Celebrating Our Community's Response

Leading on Opportunity

When Charlotte was ranked last among major US cities in economic mobility for children, our community took action. The Leading on Opportunity report provides a roadmap for improving social and economic mobility for all residents. Following it's strategies, our community's public, private and nonprofit sectors are focusing on systemic and structural change to improve our children's future. While there is still much work to be done, our commitment is showing tangible results. Read highlights of our community's commitment.

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Celebrating Our Community's Response

Our 2017 Opportunity Report provides a roadmap for improving social and economic mobility for all residents. Following our strategies, our community's public, private and nonprofit sectors are improving our children's future.

The Agent of Change for Opportunity in Charlotte

WSOC TV • Kevin Campbell - June 10, 2019

“Our child and family stability strategies need to ensure that parents who are coming into a housing challenge of figuring out where they’re going to live have immediate access to resources,” Cooper-Lewter said. Among the many Cooper-Lewter has connected is a group of community organizations that have been champions for change, including, A Child’s Place, Community Link, Charlotte Works, Goodwill, Crisis Assistance Ministry, For Charlotte, Northside Baptist Church and more.

GreenLight Fund Invests $1 Million in Early Childhood Initiative

Queen City Nerve • Ryan Pitkin - May 29, 2019

“This investment connects directly to our early care and education strategies,” [Leading on Opportunity Executive Director] Cooper-Lewter continued. “It aligns and fills a gap where early care recommendations were not being addressed and says, ‘This is something that we can do differently as a community.’”

As Employment Rises, African American Transplants Ride Job Wave to the South

NPR • Daniella Cheslow - May 23, 2019

Don Thomas is on the front lines of that change. In Chicago, he and his wife Monica worked with children in the juvenile justice system until funding for their jobs ended. In Charlotte, he is the community impact director at Leading on Opportunity, an organization devoted to improving economic mobility in the city.

Taking the Lead: Leading on Opportunity Advances the Call for Economic Mobility

Foundation For The Carolinas • March 27, 2019

Launched in 2017, the Leading on Opportunity Council is already reshaping the way the community looks at economic mobility, from improving access to preschool to increasing funds for affordable housing.

How Charlotte Has Changed After Two Years of Focus on Economic Mobility

Charlotte Business Journal • Erik Spanburg - March 27, 2019

Affordable housing, economic mobility and more educational and training opportunities are all part of public-private efforts started two years ago with the release of a 73-page task force report. On Tuesday, CEOs, political leaders and nonprofit executives pledged to keep pushing for investments to improve the standard of living for people in need.

Boosting Economic Mobility Could Take a Generation, Leaders Are Told

WFAE • David Boraks - March 26, 2019

It's been two years since a task force of Charlotte leaders published the Leading on Opportunity report. It outlined 21 strategies to improve economic mobility after a national study ranked Charlotte last out of 50 cities. Hundreds of business and civic leaders gathered uptown Tuesday to review the effort so far.

Where Is Charlotte Today With Economic Mobility?

WBTV • Dedrick Russell - March 26, 2019

"The biggest challenge is that this work is generational," Cooper-Lewter said. "And to move us from 50 to 1 is going to take multiple years."

Celebrating Our 50 Inaugural Opportunity Champions

Leading on Opportunity • Stephanie Cooper-Lewter - March 26, 2019

It's going to take all of us to move Charlotte from 50 out of 50 in economic mobility. So we set a goal to build an Opportunity Movement that celebrates everyone's contributions.