Byron Auguste

Byron Auguste is the co-founder and CEO for Opportunity@Work - a social enterprise leveraging large-scale labor market analytics to shape business talent practices, technology platforms, and public policy. Advising Fortune 500 C-level executives, technology entrepreneurs, and leaders of global institutions for 20 years at McKinsey & Co, Auguste also served as White House Economic Advisor and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council (NEC) in 2013-15. Under Auguste’s leadership, Opportunity@Work is sparking a national movement for the STARs talent category - the 70+ million U.S. workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs), rather than a bachelor’s degree. Opportunity@Work launched the "Tear the Paper Ceiling" coalition - which led to commitments from 60+ national corporate, technology, and non-profit partners to adopt new systems and standards for skills-based hiring, and has led a broad, bipartisan movement of 20 states to replace unnecessary degree requirements with indicators of relevant skill. Auguste also serves as a Member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship for U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Named one of Forbes’ Future of Work 50 leaders, Byron has been tapped by Bloomberg, CNN, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and NBC’s Today Show for his expertise, and has spoken at events for Fortune CEO Initiative, American Enterprise Institute, Aspen Institute, and World Economic Forum.