Experience & Education
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Columbia University in the City of New York
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Jenny Stojkovic
Jenny Stojkovic
Brand partnerships, contact: jenny@thedriveagency.co<br><br>I didn’t grow up with CEO parents or family connections that opened doors.<br><br>There were no private school tuitions, trust funds, or summer internships at Fortune 500 companies waiting for me. There were no legacy Ivy League admissions, financial safety nets, or dinner table conversations about stock markets and business deals. <br><br>I grew up in a working-class family in Canada, where success wasn’t handed to you — it was built from the ground up. My parents worked tirelessly to create a better life, and from a young age, I understood that the world doesn’t just offer opportunities. <br><br>You have to create them. And that’s exactly what I did.<br><br>That mindset fueled my drive to push boundaries, take risks, and never accept the status quo.<br><br>When I arrived in Silicon Valley sight unseen, I was captivated by the energy of innovation — the bold ideas, the ambition, the belief that anything was possible. But as I climbed the ranks, eventually leading global policy work for Google, Meta, and Airbnb, I couldn’t ignore what was missing:<br><br>Far too few women in leadership. Even fewer in the rooms where major investment decisions were being made.<br><br>It wasn’t just an oversight. It was a structural problem. And I couldn’t accept a future where the most important industries were being built without diverse leadership. If we want a better world, we need better leaders. <br><br>So instead of waiting for change, I decided to help create it. I built a global media brand to spotlight and support the next generation of female founders and was featured on Good Morning America, Fortune, Fast Company, and more.<br><br>What began as a grassroots initiative grew into a movement, bringing together thousands of entrepreneurs, executives, and investors around a shared vision for a more inclusive and innovative future.<br><br>Beyond the platform, I’ve dedicated my career to backing founders and challenging outdated systems. As an investor, I founded Joyful VC, a $23M fund investing in bold, values-aligned entrepreneurs. As a speaker, I’ve shared stages with global leaders at TEDx, SXSW, and corporate giants like Salesforce and Pinterest. As an author, I wrote The Future of Food is Female, a book amplifying visionaries who are redefining how we innovate.<br><br>But this is bigger than me. It’s bigger than any one company, book, or speech. This is about reshaping industries, breaking down barriers, and proving that leadership isn’t just for those with legacy access, it’s for those willing to build what’s next.
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Efrem Bycer
How do we build pathways to opportunity when AI, automation, and climate change are reshaping our economy? This op-ed in Next City from Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation's President & CEO Lindsay Greene clearly articulates this challenge and what possible solutions could look like that effectively connect learning and working. First, I appreciate Lindsay mentioning climate change in the same sentence as AI in terms of trends transforming the world of work. AI gets a lot of attention in the moment, but climate change/energy transition have been and will continue to be another driving force independent of and increasingly intertwined with the rise of AI. Our work on green skills across the labor market shows just how broad and deep its impact on work is and will be. Second, Lindsay's call to look beyond academic learning is exactly what we need to think about. Work-based learning is essential for helping students apply the knowledge and skills they gain in the classroom and in the workplace. In the end, it's knowing how to apply skills and knowledge that counts. And certifications and other non-degree credentials can help workers better articulate and validate the skills they have to fill jobs in-demand jobs that may otherwise go unfilled. The Brooklyn STEAM Center provides a promising example. Third, this only works through public-private partnerships where employers, educators, and policymakers work hand-in-hand. Putting all the onus on schools dismissed the role that business can and must play, particularly as most workers will undergo this transformation in the context of their jobs. Taking a step back, it feels more and more that employers are putting a premium on experience (and the networks and judgment that come with it). The models Lindsay describes are all about ensuring students having some amount useful and recognized experience when they graduate. Read the op-ed here: https://lnkd.in/gkWdwzPX #workforcedevelopment #wkdev #skills #careerpathways #learning #skillsbasedhiring
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Sunil Casuba
Honored to join this conversation on AI equity and protecting our children’s futures. Full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eFYejT-7 On the podcast, I shared a simple truth: If educators and community leaders aren’t shaping how AI is used, we will bake bias into the future. In this clip, I emphasize that AI can only be fair if the data behind it reflects every community — not just the loudest or most resourced ones. When we include teachers, local leaders, and diverse voices: ✔️ AI becomes more accurate ✔️ Education becomes more inclusive ✔️ Opportunity gaps shrink instead of widen AI should lift communities — not leave them behind. Would love to hear your thoughts after watching.
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