Leading up to Jobs for the Future’s (JFF) 2023 Horizons summit, JFF’s fourth annual Impact Employer Summit brought together more than 60 senior-level corporate leaders in an effort to move toward more expansive and equitable career opportunities and advancement. These visionary leaders represented 46 companies, 20 industries, and over 5 million workers in the United States alone.
I too felt such a deep sense of community bound together with common belief and common resolve. We are the guardians at the gate of economic opportunity alive at a time when we can open those gates more fully than they’ve ever been opened before. What an opportunity and responsibility to be handed!
Aneesh Raman, Vice President, Head of The Opportunity Project, LinkedIn
Together, this powerhouse group of changemakers spent the day exploring how companies can create real, lasting change for workers and contribute to a more inclusive and resilient future of work. The insights and opportunities that surfaced at the Summit were inspiring and energizing—many of which we’ll share with you as “digital snapshots” throughout the coming months, so be sure to keep an eye out.
As I think about the power and energy in that room I left encouraged about the work ahead. Looking forward to next year’s summit. It was truly enlightening to be in a room of like-minded leaders, passionate about addressing the groundwater inequities.
Earvin Young, Sam's Club
Insights
Until then, we encourage you to take a look at three crucial insights that stand out as key takeaways in the wake of the Impact Employer Summit:
Our path forward must center humanity.
The world of work is shifting quickly. As things speed up, we are taking the opportunity to slow down, invest in worker voice and agency, and connect solutions to the people we seek to positively impact.
Resistance is real—but you can overcome it.
We understand not everyone is on board with the change you’re driving. Our job is to invite in those with a role to play on the journey we’re setting out to lead.
We can—and must—help each other.
We’re building this movement together as a community of business leaders. Our work is critical to the strength and effectiveness of the broader ecosystem of players—from education providers to policymakers to workers and learners themselves.
For those who weren’t able to join us in New Orleans, stay tuned for exciting content that we’ll be sharing later this fall so you can still catch the most salient takeaways. In the meantime, know that JFF is here and eager to help you in this work, and we will continue to serve as a convener of this community. You can learn more about what we do—and how we do it—here.
Content Library
Impact Employer Summit Panel
Changemaker Spotlights
Inspiring stories from leaders making a difference
Keynote Speakers
“Influence & Inclusivity: Using Your Power as a Leader to Enable Widespread Career Mobility”
FeaturingJames White,Chairman of the Board at The Honest Company, former CEO, Jamba Juice, and best-selling author, in conversation withShari Eaton, Chief People Officer, Chobani.
“Designing the Future of the Workplace: How to enact inclusivity and organizational success in an era of innovation”
FeaturingEllen McGirt, Senior Editor, Fortune and “RaceAhead” columnist in conversation withAneesh Raman, Vice President, Head of The Opportunity Project, LinkedIn.
Jobs for the Future (JFF) is a national nonprofit that drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all.