Debt, Dignity, and Disruption: Financing a New Future for Higher Ed with Dr. Mark Anthony Brown

As the first alumnus to serve as President of Tuskegee University, Dr. Mark Brown brings a powerful blend of personal experience, military leadership, and policy innovation to the future of higher education. In this episode, he reflects on his journey—from growing up with limited means to overseeing a $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio. Dr. Brown offers bold ideas to tackle student debt, including income-contingent financing models and a vision for an “endowment without walls.” His message: higher ed can be a driver of equity—if we’re willing to disrupt the model.

Moving the Needle is hosted by Christopher Gergen & Johnathan Holifield, and is produced by Earfluence.

If you like our podcast, you'll also like our books:

• The Future Economy and Inclusive Competitiveness: How Demographic Trends and Innovation Can Create Economic Prosperity for All Americans, by Johnathan Holifield 
• Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives, by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Live Oak Bank is on a mission to be America's small business bank and has the privilege of helping thousands of passionate, driven entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality. These small business owners aren’t in it for the fortune or the fame. They’re in it to make a difference, just like Live Oak.
• SHRM has created better workplaces by supporting diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the world of work and society. It’s why they developed the Together Forward@ Work initiative to drive racial inequity out of the workplace. It’s why SHRM made a capital commitment to support minority-owned business enterprises.

If you like our podcast, you'll also like our books:

• The Future Economy and Inclusive Competitiveness: How Demographic Trends and Innovation Can Create Economic Prosperity for All Americans, by Johnathan Holifield
• Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives, by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek
  
  

What is Moving the Needle?

Highlighting innovators doing needle moving sh!t to create generational wealth and inclusive competitiveness.

Communities worldwide are at an inflection point. In the devastating wake of COVID, there are unparalleled opportunities to move the needle on realizing truly inclusive prosperity, fueled by dynamic economic growth. In this moment, communities can make bold, strategic, and equitable investments. Needle moving investments not only generate catalytic and sustained community impact, but also provide meaningful financial returns for the impact investors behind them.

Moving the Needle is a podcast series featuring conversations with a globally curated mix of policymakers, philanthropists, private investors, and social innovators who are driving break-through investments that move the needle.
Hosted by Christopher Gergen and Johnathan Holifield, an uncommon pairing who arrived at the common need for “doing needle moving sh#t” from very different lived experiences. Through the podcast, Gergen and Holifield invite guests to share their own lived experiences and what led them to their transformative investment theses. Designed to be highly interactive, energetic, and personal, the conversation will leave listeners with a deeper understanding of how investment can be channeled for the greater good, inspired by the stories behind the innovation, and excited to learn more about each guest.