About Grads of Life & Our Work

A national initiative of Year Up United, Grads of Life began in 2014 as a PSA campaign in partnership with the Ad Council. Founders Elyse Rosenblum and Shawn Bohen, both early leaders in the inclusive employment movement, recognized what remains our north star: The best way to connect all Americans to opportunity is to leverage the power of the private sector. The PSA campaign was the first step. It showcased the potential of young, diverse talent who lack college credentials but bring the skills, experience and growth mindset to take companies into the future. 

The PSA was viewed over a billion times, and two years later the movement saw a big milestone as President Obama prioritized youth employment and skills training with a $10 billion investment. 

As support grew, so did Grads of Life. In 2017, we published “Dismissed by Degrees,” a flagship report co-authored with Harvard Business School and Accenture. “Dismissed by Degrees” was the first piece of research to uncover the true cost of degree inflation to business and advocate for a shift to skills-first practices, and remains frequently cited.  

Since 2017, Grads of Life has expanded our thought leadership practice to become a full-scale business consultancy. But we remain true to our roots as a social enterprise, working with other nonprofit partners and business coalitions to make inclusive and equitable employment the norm.

 About Year Up United

Year Up United is a national workforce development organization committed to expanding access to economic opportunity for all young adults by providing business and talent solutions to reshape the world of work. We envision a future where everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their full potential and we know it will take multiple approaches to realize this vision. For nearly 25 years, we have catalyzed change in the talent and business landscape, delivering comprehensive solutions that drive material impact on lives, companies, and communities. Our work is not done. United, we will end the Opportunity Divide for good. To learn more, visit Year Up United.