Building the Pathways Impact Fund: Expanding Opportunities for Young People

Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of leading the development of the Pathways Impact Fund (PIF) at StriveTogether . As the inaugural executive director, I am both humbled and energized by the opportunity to shape something with the potential to transform how young people connect their education to meaningful careers. 

At its core, the Pathways Impact Fund is designed to increase the number of students who are prepared with the skills and experiences that lead to good jobs and economic mobility. We’re mobilizing resources to support successful regions to accelerate and expand high-quality pathways that include advising, accelerated coursework, career-connected learning, and credentials of value. By pooling investments, we can reduce fragmentation across the field, streamline funding and provide a greater level of supports to communities working toward shared priorities.  

Why does this matter? Too often, students encounter fragmented systems — education, training, and workforce programs that don’t always connect to regional employer needs or good paying jobs. That leaves many young people without the skills, credentials, or networks they need to thrive in today’s rapidly changing economy. The Pathways Impact Fund is designed to change that reality. We will support the scale of high-quality pathways, elevate bright spots in the field, and create a shared learning hub so communities can build on what works and ensure more young people are on a path to economic mobility. 

What excites me most is the impact this work can have at scale. Together with our partners, we’re building an effort that: 

• Expands direct student impact through grants to regional intermediaries. 
• Elevates learning across the field by identifying promising models, curating best practices and uplifting innovative approaches 
• Strengthens alignment between K–12, postsecondary, and workforce systems to ensure students can transition seamlessly from classroom to career. 

This week, I’ll be sharing more about this vision at StriveTogether’s Cradle to Career Network Convening during the Thursday morning plenary. I’ll be joined by amazing colleagues in the field as we dig into what it takes to do this work well, the enabling conditions for scale, and why this moment is unique in advancing pathways for young people. 

Every young person deserves a future where their potential is limitless. That’s the promise of the Pathways Impact Fund, and I couldn’t be more excited to carry this work forward.