Leading on Opportunity

?? Exciting News from Leading on Opportunity! ?? We are proud to announce our support for the Center for Community Transitions as they celebrate 50 years of transforming lives! ?? Join us in honoring their incredible work at the 50th Anniversary Gala, where we recognize the power of second chances in building a brighter future for our community. ????Purchase individual tickets, table (8), or sponsorships?here:?https://lnkd.in/e6cYCZQq Research from Raj Chetty shows that access to second chances—like the programs CCT offers—directly improves economic mobility. In Charlotte, this means giving people the support they need to thrive, reducing barriers for families, and creating stronger, more inclusive opportunities for everyone. ???? Together, we’re helping make Charlotte a place where everyone can succeed. #SecondChances #Reentry #EconomicMobility #OpportunityInsights

?? Ready to drive economic mobility through data? Join Leading on Opportunity and CFLeads for an insightful webinar: Transforming Data into Action: Unlocking Potential with Opportunity Insights! Dive into the powerful Opportunity Atlas tool developed by Opportunity Insights. Learn how community foundations can leverage this resource to make a real impact on economic mobility in their communities. ?? Wednesday, October 23, 2024 ? 1:30 – 2:45 p.m. Eastern / 10:30 – 11:45 a.m. Pacific ?? Register now and be part of this crucial conversation: https://lnkd.in/ePXVMtGA #EconomicMobility #CommunityImpact #OpportunityInsights #LeadingonOpportunity #CFLeads #DataDrivenChange

Yesterday @ LOO with our director of research, AJ Calhoun: "Huge thanks to Leonard Brock from CF Leads (and Fellow Charlottean) for giving Foundation For The Carolinas and Leading on Opportunity shout out in today's Urban Institute Upward Mobility Data Dashboard Launch! ??" We're excited to have such strong partnerships with support from the Urban Institute and CF Leads in the expansion of our data work! #EconomicMobility #Charlotte #UrbanInstitute

This Weekend Leading on Opportunity // It was a pleasure to join peers Vanessa Sencherey and Kristen Howard at the 22nd Annual UNCF Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Luncheon! Special thanks to UNCF Charlotte for having us!

In the wake of Hurricane Helene's devastation, our hearts go out to the families and communities impacted by this catastrophic storm. From Western North Carolina to Upstate South Carolina and throughout the Southeast, many lives have been upended, homes destroyed and neighborhoods left in turmoil. We recognize that the recovery from such a disaster will take time, effort and resources. One way to help is by supporting local nonprofits that can quickly deploy funding in the areas most impact. Linked in comments is a growing list of organizations leading the charge. Remember, if you are an FFTC fundholder, you can give directly from your donor advised fund to these efforts. We will keep you posted as we collaborate with our partners on how we can best support our neighbors during this time of great need.

??Gratitude to an Exceptional Team: Rachel Sutherland Communications ?? We at Leading on Opportunity want to extend our deepest thanks to Rachel Sutherland and the entire team at Rachel Sutherland Communications for their extraordinary work in communications and event planning during this season’s initiatives, highlighting Changing Opportunity and Economic Mobility here in Charlotte. ?? From day one, the RSC team not only aligned seamlessly with our mission and values, but they brought a level of dedication that made all the difference. Every event, meeting, and campaign was approached through a justice lens — a critical component in the work we do to address systemic barriers to economic mobility. ?? Their ability to treat every detail with care, precision, and integrity made each of our events not only successful but impactful. Whether it was managing complex logistics, shaping our messaging, or ensuring that our community's voice was at the center of everything, the RSC team executed every aspect with perfection. ?? This work is about more than just events — it’s about changing lives and ensuring that every voice has a seat at the table. Thank you, Rachel, and the RSC team, for your unwavering commitment to making this possible. Here’s to more collaborative successes in the future! ??? #Gratitude #EconomicMobility #CommunicationsExcellence #EventPlanning #CharlotteCommunity

