Lots of people talk about the wage gap. Not many people have a real, clear-cut solution to close that sucker. Well, meet Majora Carter, the founder of StartUp Box.
One of the main contributors to the wage gap is women’s access to high-paying, high-satisfaction STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) jobs. In fact, men are more than twice as likely to have a job in STEM. The numbers are even more dismal for women of color.
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But Majora Carter has an elegant solution. Bring high-tech, entry-level, quality assurance software and customer care jobs back into the United States from overseas and locate these jobs right in the middle of under-served communities where untapped talent is already looking for work and show them a path to work their way up. The American Dream.
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It’s an idea so good, SheKnows, in our first-ever contest for The Pitch, awarded Carter the top honors at BlogHer15.
“I realized as a community developer that there are plenty of talented people in low-income communities of color — like my neighborhood in the South Bronx, where they’re not having an easy time getting into the tech world,” Carter says about her inspiration for StartUp Box. “So we wanted to create entry-level jobs with career ladders.”
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Job training for the future in communities that desperately need economic development? Brilliant.
It’s an idea Carter calls “urban onshoring” and it solves all sorts of problems for businesses, communities and families. Plus, it’s totally patriotic to bring jobs back to America that have gone overseas. She’s really smart. SheKnows isn’t the first to recognize Carter for her brains; in fact she was a MacArthur “genius” Fellow in addition to all sorts of other really impressive accolades.
So, if you’re looking to be inspired today, take the time to watch and learn a little more about Majora Carter, one lovely genius with an idea big enough to change lives.
What does it take to change someone’s mind? To convince them to buy a product, modify their daily routine or completely make over their lives? Could you sell someone on an idea in under 60 seconds? We invite you to try. But remember — the clock is ticking.To participate in The Pitch or recommend someone you know, contact us at [email protected].
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