America’s Employers: The New Engines to the Middle-Class

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Lisa Schumacher, Director of Education Strategies & Workforce Policy at McDonald's Corporation; Maria Anguiano, Senior Advisor at Arizona State University; Maria Flynn, President & CEO at Jobs for the Future; Ryan Stowers, Senior Vice President at Stand Together; and Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse.

The speakers explored how, amid stagnating college attendance and completion rates, more individuals are entering the workforce early to avoid student debt—shifting the responsibility for career growth and education to employers. They discussed how frontline roles in industries like fast food, skilled trades, and customer service are becoming powerful platforms for learning and advancement. The session highlighted how employers are creating meaningful pathways to upward mobility, playing a vital role in reshaping the workforce and rebuilding the middle class.