Phela Townsend is a policy entrepreneur at Next100 and a scholar-activist and part of an emerging generation of voices on a mission to transform how we think about—and value—labor and work in our society. At Next100, she examines how today’s workers and labor organizations are using digital tools and technologies to rebuild worker power in the twenty-first century. Her aim is to identify key policy barriers and solutions to building a scalable, inclusive, worker-centered labor movement. While Phela identifies as a labor advocate, she wholeheartedly believes that a strong labor movement, profitable companies, and sustainable “high road” employment models are not mutually exclusive—that, in fact, they can reinforce one another. However, to achieve this, our leaders in business, labor, and government must work together to ensure that our markets and institutions create thriving organizations and communities to support a just and “socially conscious” economy and democracy.
