What are the "unlocks" — approaches, practices, or principles — that have helped you be effective in building this innovative approach to place-based opportunity development?

Hold the positive vision, not just the harm case. It's tempting, in this work, to lead every conversation with how bad things are. I like to pull us back to the opposite question: what does the world actually look like if we get this right?

Not "tech is bad," but what's being crowded out of childhood — the boredom, the independence, the friction kids need to grow up. That question has been more durable than any doom framing, because it gives people something to build toward instead of just something to be afraid of.

Deep belief that no one person or organization will solve this thing alone. We are stronger when working together. That’s why I’ve focused TAG’s strategy on how we can fill white space in the movement that complements and extends the work of other leaders and organizations.

My job was never to be the one person doing everything; it has always been to help the right local, on-the-ground groups have what they need to move, and trust that thousands of small actions compound faster than one centralized machine ever could.

Doing more and being louder isn't the same as being effective. The instinct is to weigh in on everything. I've learned the opposite is what actually moves things. The unlock has been having the discipline to wait for the moment where our voice adds real weight, instead of adding noise to a system that already has plenty.

Because of this, when our team approaches any new project or decision, we ask: is this something that we and only we can do? Or is this an opportunity to amplify or partner with others?