?? Thank You to Equitable Foundation & Community Members! ?? On behalf of Leading on Opportunity, we are deeply grateful to everyone who attended last week’s Policy and Nonprofit/Grassroots Economic Mobility Roundtables. Your presence and engagement were vital to the event’s success as we continue our shared journey toward advancing economic mobility in our community. A special thank you to Jarian Kerekes, Stephanie Joncas, and Dheepa Johnston with Equitable Foundation for their generous support to make these events possible. A warm thank you to Community Matters Café for graciously hosting us in their space. We were so fortunate to have incredible insights from our esteemed panelists. ?? Policy Panelists and Support ?? ? Joe Bost with Charlotte Regional Business Alliance ?Dr. Raj Chetty with Opportunity Insights ?Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio ?City of Charlotte Councilmember Ed Driggs ?Tonya Jameson with Leading on Opportunity ?N.C. State Representative Brandon Lofton ?School Board District 4 Chair Stephanie Sneed ?? NPO/Grassroots Panelists and Support?? Erin Barbee with DreamKey Partners Hannah Beavers with Freedom Communities Dr. Virginia Covill with Leading on Opportunity Kathryn Firmin-Sellers with United Way of Greater Charlotte Dr. Govan-Hunt with National Black Child Development Institute Charlotte Sarah Oppenheimer with Opportunity Insights Men Tchaas Ari, MPA with Communities In Schools of Charlotte Mecklenburg, Inc Your perspectives, ideas, and expertise are critical as we work together to create meaningful solutions for economic change and ensuring opportunity for all. We look forward to continuing these important conversations and putting ideas into action! Want to revisit the events? Check out the gallery of images from the events, beautifully captured by Loyd Visuals ??? #EconomicMobility #CommunityCollaboration #NonprofitLeadership #GrassrootsImpact #OpportunityForAll #LeadingOnOpportunity #CharlotteCommunity #EquitableFuture

?? Thank You to Bank of America and Novant Health?? We at Leading on Opportunity are deeply grateful to everyone who attended and supported last week’s panel titled Charlotte's Economic Mobility: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow. Your presence and engagement were vital to the event’s success as we continue our shared journey toward advancing economic mobility in our community. The Power of cross-sector collaboration was tangible this past week and we personally extend gratitude for support from: ?? Andrea Smith, Hugh McColl, Grace Landin Nystrum and Jennifer DeWitt with Bank of America. ?? Kim Henderson and Kristen Howard with Novant Health We were also so fortunate to have incredible insights from our esteemed panelists and panel support: ?Dr. Raj Chetty with Opportunity Insights ?Mr. Hugh McColl with Bank of America ?Andrea Smith with Bank of America ?Charles Thomas with Knight Foundation ?Astrid Chirinos with YMCA of Greater Charlotte ?Kristen Howard with Novant Health ?Dee O'Dell with U.S. Bank Your perspectives, ideas, and expertise are critical as we work together to create meaningful solutions for economic change and ensuring opportunity for all. We look forward to continuing these important conversations and putting ideas into action! Want to revisit the events? Check out the gallery of images from the events, beautifully captured by Loyd Visuals ??? #EconomicMobility #CommunityCollaboration #NonprofitLeadership #GrassrootsImpact #OpportunityForAll #LeadingOnOpportunity #CharlotteCommunity #EquitableFuture

We at Leading on Opportunity are proud to see our work and the work of this community featured this morning in Dr. Raj Chetty's Op-Ed in the New York Times. ? Words of note: "A local example of making opportunity an explicit focus is the city of Charlotte, N.C., which in a 2014 research report ranked 50th of the 50 largest cities in America in kids’ chances of rising out of poverty. When that data came out, the city responded by bringing together business leaders, nonprofits and government to form a commission tasked with creating opportunity. It produced numerous investments in childhood programs and changes in local policies and hiring practices, which have in part contributed to a turnaround. Charlotte is now among the cities in which economic mobility is rising most quickly in America — demonstrating that opportunity can change." ?? Read the full Op-Ed Here: https://lnkd.in/eyPVynzu

Last Week @ LOO // ?? National Harbor, Maryland ?? We were honored to participate in the impactful #ProsperitySummit2024 ?? A huge thanks to AJ Calhoun and Tonya Jameson for leading such a powerful discussion on bridging community voice with data to advance economic mobility. Special thanks to co-presenters Natalie Madeira Cofield and Lori Diane Smith, PhD. Their insights have ignited new energy and perspectives on how to create lasting change. ?? Engaging with over 1,500 dedicated professionals, all working towards financial stability and prosperity for everyone, was truly inspiring. It reaffirmed the importance of collaboration across sectors to tackle financial insecurity and inequality head-on. Now, it's time to take what we've learned and continue building a brighter future for our communities. Let’s keep the momentum going! #EconomicMobility #ProsperitySummit #LeadingOnOpportunity #FinancialStability #CommunityImpact #PostSummitReflection