Big Bet: Expand access to jobs by addressing workforce barriers including access to childcare and transportation.
Project: The Eastern Kentucky Runway addresses workforce barriers across 12 economically distressed counties in Eastern Kentucky with 34,000 prime-aged (25-54 years old) unemployed individuals. By expanding access to childcare, transportation, and good jobs, and aligning workforce solutions with employer needs, the program restores dignity, inspires hope, and helps individuals rediscover purpose, breaking cycles of generational poverty, and revitalizing rural communities.
Colby Hall is expanding access to meaningful employment in Eastern Kentucky by harnessing technology and entrepreneurship to reduce systemic barriers to workforce entry, such as reliable childcare and transportation. A native of the region, he blends lived experience with cross-sector leadership to reimagine what’s possible for overlooked communities. Colby holds a biology degree from the University of Kentucky.