a16z Podcast

a16z Podcast: Collectively Driving Change

May 27, 2019

Laurene Powell Jobs, founder of the Emerson Collective, discusses her journey from humble beginnings in New Jersey to becoming a leader in social impact. She shares how her youth experiences shaped her commitment to philanthropy and social justice. The conversation also delves into the necessity of innovative solutions in education and the role of collective action in addressing systemic disparities. Powell Jobs emphasizes the importance of community engagement and creative approaches to drive meaningful change across various sectors.

38:41

Creator website

Episode guests

Laurene Powell Jobs

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

4min

A Journey from Humble Beginnings to Ivy League Success

2min

A Youthful Catalyst for Social Justice

2min

Shaping Futures: The Impact of Personal Experience

8min

Innovative Approaches to Education and Entrepreneurship

2min

Collective Solutions for Education Reform

22min

with Laurene Powell Jobs (@LaurenePowell) and Ben Horowitz (@bhorowitz)

Laurene Powell Jobs is, among many other things, founder and President of the Emerson Collective -- the social impact firm she founded to drive change and reform through philanthropy, investing, and policy solutions. In this episode of the a16z Podcast, Ben Horowitz interviews Powell Jobs on everything from what made her who she was, growing up in the working class rural hills of New Jersey, to how the Emerson Collective does what it does (and why it's a collective, for that matter). What motivates the investments the Emerson Collective makes—and what do they all share in common, across such a broad range of areas, from education to immigration to media?

This conversation originally took place at our annual innovation a16z Summit in November 2018 — which features a16z speakers and invited experts from various organizations discussing innovation at companies small and large.