Byron Auguste

About Byron Auguste

In my two childhood \"hometowns\" of Detroit, Michigan, and Phoenix, Arizona, I have many family members and friends who’ve found themselves stuck—neither able to contribute their full talent, nor to be rewarded for them. As an economist, I see such a waste of talent as a classic market failure. That’s why, in 2015, following my service in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, I was inspired to launch Opportunity@Work. Our work rises above politics. I have yet to meet a mayor or governor (of either party) who doesn’t want to bring more good jobs to her or his communities. And in every region of the country, I hear the same thing from business (“we can’t find the skills we need”) and from hard working people struggling to break into better paying jobs (“I know what I can do, but no one will give me a chance”). Re-wiring the U.S labor market to end this damaging market failure is my mission today, and every day, as the Opportunity@Work team, our outstanding partners, and I work to rewire the U.S. labor market so that all individuals Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. In the next decade, Opportunity@Work aims to enable at least 1 million working adults in America to translate their learning into earning – generating a $20 billion boost in annual earnings. Join us—as we make this vision a reality.

Experience

1. CEO & Co-founder

   Opportunity@Work

   Jan 2017 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Opportunity@Work is a nonprofit social enterprise whose mission is to expand access to career opportunities for STARs - the 70+ million talented U.S. workers who are “Skilled Through Alternative Routes,” rather than a bachelor\'s degree. Over the decade, we want to empower over 1 million STARs to realize their talents and boost their own earnings by over $20 billion annually.We are rewiring the labor market to help employers screen-in talent based on skills - instead of screening out based on arbitrary bachelor\'s degree requirements. Opportunity@Work develops data and technology solutions that bridge the gap between employers, talent developers and STARs, such as our Stellarworx marketplace platform. Our landmark research on STARs has been cited by the Federal Reserve, MIT, Brookings, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg, WIRED and more.

Education

• University of Oxford

  DPhil.

  1991 — 1993

• Yale University

  B.A.

  1985 — 1989

• University of Oxford

  MPhil.

  1989 — 1991

Skills

• Private Equity
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Entrepreneurship
• Start-Ups
• Research
• Strategic Partnerships
• Program Management
• Public Policy
• Finance
• Venture Capital
• Leadership Development
• Strategic Planning
• Business Strategy
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Nonprofits
• International Trade
• Fundraising
• Strategy
• Management Consulting
• Corporate Development
• Macroeconomics
• Leadership
• Policy Analysis
• Policy
• Economics