The 10th anniversary of Adapting to the Future of Work brought more than 275 young adults, program partners, and community leaders to Civic Hall in Manhattan on July 30, 2025. The convening highlighted the power of creating space for young adults to show up as their best selves and drive bold, community-rooted solutions.
Inspiration, Celebration, and Real Talk
The day kicked off with energy and heart as emcee Cheyanne Deopersaud, Fair Futures Advocate and Policy Entrepreneur, Next100, set the tone for a day focused on exploring new ways to adapt to the future of work. A moving video message from Marjorie Parker, President and CEO, JobsFirstNYC, reflected on a decade of the convening’s achievements while calling for continued collective action to expand educational and professional pathways for young New Yorkers. She emphasized that the mantra “Nothing For Us, Without Us” isn’t just a slogan, but rather an evergreen charge to ensure young adults remain at the core of the day built to celebrate and amplify their leadership.
A riveting performance by Kai Diata Giovanni, NYC’s 2024–2025 Youth Poet Laureate, electrified the room as her poetry eloquently captured the power of being seen and heard in this present moment. Her performance elicited a standing ovation amidst the loud snaps of appreciation that echoed in Civic Hall. Reflecting on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people, Kai opened about her own vision of adapting to the future of work with a compelling declaration, “I am taking root in the rubble, bathing in the ashes of empires. Death is fertile ground for growth.” she then turned to the young participants with a provocative challenge, “The City is hot. So tell me, what are you gonna do with all this fire…What are you gonna burn with all this heat?”
Kai Diata Giovanni
That poetic energy gave way to grounding and purpose as Marjorie returned to the stage with an in-person reflection that further anchored the day:
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It’s really about when you understand what your power is, when you understand how to use your power, when you understand that your voice matters, that what you have to say matters, no matter what anyone tells you. It is then that YOU truly have power.
-Marjorie Parker, CEO & President, JobsFirstNYC
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Carrying that spirit of empowerment forward, the convening honored Valerie Mulligan, Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), with its inaugural Visionary Partnership Award. The recognition celebrated DYCD’s decade-long collaboration with JobsFirstNYC and its steadfast commitment to supporting young people in New York City. Accepting the award, Mulligan reflected on DYCD’s mission and the responsibility of adults to uplift young people, noting:
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All of our programs are designed to connect young New Yorkers like you to meaningful opportunities, whether that is exploring careers, building skills, having your first internship, or taking your very first step in the workforce. It is my job – our job, all of the adults in this room – to make sure that you feel prepared and supported for your next steps.
-Valerie Mulligan, Deputy Commissioner, NYC DYCD
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Marjorie Parker and Valerie Mulligan
Owning Your Narrative
The Power of Your Story, a resonant interactive session with Christina Blacken, Chief Story Strategist, the New Quo, invited the next generation of leaders to explore the meaning behind their names. She also inspired the room to build confidence in their personal narratives by sharing her life motto, “You better tell your story, before someone else tells it for you.”
Allie-Joy Tsahey and Mia Williams-Payne
A Keynote That Sparked Possibility and Inspired Action
The keynote conversation between Allie Joy Tsahey, Executive Director, Baddies in Tech, and Mia Williams-Payne, Organizing Lead, Youth Civic Hub, served as a forceful call to action, capturing the full attention of the young people. A “baddie” in her own right, Allie shared from her own experience about why it is okay for young people to pivot and take a step forward even when they’re not yet sure what they want to do for school or a career. She emphasized the importance of staying active, curious, and open to new opportunities.
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Something that I really preach to people is [that] you have the tools, you have the experience, you have something that you can leverage to get to that next level.
-Allie Joy Tsahey, Executive Director, Baddies in Tech
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Co-presenter Mia acknowledged the pressure young adults face from educators, peers, families, and society to have their whole lives figured out or to follow a single path, but she encouraged them to remain true to their ambitions.
Their words left the audience with a clear message: young adults can prepare for the future of work by having more fun, building their network, and remembering that no path is linear.
Yulkendy Valdez, Dieumerci Christel, and Daniel Adeyanju
Hot Takes on All Things Young People and Their Futures
The Hot Takes on AI panel, moderated by Yulkendy Valdez with Dieumerci Christel and Daniel Adeyanju, electrified the stage with daring ideas. From the assertion that “The Bronx is the future of AI” to the assertion “Humans need to be better at being humans,” the session sparked provocative insights and brave reflections. Young adults jumped in, debating AI’s power, its limitations, and whether creativity and authenticity can survive in an AI-driven world.
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The most powerful supercomputer is your brain!
-Young Adult Participant
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The final “Hot Take” of the morning came from 16-year-old Affelia Sonnylal, a student speaker with Mikva Challenge. Speaking on gun violence, Affelia reminded the room, “Our evolution and development are in jeopardy. Your future, our futures, are held at gunpoint.” Her call to action was clear: young people’s safety and futures depend on everyone raising their voice, not staying silent.
Fire Breakout Sessions That Captivated
Civic Hall stayed abuzz as young people explored freelancing, civic power, sneaker design, gaming careers, sports management, and entrepreneurship during two dynamic rounds of breakout sessions.
