In 2021, the inaugural Power of Place convening hosted by William Julius Wilson Institute (WJWI) at Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) brought 275 place-based leaders together at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Four years later, nearly three times as many leaders — including 450 first-time attendees — packed a ballroom at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego and the USS Midway overlooking San Diego Bay. What began as a modest gathering has grown into a national movement — one where the promise of place-based work is becoming a reality. The convening marked a milestone for WJWI, co-founded five years ago by HCZ CEO Kwame Owusu-Kesse and Founder and President Geoffrey Canada, to scale HCZ’s model and help transform communities nationwide.
“Across the country, communities from Harlem, NY to Berea, KY and beyond are looking to place-based, cradle-to-career strategies because they have shown real results,” said Christian Rhodes, Chief National Impact Officer at HCZ, addressing leaders from government, philanthropy, education, business, and community organizations representing:
- 160 cities
- 36 states
- 26 school systems
- 190 place-based organizations
Mr. Rhodes, who recently stepped into the role of leading HCZ’s National Impact Team — which includes WJWI, Practitioners Institute, Wealth Builds National Hub, and HCZ’s Policy arm — framed the convening’s theme: to open pathways to mobility for our young people, we must build a movement. This movement, he said, is “rooted in place, powered by communities, and anchored by a commitment to an audacious goal: put one million young people on the path to social and economic mobility.”
Power of Place: Pathways to Mobility brought together leaders for three days of inspirational keynotes, candid conversations, and community building — from honoring Ballmer Group’s Jeff Edmondson with the Founding Trailblazer Award to exploring the future of AI technology in place-based work, to a powerful evening aboard the USS Midway, with a surprise fireside chat featuring Actress, Producer, and CEO of Hoorae Media Issa Rae in conversation with Mr. Owusu-Kesse.
Keep reading to learn more about the impactful moments from Power of Place 2025!
Putting in Miles, Scaling the Movement
Eighty-three communities, 1,208,906 miles: that was the number of places the WJWI team visited, and the distance they traveled, over the last three years. It was all part of an effort and newly refined approach, Mr. Rhodes said, to support place-based partnerships across the country.
“We put in those miles because this work can’t be done from behind a desk,” he added in his keynote address. “You have to show up, listen, and walk alongside communities if you want lasting change.”
That work is a testament to the commitment of the WJWI team to help organizations adopt cradle-to-career strategies to better serve their communities. Those solutions are not top-down, but homegrown.
“Our job isn’t to be at the front of the room,” Mr Rhodes said. “We are here to tell your story, and to build a movement that lifts up communities all across this country.”
Redefining Success with ‘The Social Determinants of Thriving’
In 1940, 92 percent of children earned more than their parents. By 1980, it was 50 percent. Today, it’s about a third, according to Opportunity Insights. In his keynote address, Mr. Owusu-Kesse shared the story behind this trend: the American Dream is fading for millions of young people across the country.
Mr. Owusu-Kesse emphasized that to reverse this trend, it will take far more than good schools: It will take designing entire systems of support that can help children thrive, from the moment they are born to the moment they launch their careers.
“The social determinants of thriving demand that we move beyond survival to create the conditions for young people to flourish,” he said. “That means taking an integrated approach across education, health, housing, transportation, family structure, social capital, and economic opportunity.”
He called on leaders to move beyond silos and embrace comprehensive, place-based solutions — and to hold themselves to the same standard they would for their own children.
“Thriving is not optional,” he said. “It is the measure of whether we have done our jobs as leaders.”
Issa Rae Talks the Power of Storytelling and Representation
Power of Place was punctuated by an evening reception aboard the USS Midway featuring a surprise fireside chat between Mr. Owusu-Kesse and the award-winning Ms. Rae. She spoke about the power of representation, storytelling, and community in creating pathways to mobility.
“There’s something so powerful about seeing yourself reflected — it changes minds, it opens possibilities, and it gives young people the tools to tell their own stories,” she said.
The celebration also featured a performance by Sing Harlem and remarks from HCZ Promise Academy alumnus and graduate of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Jordan Hall, who shared how cradle-to-career support shaped his journey and empowered him to reach his dreams.
WJWI presented its 2025 Founding Trailblazer Award to Jeff Edmondson, Executive Director of Community Impact at Ballmer Group. For over two decades — including his earlier leadership at StriveTogether — Mr. Edmondson has been a driving force in building evidence-based, place-based strategies that help communities align resources, use data, and stay focused on results to improve outcomes for children and families nationwide.
Conversations That Moved the Field
Over three days, attendees engaged in inspiring conversations about how forces in America today — from corporate entities and sports franchises to AI technology and place-based partnerships — can drive social and economic mobility.
Day 2: Generational Change, Resilience, and Innovation
- Stanley Druckenmiller, Board Chair Emeritus at HCZ, joined Mr. Owusu-Kesse for a surprise fireside conversation, reflecting on why investing in place-based work — with children unwaveringly at the center — is one of the most powerful strategies for generational change.
