Four Mic-Drop Moments from Horizons 2025

Photo credit: Drew Bird | drewbirdphoto.com

The first day of the 2025 Horizons Summit, presented by Jobs for the Future, opened with a rueful reflection from CEO Maria Flynn about the call to action: “Dare To Be Brave.”

“Our theme…felt like a really great idea when we rolled it out last year,” Flynn told the 1,500 attendees gathered in New Orleans on June 10 and 11. “But I have to be very honest with you: It has been weighing on me in the months leading up to today. Because this is not an easy time to be a leader, let alone a brave leader.”

But bravery, Flynn emphasized, isn’t out of reach. “We’re not in a hopeless situation,” she said, “and this is not a point of no return.” Instead, she said, bravery means playing the long game, staying the course, and maintaining focus on the “why” of the work that brought educators, policymakers, workforce experts, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs into the room together.

For the next two days, thought leaders and innovators from across the education and workforce fields shared their versions of the “why” and what it means to be brave in this moment. JFF also announced exciting progress toward our North Star—by 2033, 75 million Americans facing barriers to advancement will have quality jobs—and a new partnership for powerful impact measurement.

Here are four can’t-miss moments from Horizons 2025. Share your own on social media with the hashtag #JFFHorizons, and check back here for four more mic-drops next week.

Thasunda Brown Duckett: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it can rhyme.”

TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett, the third-ever Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, talked about how leadership in this moment calls on us to recognize everything that our institutions have endured to reach this day—and to rise to the challenge ourselves.

Cristina Mancini: "Raise your hand when you see that technologies are being developed that are not just suggesting bias, but that are acting on bias."

Cristina Mancini, founder of Black Girls Code, and Andrew McCaskill, global communications executive at LinkedIn, break down why everyone needs to develop a fundamental understanding of artificial intelligence to ensure that everyone is represented in its development and use.

Chris Sununu: “All the answers are right in front of you.”

Former New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu, known for his strategies governing a heavily bipartisan swing state, shared his thoughts on how to make powerful change: keep your focus local and practice strong civic engagement.

Steve Yadzinski: “This is representative of our collective impact, our collective work, and all the hard work we’re doing together.”

JFF’s Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Steve Yadzinski, and board chair Tod Loofbourrow announced the first results from JFF’s partnership with Gallup and the Families and Workers Fund to measure growth and impact towards JFF’s North Star goal.