Cross Sector Collaboration is Crucial to the Opportunity Crisis
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of posts about the Opportunity Summit
By Angela Richardson, 2014 ProInspire Fellow
“WE GOT THIS!” was the mantra heard throughout the Opportunity Summit on February 26th. The constant reminder of “we got this” stood out like a sore thumb to me, especially as it relates to collective impact. Speaking of which, what is collective impact? Collective impact is the commitment of individuals, communities and organizations from different sectors to join together for a common agenda to tackle and solve a specific social problem. In the case of the Opportunity Summit, the social problem being addressed was the urgent crisis of youth unemployment and its impact on opportunity in America. Business leaders, nonprofits, young people, educators, institutions and even elected officials all banded together on this day to celebrate the progress of such collective impact work and to hone in on what else could be done to create greater success.
Angela Richardson and Tracy Williams at the Opportunity Summit
Blair Taylor, the chief community officer at Starbucks, truly made it clear as to why collaboration across sectors is crucial and good for business. He stated that our nation is currently operating under a false premise – that we have to have poor people; there are just not enough resources. He then went on to say that this is nonsense and that we must focus on investing in our human capital by creating pathways to opportunity. Mr. Taylor offered four powerful points that would lead our nation into unlocking the future of opportunity together:
- The 21st century has to be demand driven. It has to be about jobs and opening up economic opportunity.
- We have to see diversity as our greatest strength, as it leads to better solutions.
- We have to get out of the box – collaborate with each other and share ideas.
- We cannot wait for the government. We cannot expect them to solve this problem. The big ideas need to come from us.
Mr. Taylor’s points are very much aligned with ProInspire’s mission: to develop leaders at all levels for organizations addressing the world’s greatest challenges. Being a part of such a profound mission gives me hope that collaboration cross sectors is seen as a vital approach that garners real results and positive outcomes for our nation as a whole.
2014 ProInspire Fellow Angela Richardson serves as the Development Associate for America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest partnership devoted to helping create the conditions for success for all young people. Angela graduated with a BA in Journalism from Howard University and a Master’s in Social Work from Temple University. Follow her on Twitter: @simplyange__.