our District Mental Health Initiative with AASA, The School Superintendents Association, JED High School, JED Campus, and our community-based organization model.

For leaders, whether in schools, nonprofits, or even workplaces, mental health is both a responsibility and an opportunity. It requires building environments where people feel connected and a sense of belonging; where coping and problem-solving skills are nurtured; where it’s acceptable to say “It’s OK not to be OK.” Just as important are the systems to notice when someone is struggling, respond appropriately, connect them to care, and ensure policies and supports are in place.

NationSwell: What is the North Star of your leadership?

MacPhee, The Jed Foundation: My North Star is improving the environments around young people. That’s what our team is focused on every day — working as hard as we can, in as many ways as we can, to create conditions where youth can thrive.

In this space, there are many peer organizations I admire. The Trevor Project stands out, especially as we fight proposed funding cuts to LGBTQIA+ services within the 988 crisis line. In just the past two years, more than a million people in crisis have used those services, much of it delivered by Trevor. Active Minds is another organization I deeply admire, mobilizing students on high school and college campuses to advocate for mental health. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) advances research, advocacy, and support for suicide loss survivors. I also look to organizations like the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), the Child Mind Institute, and Sesame Workshop, which has done important work around children’s mental health.

It’s inspiring to be part of a field where so many organizations, each with their own approach, are contributing to the same larger mission.

NationSwell: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting involved or helping out in the mental health space?

MacPhee, The Jed Foundation: For anyone looking to get involved, organizations like The Jed Foundation, NAMI, and AFSP are great places to start. But more broadly, it really does take a village. Each of us can be a mental health champion in our own communities. That begins with vulnerability — showing through your own example that it’s OK not to be OK, and creating space for open conversations.

At JED, we tell young people that if they’re struggling — or worried about a friend — they should reach out to a trusted, caring adult. The question is: are you that adult in the lives of young people around you? And more importantly, do they know it? Whether you’re a parent, an aunt, uncle, neighbor, coach, or friend, make it explicit: Let the young people in your life know you’re a safe harbor, someone they can turn to without judgment.

At a grassroots level, those simple assurances can be incredibly powerful. Paired with resources and guidance from organizations in the field, they create the culture of support young people need.

NationSwell: Could you recommend any insightful resources of book reports, podcasts, articles that have influenced your thinking, either past or present?

MacPhee, The Jed Foundation: I’m constantly reading and reviewing for my job, but when I have free time, I mostly listen to music. I keep a personal YouTube playlist of about 100 songs that I’m always tweaking — swapping a few out, but keeping a core set the same. It’s been played over 18,000 times, which makes me wonder: Is this a great way to unwind, or a huge missed opportunity where I could’ve read countless books or listened to podcasts instead?

The playlist leans heavily toward blues and blues rock — lots of Tedeschi Trucks, Ruthie Foster, PJ Harvey, Buddy Guy — with some Massive Attack and a little Pearl Jam thrown in. It definitely shows my age in some of the choices, but it’s what helps me relax and recharge.

Impact Next: An interview with StriveTogether’s Jennifer Blatz

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster under-served communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2025, Impact Next — an editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Jennifer Blatz, president and CEO of StriveTogether.

NationSwell: What brought you into this field of work? Was there a moment, a relationship, or an experience that galvanized your commitment to driving bold action?

Jennifer Blatz, president and CEO of StriveTogether: For me, this work is deeply personal — it truly feels like my life’s work. I’m the first in my family to go to college, and education was my ticket to economic mobility. Like many first-generation students, I felt a responsibility to do something important, so initially planned to go to law school. But along the way, I discovered a passion for supporting other first-gen students at the University of Kentucky, a large land-grant institution with many students like me. An advisor encouraged me to consider a career in higher education and student affairs, which opened the door to pursuing this work as a practitioner.

That path eventually led me to StriveTogether’s predecessor organization, where I focused on college access and attainment. Through that work, I came to understand how systems are structured to produce the outcomes they deliver — and how often those outcomes are deeply inequitable. Recognizing this is what ultimately drew me to broader systems-change work, and to ensuring that all young people have a real path to economic mobility.

NationSwell: Looking back at the scope of your career, how have your thinking, strategies, or leadership philosophies evolved over the course of your leadership journey?

Blatz, StriveTogether: One of the biggest evolutions in my thinking has been realizing that good programs alone aren’t enough. Early in my career as a practitioner, I worked on evidence-based initiatives like GEAR UP and TRIO that delivered incredible results for students — but only for a limited number. To truly address the country’s most intractable challenges, we have to pair strong programs with a systems-level strategy. That recognition shifted my focus toward influencing policy and transforming structures so outcomes can improve at scale.

Equally important is understanding the role of community and place. Early work across Ohio showed me how context matters: What students in cities like Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Toledo needed was very different from what was required in Appalachian or rural communities. Strong supports must be responsive to local realities, and systems change has to be rooted in the specific needs of each community. Together, systems and place-based approaches have become central to how I think about driving social and economic mobility at scale.

NationSwell: As someone who sees services being delivered across both rural and urban contexts, what are the similarities and differences in their needs?

Blatz, StriveTogether: At the core, families in both urban and rural communities want the same thing: for their children to thrive and reach their full potential. But rural communities face unique challenges: One recurring concern we hear is the “brain drain” that happens when young people leave for college and don’t return, which makes creating opportunities for education, work, and quality of life in rural areas especially critical. Another key difference is resources: Philanthropy often overlooks rural communities, which means they rely much more heavily on county, state, and federal funding. Cuts to public programs can be especially devastating when there’s no philanthropic safety net to help fill the gap.

