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Hi there, I'm Aleena! Next week, I’ll have the honor of introducing President Obama’s remarks on economic inclusion at the Democracy Forum. Before we take the stage, I want to tell you a little bit about my work and why this topic is so important to me.    I currently lead Talent Solutions at a Chicago-based nonprofit called P33 Chicago that focuses on making the tech sector more diverse and inclusive. And last year, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Obama Foundation Scholars program while pursuing my MBA at the University of Chicago.  Creating an economy that works better for more people is a big challenge that can seem overwhelming, but to me, there’s a clear vision we’re working towards. Each and every person should have the chance to make their tomorrow look better than their today.  Here’s one tangible example. I’m currently working on an initiative called Xchange Chicago, which is creating tech workforce hubs on the South and West Sides of Chicago. These hubs will create on-ramps and support for local community members to get tech jobs that they typically do not have access to, while bringing new business anchors to the community.   Diversifying hiring is one way to create a more inclusive economy, but there are ways every single person can take action in their everyday life. Reframe the dollars you spend as an investment in the individuals, businesses, and values you support. Actively challenge your everyday decisions and shift them, even just a little bit, to represent your community and your voice.  Next week, I look forward to hearing President Obama’s insights on how we can move forward and solve these problems as a society when he addresses economic inclusion and other challenges our democracy is facing.  These issues touch all of us, so I hope you’ll tune in to President Obama’s speech at the Democracy Forum. You can sign up to receive a reminder about the livestream here and learn more about the other speakers who will bring their expertise to the conversations.   Thanks for taking a moment to learn about my work.  –Aleena   DONATE NOW ⓒ 2023 Obama Foundation