Lead The Shift: A Message from the President’s Office (Vol. 1, No. 1)

By Jeffery Wallace

The Shift | Vol. 1, No. 1 – Building Youth Power

I am honored to host Lead the Shift, part of our new newsletter and interview series, where we speak plainly about the truth of this moment: young people are not simply inheriting the future, they are creating it.

Our first conversation is with Janai Valentine, an inaugural Equity Unleashed Fellow. Janai carries the urgency and clarity of a generation that knows tomorrow is not promised. As she reminds us, “Our futures are not guaranteed unless we take them into our own hands. We have to come together, build community, and reclaim our power.”

That is the heart of The Shift. At LeadersUp, we know poverty cannot be programmed away. Power must be built. Power is only real when safety is normalized, opportunity is equitable, and power is shared.

This newsletter is not about one voice; it is about a chorus. It is about leaders across our organization stepping forward to imagine, to design, and to demand an economy that is future-proof because it belongs to all of us.

Here is what I invite you to do:

• Watch Janai’s full interview. Her vision and her courage will stir you.

• Engage across The Shift. Each section offers strategies and stories that push us to reimagine education, work, and economic possibility.

• Join us. Whether you invest capital, design policy, or employ talent, your role is not neutral. You can choose to sustain the old order, or you can help build the new.

As Baldwin wrote, “The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in.”

That is what The Shift represents. That is what LeadersUp is building. And that is why we ask you to journey with us.

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Jeffery Wallace is the President and CEO at LeadersUp, driving our mission to build a future-proof economy where everyone can learn, earn, and thrive.