That said, partnerships across urban and rural contexts can be powerful: For example, in Kentucky, the Appalachian Cradle to Career Partnership, supported by Partners for Rural Impact, joined forces with the Urban League of Louisville to advocate for state policy. By presenting a united front across rural and urban lines, they successfully passed legislation that benefited students statewide. Collaborations like this show that while the contexts may differ, bridging urban and rural perspectives is essential to advancing equitable policy and ensuring opportunity for all young people.

NationSwell: What’s defining the current social and economic environment that we’re in — what are the trends that you’re currently seeing, and what’s giving you hope?

Blatz, StriveTogether: I’m optimistic because I see incredible work happening in local communities. Time and again, people come together around shared priorities to support young people and families, often bridging divides that dominate national headlines. While polarization and divisiveness get much of the media’s focus, on the ground we consistently witness collaboration to improve outcomes.

What gives me pause are broader trends like the privatization of education, which often leads to greater inequities and lacks accountability when compared to public schools. At the federal level, program rollbacks and a push toward privatization create real risks. Yet at the same time, I see governors, mayors, and state leaders across the political spectrum investing in more equitable, systems-driven solutions. Many are working to expand economic opportunity through job growth, career pathways, and policies that help young people thrive.

So even amid competing forces — federal retrenchment on one side and state and local innovation on the other — I remain hopeful. The real progress is being driven at the community level, where collaboration and shared commitment to young people continue to point the way forward.

NationSwell: Is there a particular program, signature initiative, or some facet of the work that you would like to spotlight for us that is driving outcomes for the work?

Blatz, StriveTogether: One initiative I’m especially excited about is StriveTogether’s new Pathways Impact Fund, supported by the Gates and Walton foundations. It’s more than just a fund — it’s an effort to strengthen regional organizations that connect education and workforce systems. The goal is to scale high-quality career pathways for students in grades 9–13, with experiences like dual enrollment, industry credentials, work-based learning, and sustained advising. By aligning education and corporate partners, we can create smoother, more equitable transitions from school to career.

This work reflects an evolution in my own thinking. I came to the field through college access and long believed that postsecondary attainment, whether a two- or four-year degree, was the primary path to opportunity. But innovative pathways models have shown me that apprenticeships, career-connected learning, and credential programs can be just as powerful in setting young people up for success. These pathways not only support academic achievement but also build social capital and belonging — critical factors for economic mobility that our systems have too often overlooked.

With StriveTogether’s data-driven approach, we see how these models can help reverse generations of stagnant mobility in the U.S. Partnering with Gates and Walton, who have long invested in this space, gives us the chance to learn, innovate, and contribute significantly to the field. I’m optimistic this fund will help more young people thrive while reshaping the systems that support them.

NationSwell: What is the North Star of your leadership?

Blatz, StriveTogether: The north star of my leadership is balancing humility and confidence. Having spent most of my career within StriveTogether and its predecessor, I’ve been part of shaping this work from the ground up. That has required the confidence to try new things — even to fail — and the humility to recognize when we don’t have all the answers. Much of this journey has felt like building the plane while flying it, and that’s demanded both boldness and openness to learning.

Recently, as a leadership team, we named “humble confidence” as one of the qualities that makes StriveTogether unique. It means believing we can put millions more young people on a path to economic mobility, while also acknowledging that we’ll need to experiment, fail forward, and continuously adapt along the way.

For me, the central mindset is to believe deeply in what’s possible, but to approach the work with humility, curiosity, and a commitment to ongoing learning. That balance guides how I lead and how I want our organization to grow.

NationSwell: Of the folks in the social or economic sector doing similar work, who are a few of the leaders who inspire you or whom you hold in high esteem?

Blatz, StriveTogether: Two leaders I deeply admire are Roseanne Haggerty of Community Solutions and Dreama Gentry of Partners for Rural Impact. Roseanne embodies what I’d call “humble confidence.” Her organization has boldly declared that homelessness is solvable, and they’ve put a stake in the ground to reach zero—whether that’s ending veteran homelessness in a community or driving systems change nationwide. I admire her clarity, conviction, and the way she leads with both humility and determination.

Dreama, by contrast, has influenced me through her deep commitment to place. Based in rural Appalachia, she has built Partners for Rural Impact around a clear sense of purpose and rootedness. I often find myself channeling her voice in conversations by asking, “What about rural?” — a reminder of her constant advocacy for communities that are too often overlooked. When we first met in 2017, she was initially skeptical, wary of organizations trying to exploit rural issues in the wake of Trump’s election. But that honesty laid the foundation for a strong partnership built on trust and shared purpose.

Both Roseanne and Dreama model clarity, conviction, and values-driven leadership. Their approaches — one focused on bold systems change, the other grounded in place-based commitment — continue to inspire how I think about my own leadership and the partnerships StriveTogether builds.

NationSwell: Are there any resources — books, reports, podcasts, articles — that have influenced your thinking professionally or personally? 

Blatz, StriveTogether: Lately I’ve been immersed in the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) by Gino Wickman. A year ago, I never would have imagined naming an operating model as something shaping my thinking, but implementing EOS has been transformative for StriveTogether. After our executive team read Traction, we began exploring how to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset while scaling — holding onto flexibility and innovation even as the organization grows.

For any organization in a growth phase, adaptive leadership is essential. Context matters, especially in place-based partnerships, and the past several years — from COVID to the racial reckoning to ongoing political shifts — have demanded constant adaptation. EOS has given us a structured system for doing that: clarifying priorities, identifying “rocks,” and making decisions with greater focus and alignment.

It may sound wonky, but it’s changing the way we work. By blending entrepreneurial thinking with disciplined systems, we’re better positioned to meet the moment and continue advancing our mission at scale.