- Larry Miller, Chairman of the Jordan Brand Advisory Board at Nike, shared his powerful journey growing up in West Philadelphia to leading one of the world’s most recognized brands. His story of resilience highlighted the importance of second chances and the responsibility of leaders to create opportunities for those often left behind.
- In a fireside chat, Ryan Patel, Global Business Executive and Board Director at the Drucker School of Management, joined Tarik Ward, Chief Operating Officer at HCZ, to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping the economy — and what it means for place-based work, from supporting young people in school to preparing them for the future workforce.
Day 3: Partnerships and Trust
- Dalila Wilson-Scott, Executive Vice President and Chief Impact and Inclusion Officer at Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation, joined Mr. Rhodes for a conversation on the role of corporate America in advancing mobility. She emphasized that authentic partnerships must go beyond philanthropy.
“This is not about checking a box,” Ms. Wilson-Scott said. “It’s about building relationships that last, and making communities feel welcome — and wanted.”
- Cecilia Gutierrez, Managing Director, Portfolio Lead at Blue Meridian Partners, moderated a conversation with Marland Cole, Executive Director of Evolve502, Mauricio Torre, Executive Vice President at SBCS, and Dr. Karen Matthews, President and CEO of Delta Health Alliance about the importance of aligning local industry, policy, and youth development in Kentucky, San Diego, Mississippi, and beyond.
- In the panel discussion, “Gamechangers: Sports Franchises and Pathways to Mobility,” Ay’Anna Moody, Executive Director of the Golden State Community Foundation, Kerry Watson, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the Baltimore Orioles, Genisha Metcalf, Partnerships Lead at the NBA Foundation, and Othello Meadows, Managing Director at Blue Meridian Partners, explored how professional sports franchises can drive impact by staying rooted in their communities and building trust through authenticity.
“We talk about global reach all the time, but for us, perpetual relevance starts in our communities,” said Ms. Moody. “If you’re not trusted at home, you can’t build impact anywhere else.”
Beyond the Stage: Convening the Field
Beyond the mainstage sessions, Power of Place 2025 underscored WJWI’s role as a national convener of the place-based cradle-to-career field.
ENOUGH Learning Community
The convening opened with a half-day community of practice that brought together more than 80 leaders from across Maryland to advance the implementation of the ENOUGH Act — the state’s groundbreaking commitment to ending child poverty through place-based strategies.
Carmel Martin, Maryland’s Special Secretary at the Governor’s Office for Children, emphasized that the initiative is “meeting the moment” despite current political challenges.
The session featured a fireside chat with Mr. Owusu-Kesse, reinforcing how the ENOUGH Act — seeded by HCZ’s model and Geoffrey Canada’s vision — is accelerating a national movement.
Strategic Gatherings
WJWI also convened a series of targeted meetings and sector-specific tracks to deepen collaboration, strengthen the field, and advance place-based strategies across geographies. Highlights included:
- The HCZ Board of Trustees convened for a private session, followed the next day by a joint meeting with philanthropic partners that featured a fireside chat between Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols and Mr. Rhodes about what a national framework for cradle-to-career success could look like — and how Tulsa’s promising example could help shape it.
- Seventeen young leaders from place-based organizations nationwide took part in a Youth Track, participating in the convening and deepening their understanding of the movement while building relationships with each other and leaders from across the country.
- More than 35 key stakeholders — including representatives from the Mayor’s Office, the school district, major philanthropies, and grassroots organizations from across the City of Philadelphia— gathered for a meet and greet to align on advancing place-based strategies in the city.
- The inaugural 2025 Education Leaders Design Fellowship brought together 11 school district leaders across ten states, representing over 273,000 students to learn about the fellowship’s theory of change, reflect on past place-based efforts in their district, and chart innovative paths forward..
- Promise Neighborhood grantees met with Westat, a U.S. Department of Education technical assistance provider — doubling as their annual in-person convening to connect, share progress, and strengthen their work ahead.
- Over 25 leaders from rural community colleges convened to explore strategies for advancing mobility in rural America, followed by a session that brought together rural leaders from across the country.
“How Many Geoffrey Canadas Have We Missed?”
In the final keynote address of Power of Place 2025, Mr. Canada issued a call to action that evoked his own story of growing up in the South Bronx — reminding attendees why cradle-to-career systems are non-negotiable.
“Without cradle to career, you could never save a kid like me,” Mr. Canada said. “How many Geoffrey Canadas have we missed because we didn’t catch them at five, or nine, or eleven?”
His message was clear: every child, at every stage, must be met with the comprehensive support they need to succeed. Mr. Canada’s words closed the convening with urgency and hope, reminding leaders that while no one can do this work alone, together this movement can change the odds for a generation.