Catalyzing Economic Mobility in the South
Challenge
Greenville, SC is experiencing a boom: a growing population, vibrant downtown, and beautiful parks paint a picture of a thriving Southern city. However, beneath the surface lurks a troubling reality. While Greenville enjoys national recognition, the poverty rate had risen by over 60%, and the city ranked among the worst for youth economic mobility according to Opportunity Insights. This widening economic gap disproportionately impacts Black and Latino communities, who often reside in segregated neighborhoods with limited access to quality education, job training, and public transportation. Greenville’s remarkable growth has bypassed a significant portion of its population, highlighting the need for collective community leadership to connect residents to pathways for success and address barriers to upward mobility.
Solution
A team from Greenville joined MDC’s Network for Southern Economic Mobility (NSEM) to confront the challenge uncovered by the Equality of Opportunity Project. Hollingsworth Funds enlisted Openfields to facilitate this collective effort, providing expert facilitation, research, and strategic planning. Led by a diverse coalition of community leaders, the project aimed to create an "Infrastructure of Opportunity" – a comprehensive framework to connect youth from all backgrounds to pathways of education and employment. During the first year, the team conducted research, listened to community members, studied relevant policies, and developed a strategy for improving economic mobility.
Key findings from the first year uncovered a lack of readily available and comprehensive local data on demographics and program outcomes, the need to address deeper cultural narratives and systemic gaps that limit economic mobility efforts, and the importance of collaboration across sectors (social, public, and private). Based on these findings, the team designed a two-phase strategy:
- Phase 1: Planning & Community Engagement aimed to educate and equip Greenville about economic mobility by completing an Integrated Action Plan (IAP), hosting an Economic Mobility Summit, and facilitating a Community Outreach Campaign titled “Open Up.”
- Phase 2: Proposed Initiatives included a Social Innovation Hub with a Community Data System, Leadership Development, Network Building, and a Social Accelerator. The hub aimed to generate fresh thinking, engage private and public sector leadership, and impact economic mobility.
Impact
Despite challenges, Greenville’s economic mobility initiative achieved significant progress. The completion of an Integrated Action Plan (IAP) provided a clear roadmap for future efforts, while a regional Economic Mobility Summit engaged influential leaders and institutions. The initiative also challenged prevailing narratives, fostering cross-sector collaboration and laying the groundwork for sustained impact. Greenville’s journey exemplifies the power of community-driven initiatives to confront inequities and foster inclusive growth. As the initiative evolves, ongoing efforts to bridge opportunity gaps and empower marginalized communities remain essential for realizing shared prosperity.
Watch the highlights from our capstone event:
“It inspired me because it let me know that no matter where I came from, I can grow up and do big things around the world”
Student workshop participant
About Hollingsworth Funds
The mission of Hollingsworth Funds is to collectively remove the systemic barriers that hold people back based on race, place, and socioeconomic status, and strengthen the pathways that propel all people forward.
