The Missing Workforce: How Impact Capital Can Unlock Millions of Jobs

The U.S. is experiencing a workforce paradox—while employers struggle to fill jobs, millions of capable individuals remain locked out of economic opportunity due to systemic barriers. This panel will explore how impact capital can unlock an untapped workforce by investing in justice reform, Indigenous-led education pathways, and disability-inclusive employment models.

Featuring Noella Sudbury (Rasa), Jeff Cyr (Raven Indigenous Capital), and Gina Kline (Enable Ventures), this session will highlight innovative funding mechanisms that expand workforce access and drive economic growth while generating meaningful social and financial returns.

Key Topics & Discussion Points:
✅ The Workforce Participation Gap – Who is Being Left Behind?
– Overview of major workforce barriers: criminal records, lack of educational pathways, and disability exclusion.
– Economic impact: How removing these barriers could contribute billions to the economy.
– The role of impact investors, philanthropic capital, and public-private partnerships in bridging these gaps.

✅ The Power of Capitalizing Criminal Record Expungement (Noella Sudbury – Rasa)

– 70-100 million Americans have a criminal record—many for minor, nonviolent offenses.
– 9 out of 10 employers conduct background checks, creating a lasting economic barrier.
– Rasa’s model: Using tech-driven, automated expungement to scale impact and unlock new workforce opportunities.
– Individuals with expunged records earn, on average, 22% more than individuals with records.
– The financial case for investing in clean slate policies—lower recidivism rates, reduced public assistance reliance, increased upward mobility for individuals and families, and increased tax revenue.

✅ Outcomes-Based Financing for Indigenous Education and Workforce Equity (Jeff Cyr – Raven Indigenous Capital)

– Indigenous communities face systemic barriers to education and employment, leading to disproportionate economic exclusion.
– Raven Indigenous Capital’s approach: Using outcomes-based financing to fund culturally relevant education, entrepreneurship, and career pathways.
– Case studies on how social impact bonds and community-led investment strategies are driving sustainable workforce inclusion.

✅ Universal Design and the Disability Workforce Opportunity (Gina Kline – Enable Ventures)

– 61 million U.S. adults live with a disability, but only 19% are employed.
– Designing for disability first isn’t just inclusion—it’s innovation.
– Enable Ventures’ strategy: Investing in startups and scalable solutions that create tech-enabled, accessible workplaces for all.
– Why companies that prioritize disability inclusion outperform their peers in revenue growth, profit margins, and innovation.

Why This Matters for Impact Investors:
– Investing in these overlooked populations presents a $1 trillion+ economic opportunity.
– Blended finance models (social impact bonds, public-private partnerships, concessionary capital) can drive long-term change.
– Aligning investments with workforce expansion generates both financial returns and measurable social impact.

Takeaways for the Audience:
✔ Understanding where the biggest workforce barriers exist and how to address them with capital and policy innovation.
✔ Actionable insights on funding models that expand access—from record expungement to Indigenous-led education initiatives and disability-inclusive employment.
✔ A roadmap for impact investors to deploy capital in ways that maximize both economic growth and social equity.