Ranita Jain, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Tell us a little bit about your background and why you joined Workforce Matters.
Throughout my career, I’ve focused on expanding access to meaningful education and employment opportunities, especially for individuals who have been historically underserved. Over the years, I’ve worked across government, research institutions, and foundations—partnering with a wide range of organizations to design, implement, and evaluate strategies that help individuals gain greater stability and upward mobility in the U.S. economy.
At the Annie E. Casey Foundation, I lead efforts that help young people from families with low incomes succeed in today’s labor market. I manage multi-site initiatives, develop new investment areas and work closely with grantees and funders to ensure our strategies are responsive and effective.
I joined Workforce Matters because I value the chance to collaborate with fellow funders who are passionate about strengthening the workforce field and creating greater economic opportunity for workers. I'm excited to contribute to and learn from this network.
What do you love about workforce development?
Workforce development is fundamentally about creating pathways. Pathways to stability, opportunity and, ultimately, a better future. I’ve seen firsthand how the right training, support and connections can help individuals, especially young adults, gain momentum in their lives. What keeps me grounded in this work is knowing that strong workforce strategies don’t just help individuals—they strengthen families, communities and institutions/systems.
What is something people might not know about you?
Something people might not know about me is that I love reading historical fiction. I’m drawn to stories that bring different time periods to life. One of my favorite novels is Pachinko.
What is something you are looking forward to this year?
Deepening my engagement with Workforce Matters and learning from fellow funders who are tackling similar challenges in the workforce space. It’s a unique opportunity to connect across roles, share insights, and surface promising practices that can support young people in navigating the changing world of work and chart meaningful, long-term career paths.
