The Next Jobs
•The news this week of Steve Jobs’ passing set off reflections on the impact he had on American life and the path he took to becoming one of the great inventors and businessmen of our time. A path that included dropping out of college, into counterculture, and always honing his creativity.
The NYT’s David Brooks paid tribute Friday by lamenting “innovation stagnation” and asking where the next great inventors and entrepreneurs may be coming from. Diversity and “culture clash” set powerful innovation in motion. He thinks the next great leaders may come from “hip-hop”, and I think he might be right. Not just the moguls of today, like Jay-Z or our Leadership Council member Russell Simmons, but the next generation who will take their creativity into unforeseen directions.
Great American jobs will come from the next Great American Jobs, and we have to nurture the next generation of students and entrepreneurs to get them both. That is why Opportunity Nation is talking about education policy and increasing financial services access in underserved communities, alongside other strategies. Most importantly, it is why Opportunity Nation has been listening to young people since the campaign began, from classrooms to community centers and on stage.
