"It's a critical, yet often overlooked, element to equitable economic advancement," says Edward DeJesus.
That's why the founder of Social Capital Builders, a company that teaches young people about the importance of social capital, is being called an " innovator to watch" by the Juvenile Foreign Policy Foundation.
Social capital is "the resources that arise from the web of relationships we build with those around us and that contribute to our professional goals," the foundation says in a press release.
DeJesus, who grew up in the Bronx and went to college but couldn't attend because of shift work in the fast-food industry, says most of the youth he works with don't regularly speak with family members about their occupations.
"It sets us up for success in the labor market, opening doors and serving as a source of information about and access to new career opportunities," he says.
Social Capital Builders' website, MyOH, is an app that helps young people determine their position in the labor market and share information about career opportunities.
"It is time to help young people learn social network analysis techniques to determine their position in and out of opportunity networks and identify patterns of relationships with people, institutions, and companies that can dramatically improve their present and future economic opportunities
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
In the world of social enterprises, failure is a cringe-worthy moment nobody wants to talk about. But, social entrepreneurs can benefit from their failures.