Opportunities are not enough

by THE OLBIOS TEAM

How the Emerson Collective is removing barriers to opportunity so people can live to their full potential.

THE OLBIOS TEAM

The Emerson Collective is an organization dedicated to removing barriers to opportunity so people can live to their full potential. Established and led by Laurene Powell Jobs, they center on education, immigration reform, the environment, health, and other social justice initiatives. They use a wide range of tools and strategies—partnering with entrepreneurs and experts, parents and policymakers, advocates and administrators—to develop and execute innovative solutions that will spur change and promote equality.

Indeed, as Mrs Jobs puts it, ‘for people trapped in the quagmire of poverty and disenfranchisement, a strong will to overcome the odds is rarely sufficient to beat them. For the 22% of children born into poor neighborhoods in the U.S for instance, hard work will not likely be enough to overcome the obstacles they will face, including those that remain invisible to outsiders. For students in challenging environments—where schools are chronically short of funds, where advanced classes in high school are non-existent, where expectations are often low and mentors are few—force of will alone cannot ensure a college education and a bright future. And for families forced into the shadows by a dysfunctional immigration system, perseverance cannot secure legal status and equal rights’.