Building inclusive employment networks
Lasting change doesn’t happen in isolation. That’s why we build place-based ecosystems — networks of social enterprises, inclusive employers, public agencies, funders, and social service partners that expand opportunity for the people most excluded from the economy.
Why ecosystems? Because we know that individually, employment social enterprises — now spanning 42 states and D.C. — are strong. But when they activate within a region, their collective impact makes decisionmakers stop and take notice. Conventional employers widen their eyes to talent on whom they’ve been missing out. Legislators see models that are ripe for repetition. And whole communities feel change underfoot as families get their bounce back.
We’re focusing our ecosystem-building work in three regions at present — Los Angeles, Illinois, and Central Appalachia — each offering a unique path to scale.
Los Angeles
The nation’s most established ecosystem for supportive and inclusive employment.
Now, we’re helping ESEs and other inclusive employers to bid collectively for procurement contracts they might not be able to secure on their own.
Illinois
A fast-growing state ecosystem.
We’re working to embed the definition of ESEs into state law and so that preferred vendor opportunities and partnerships can be unlocked to help ESEs and inclusive employers scale and sustain their impact.
Appalachia
An emerging ecosystem with enormous potential.
We’re working to leverage catalytic and blended capital to incentivize the growth of more inclusive employers and expand the field throughout the region, with a special focus on Central Appalachia.
Our Approach
Strong ecosystems grow when the right conditions are in place, and when people, capital, and policy move together.
We use five reinforcing levers to help ecosystems thrive:
INVEST WISELY: We pair grants to learn, public dollars to scale, and repayable capital to engage a broader range of inclusive employers.
UNLOCK CAPITAL: Through compelling evidence and policy wins, we help attract new public and private investment. Â
BUILD CAPACITY: We help ESEs strengthen financial sustainability while improving outcomes for the people they employ.
CONNECT COMMUNITY: We work to build trust, collaboration, and shared identity among ESE leaders and other stakeholders.
INFLUENCE POLICY: We help codify ESEs in law, cultivate procurement opportunities, and shape supportive employment policies.
Applied over time and in the right regional context, these levers reinforce one another and drive lasting systems change.
Get InvolvedÂ
Join one of our policy coalitions
The coalition is open to ESEs, advocates, and organizations committed to advancing inclusive employment policy in our focus regions and nationwide.
Apply for repayable capital
Through Roberts Impact Investing Fund, we offer loans to ESEs and inclusive and supportive employers to help grow their businesses and improve their outcomes.
Partner with us
We’re seeking partners to strengthen our ecosystems, and work to build new opportunities. Let us know what you’re looking to do, where you’re located, and where our aspirations might align.
