History
Emerson Collective was founded in 2011 by Laurene Powell Jobs in Palo Alto, California. [7] Named after transcendentalist writer and The Atlantic co-founder, Ralph Waldo Emerson, the company says its mission is "working to create a world that honors talent, expands opportunity and ensures the conditions for human flourishing." [8]
Powell Jobs has said the decision to found the company grew from insights she gained working with students through College Track, a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 to improve high school graduation, college enrollment and college graduation rates for students from under-resourced communities. [9] [10] In a Q&A on the company’s website she wrote: "Working with the students, families and staff of College Track enriched my understanding of our country and the many systems within it. Education is not an isolated or siloed domain. It connects to a broader set of systems that touch people’s lives, including immigration, health, environment and economic opportunities. The understanding of just how interconnected these issues are was fundamental to the creation of Emerson Collective." [10]
Areas of work
Education
In 2015, Powell Jobs and Emerson Collective's managing director of education, Russlynn Ali, launched the affiliate XQ Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to rethinking American public high school so students are prepared for success in college, career and life. [11] [12] The company provided $100 million to the charity which has been awarded to 10 selected schools across the US. [12]
In 2015, Emerson Collective became the lead investor in education technology company Amplify. [13]
In 2023, a documentary called 'The First Class', chronicled the founding class of Crosstown High, an XQ school in Memphis, Tennessee. [14]
When Emerson Collective was established, grants and investments largely focused on the education sector. [1] As Powell Jobs began learning more about the challenges plaguing immigrant students, particularly those whose undocumented status made it difficult to attend college, Emerson Collective broadened its portfolio to include immigration reform and advocacy. [1]
Emerson Collective was a strong advocate of the creation of President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and have continued to push for permanent legislation to provide "Dreamers" with a path to citizenship. [15] In October 2016, Powell Jobs wrote an article titled "Immigrants Fuel Innovation. Let's Not Waste Their Potential" for WIRED . [16]
In 2017 and 2018, Emerson Collective supported the immigration-focused work of the artist JR, and helped bring Alejandro González Iñárritu's Academy Award-winning, virtual reality experience Carne Y Arena to Washington, D.C. [15] [17]
Energy and environment
Emerson Collective is a funder of Elemental Impact, a nonprofit organization which invests in technologies that seek to create economic and environmental impact in communities. [18] [19] According to its 2024 annual report, Elemental Impact has a portfolio of 160 companies that have generated $11.5 billion in additional funding and created over 17,000 jobs. [20]
In 2021, Emerson Collective invested in Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a company developing fusion energy. [21] The company has made several other investments in energy and clean technology companies including Antora Energy, Zap Energy, Twelve and Lilac Solutions. [22] [23] [24] [25]
Operations
Emerson Collective operates as a limited liability company and focuses its activity on venture capital investment and philanthropy. [32] It also provides fellowships and internship programs. [1] [7] The company hosts an annual event called ‘Demo Day’ to showcase companies and founders who are pursuing innovative solutions across its areas of work. [33]
Philanthropy
Emerson Collective supports and funds non-profit organizations through multi-year grants and donations. [35] The company’s philanthropic giving is typically anonymous, something Powell Jobs explained in an interview with Bloomberg in 2022, saying: "Often what happens with philanthropy is there's a lot of power that accrues to the giver and not as much to the organizations and the leaders that are doing the work on the ground. I wanted to make sure that the leaders and the incredible workers who were doing day-to-day work to improve the lives of other humans were actually in the front and we were in the back." [36]
Partner organizations
Emerson Collective has established a number of independent partner organizations that operate as separate entities, including:
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