Welcome to the Great Lakes Human Capital Network

Anthony Massa, Co-Founder, Great Lakes Human Capital Network

It is not hard to go to New York, D.C., or San Francisco and stumble into a conversation about the future of work. In those cities, people are constantly debating the industries and skills of the future, how to align education with industry, and what policy solutions are needed for the future economy. These conversations happen every day—in forums, at conferences, at cocktail parties, and at exclusive dinners.

I’ve been lucky enough to participate in many of these conversations. But as I’ve traveled the country over the past five years, having conversations about the future of work, I’ve noticed something when I’ve returned to my own backyard: These conversations rarely happen in the Midwest.

Why is this? Is it because no one here is interested in building the future of the Great Lakes? Or is it because no one has facilitated the conversation?

My experience suggests it is the latter.

As I have traveled across the Midwest, I have met innovative people with a burning desire to build. I’ve met founders bringing startups to the region, leaders revitalizing manufacturing plants, and educators utilizing our world-class universities to prepare the next generation. Yet, many of them are operating in silos. They are building the future on an island, lacking the cross-sector forum required to drive transformational change.

We just need someone to facilitate the conversation. That is what the Great Lakes Human Capital Network aims to do.

The Great Lakes Region often gets written off by those on the Coasts. The prevailing narrative is that if you are smart, driven, or innovative, you leave. I can’t tell you the number of times I have found myself defending the Midwest at a dinner party, or apologetically explaining my decision to move back to the region after living on the East Coast.

But the narrative is changing. As the cost of living becomes prohibitive in coastal cities and leading CEOs question the sustainability of current workforce models, the Great Lakes has an opportunity to be a new home for sustainable innovation and meaningful growth.

However, the future of any region is dependent on its people. For the Great Lakes to thrive, we need a workforce that is thriving. Capitalizing on our future requires investing in the people who will power it—creating policies that attract talent, businesses that empower employees, and an education system that prepares students for reality.

The Great Lakes Human Capital Network is designed for the leaders who want to build that future. We are bringing together voices from Policy, Business, and Education to engage in dialogue around our hardest talent challenges: Keeping young talent in the region, building an AI-ready workforce, and realigning our educational pipelines with modern industry needs.

We are providing the forum for this dialogue to occur—through actionable panels, workshops, and original research, and resources ready to build solutions to our toughest talent challenges. GLHCN will provide members with exclusive content and a network of individuals who are ready to stop speculating about the future of the Midwest and start building it.

Are you coming along with us?