Youth Rising: Fellows & Future Architects of Equity (Issue 1)

By Dr. Shane Nelson

The Shift | Issue 1 – Building Youth Power

Equity Unleashed Fellows

Who are they, where are they now, and where are they going?

Remember the last time someone asked you to reimagine your entire community's economy? Neither did we. Then we met our Equity Unleashed Fellows.

LeadersUp built the Equity Unleashed platform in response to research from the Brookings Institution, which noted that only a few young adults feel empowered to create economic change. We have spent several years researching, convening, and developing ways to enrich the lives of young adults, fostering their own economic growth. We gained powerful clarity into our six dimensions of economic empowerment: the learner, the worker, the consumer, the saver, the community member, and the entrepreneur. While that clarity is helpful and knowing where growth is possible refines our strategies, we knew we had to do more.

As the Director of Youth Engagement and Economic Empowerment, I receive the soul-nurturing gift of building on my career, listening to the needs of young adults, and practicing the compassionate alchemy to bring necessary support to life. My research agenda lies at the intersection of what it takes for organizations to make students feel like they belong while advancing in their career journey. Merging critical research with practical actions was my unique offering to our cohort of Equity Unleashed fellows.

Our inaugural fellows accepted a bold promise: partner with LeadersUp to drive youth-led economic empowerment. This summer, we trained them in participatory action research (PAR), a method that shifts power from trained researchers to community members and their knowledge.

What happened when we had them tap their radical imagination?

Each fellow crafted their own vision for economic empowerment through a capstone concept:

These blueprints are ready. The transformation starts now.

We invite you to continue following their work as they embark on their fellowship journey over the next few months. To amplify their brilliance, we will have our Equity Unleashed Fellows co-facilitate learning sessions, participate in our Los Angeles Economic Empowerment Alliance, and present their refined capstone ideas. 

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Dr. Shane Nelson is the Director of Youth Engagement and Economic Empowerment at LeadersUp, merging critical research with practical actions for our portfolio of young adult programming.