4 Ways to Un-f#ck the Future of Work curated with 10k Independents Project

Michael Barsanti is the Edwin Wolf 2nd Director of the Library Company of Philadelphia.  During his time as Director, he has led new strategic initiatives to bring innovation to the practice of American History and to reimagine its place in the making of informed American citizens.

He has led an eclectic career at the intersection of education, arts, and organizational management that includes positions at the Rosenbach Museum & Library, the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation.

He has taught Arts Administration at Drexel University and has served on the Boards of several nonprofits, including Pig Iron Theatre, Independence Charter School, and the Abraham Lincoln Foundation of the Union League of Philadelphia.

Deldelp Medina is a Thinker, Leader, and Speaker but - as she notes- not necessarily in that order. After a decade plus of experience in Diversity and Inclusion, Design Thinking, Product Market Fit, Lean Startups, scaling and investment strategy, she brings her cross-cultural expertise to the huge but massively important challenge of meeting the demographic shift of America’s population, especially it’s entrepreneurs. She does this by identifying, pitching, structuring, relationship building, negotiating and creating close strategic partnerships, both as the Executive Director of Black and Brown Founders, where she has worked on creating systems for equity in startup ecosystems for the last nine years, and in her work as a speaker, consultant, mother, friend, and ally.

Mohona is an associate director at the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, and joined the program in August 2021. Her work focuses on economic mobility for low and moderate income workers, and encompasses diverse topics within workforce strategies and the future of work. Mohona is an urban planner with a background in workforce and economic development research, policy, and strategic planning. Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, Mohona served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the executive policy specialist for the PA Department of Labor and Industry. In her role, she managed policy initiatives related to the future of work and workforce, including COVID-19 workforce recovery, minimum wage regulation, broadband access for low-income and rural communities, and the future of work strategic plan. She has held roles at various think tanks, including the Brookings Institution, and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia. 

Chelsey Lowe is an African American artist and social impact consultant. Her career has spanned across industries, to include construction, food, technology, and health care. 

Currently, Chelsey supports special grantmaking relating to pandemic recovery, small business and workforce development, and other one-time initiatives as a Program Officer at the William Penn Foundation. Prior to her role at the Foundation, she worked with the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and Independence Blue Cross to lead the Well City Challenge, a citywide awareness campaign and social impact incubator supporting community-based ventures addressing millennial physical & mental health challenges. She previously held positions with Drexel University's College of Computing & Informatics, Black Women Talk Tech, The Enterprise Center, and the Philadelphia Energy Authority.

Amir “The Bul Bey” Richardson tells the authentic story of Philadelphia native meets global citizen. With the optimism of a school teacher, the honesty of an Imam, and a lexicon only a Philly Bul could truly comprehend, this playful Hip Hop wordsmith's bouncy bars elevate the bright sides of working class life.

When not recording or performing, this energetic Philadelphia wordsmith daylights as the Community Conversation Curator for Philadelphia's PBS and NPR affiliate newsroom at WHYY and the Communities Director at The Digilogue.