NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

This Year’s Theme: The Power of Us

At Horizons, The Power of Us means:

• All of us are at the table. That means bold leaders, bipartisan policymakers, big thinkers from top companies, Gen Z learners and innovators at the start of their careers, people who are often systemically excluded from education and the workforce, and people who can share first-hand experiences of navigating our systems.
• We center our commonality, not our divisions. We hear from people from all walks of life and from both sides of the aisle, centering a person-first experience that allows us to listen and learn from each other.
• We break down the silos that separate practitioners from policymakers, and corporations from communities. We commit to a future that is equity-centered and data-informed. We agree to take big, bold action to solve our biggest problems—together.
• We make recommendations guided by our North Star: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.

We celebrate and leverage the common thread that connects all of us: a dedication to creating a better life for the nation’s learners and workers. That’s The Power of Us: identifying our common goals, and committing to collaboration toward big, meaningful systems change and equitable economic advancement for all.