In Session 1: See the Local Solutions in NYC, change-makers tackled topics like rethinking college with Guedis Cardenas and Dario Anaya, entrepreneurship with young NYC founders at BUILD and Founder Forward, and self-actualization with Kimberly Pham. Attendees got hands-on with Project Soapbox, explored careers in sports and tech, and even customized their own sneakers with Markt’d’s Dion Walcott and Krystal Fortune. On the importance of adapting, NFL player Troy Fumagalli, accompanied by his agent, CAA’s Jake Steinberg, said, “I played in the NFL for over six years and now I am thinking how to adapt to the next chapter of work. I am networking and innovating as much as I can.” “I found that a lot of the breakout rooms were interactive and forward-thinking, and I loved that.”
In Session 2: Be the Lasting Impact in NYC, the energy stayed high. Yulkendy Valdez led a practical session on freelancing and remote work, while Justin Lokossou, from BUILD, provided an entrepreneur’s toolkit for turning ideas into action. Mia Williams-Payne returned to lead a session on youth civic power, and Kadeem Robinson explored how young people can speak truth to power and impact entire systems. The session on gaming and the future of play with Gerrard Williams, also known as HipHopGamer, was standing-room-only—proving the limitless career paths young people are hungry to explore.
Session 1: See the Local Solutions in NYC
- Remote Ready: Your Guide to Virtual Work & Freelancing with Yulkendy Valdez and Guedis Cardenas
- The Quiet Part Out Loud: Entrepreneurship Stories from NYC Young Founders with Maurice Onyonyi and Shyanne Mathews
- Claim Your Power: Speak Up, Show Up, Shift Systems with Susan Adeyeye
- How to Be Your Best Self (Even If You Don’t Have It All Figured Out) with Kimberly Pham
- Project Soapbox: Make Your Voice Heard with Mikva Challenge with Mia Salamone and Affelia Sonnylal
- Money Moves: Unlocking Wealth Through Social Capital with Ron Johnson
- Kicks, Content & Career Moves Sneaker Design Workshop Pt. 1 with Dion Walcott and Krystal Fortune
- Breaking Into Tech & AI Without a Computer Science Degree Pt. 1 with Daniel Adeyanju and George Nunez
- Inside the Game: Careers in Sports & Business with Jake Steinberg and Troy Fumagalli
Session 2: Be the Lasting Impact
- Should I Even Go? Rethinking College for the Future You Want with Guedis Cardenas and Dario Anaya
- From Idea to Impact: The Entrepreneur’s Toolkit with Justin Lokossou
- Understanding Civics as a Youth Voter with Mia Williams-Payne
- Everyone Has a Leadership Story, and It’s Your Power with Christina Blacken
- From Soapbox to Systems: Speak Truth to Power with Kadeem Robinson
- Low-Key Loud: The New Rules of Showing Up and Being Seen in the Workplace with Kamina Singh
- Kicks, Content & Career Moves Sneaker Design Workshop Pt. 2 with Dion Walcott and Krystal Fortune
- Breaking Into Tech & AI Without a Computer Science Degree Pt. 2 with Daniel Adeyanju and George Nunez
- Character is Your Currency: Careers in Gaming & the Future of Play with Gerrard (HipHopGamer) Williams
Building Community with Ambitious Ideas
After lunch, the NYC World Café, hosted by long-time JobsFirstNYC collaborators and Opportunity Youth United (OYU) leaders Jamiel Alexander and Kimberly Pham, created an inclusive space to connect with speakers, program leaders, and peers. A creative game of bingo urged everyone move purposefully around the room, to find others who shared experiences that matched the prompts on their cards. The activity sparked laughter, conversation, and new connections. Ron Johnson, Instructional Designer, Founder and CEO, Triton Consulting, left the group with a powerful reminder about the importance of community, sharing, “One redwood cannot stand tall by itself.”
Then came one of the most anticipated moments of the day: the My City, My Community Social Impact Pitch Competition. Now in its fifth year, the competition continues to spotlight trailblazing ideas that can create lasting impact within local communities. Kazi Islam took first place with his venture SafeSubway, while Nesean Charles & Louis Jones placed second with their project, Lulu’s Sweet Treats. Yet the true reward was in the feedback, encouragement, and insight shared by a dynamic panel of judges: no losers, only future leaders in the making.
Straight from the Source: Lessons We Learned
From breakout sessions and art installations to networking, storytelling, and a pitch competition with $5000 in cash prizes, the day reinforced what we’ve always known: investing in young people creates lasting impact for New York City. Here are some of the conversations we heard:
- Make space for every young person’s voice.
- Adapting to the Future of Work is more than the title of a convening. It means how we learn, work, and interact in a world that is always changing.
- Young people are ready to lead when given the platform.
- Local solutions, like SafeSubway and Lulu’s Sweet Treats, can grow into citywide impact.
- Collaboration and networking multiply opportunities.
- Stay open to new ways of thinking and innovating.
- Storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools for advocacy and leadership.
- We all have the power to create opportunities for ourselves by serving others.
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I thought it was very valuable to be able to share a space with so many young professionals, entrepreneurs, and actionable ideas. Being able to network, learn about current events and how they may impact the future, and have fun at the workshop was most memorable for me.
–Young Adult Participant
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Thanks You to Our Sponsors:
Judy and Jamie Dimon, Phipps Neighborhoods, Amalgamated Bank, Stellar Snacks, Resorts World, Works in Progress Association, Chmura, NCheng LLP, and Grant Associates.
Thank you for believing in the brilliance of young adults and for investing in a stronger, more inclusive future of work. Your partnership ensures that every year this movement grows bigger, bolder, and more impactful.
As we celebrate this milestone, and we can’t wait to see where the next 10 years will take us.
Stay tuned for the next Adapting to the Future of Work in 2026!