The Charles Koch Foundation collaborates with “social entrepreneurs to remove the barriers that prevent people from reaching their potential.”

“A lot of individuals face extreme difficulty, real barriers that prevent them from reaching their potential. Charles Koch is a philanthropy that’s working to stimulate, to invest, to catalyze ways in which we can help to break down some of those barriers that people face,” says Ryan Stowers, executive director of the foundation.

Stowers says it’s important for people to find self-actualization in their work and says the foundation finds kindred thinking at the ASU+GSV Summit. “Why we’ve got a big team here is that we don’t have all the answers. We’re the first to admit that we’re learning. And we’re excited about the entrepreneurial spirit we see in this space where barriers are being broken down, because people are again discovering innovative ways to individualize learning and individualize the connection between learning and work, and helping people get empowered in ways where they can do incredible things.”

Click here to learn more about the Charles Koch Foundation.

WorkingNation—a collaborating partner of the ASU+GSV Summit—talked with Stowers in San Diego as part of our #WorkingNationOverheard social media series.

Hear from more innovators in education and tech in the public, private, and nonprofit spheres attending the ASU+GSV Summit 2021 here.

Follow the conversation on social media: #asugsvsummit #workingnationoverheard