Policy idea: How DOL might facilitate an Innovation for Jobs Ecosystem

Here is an example of a policy idea that has

Here is an example of a policy idea that has been brewing in my head.
What do you think?

(posted here: https://i4j.info/2016/01/how-dol-might-facilitate-an-innovation-for-jobs-ecosystem/ <570539b6666a28967ca3f5ab39bbcb8b73ef71d1>)
An idea for innovation-for-jobs policy, building venture value chains for startups. The idea of this model is to align existing interests and incentives for the stakeholders. Government stimulates the competitive commercial business by sharing the risk for investors, so that they get all the upside if it goes well and half the downside if it doesn’t. No subsidies. The investors can now take higher risks, but they won’t go for low-growth opportunities. It’s still competitive. The idea has been used before for kickstarting the Israeli venture capital industry, in the 90s. Here it is suggested to be used as a tool for breaking removing the barrier between innovation and labor policy, nurturing new innovation-for-jobs startup ecosystems.

Example: Nurturing en ecosystem for offering blind people good jobs.

RESEARCH STAGE: Fund research to find out strengths of blind people (already known: superior tactile perception, superior interpretation of sounds, there are certainly more)

DOL’s ticket to ride: Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP <http://www.dol.gov/odep/>) invites funders to co-initiate a roundtable of funders: medicine, psychology, economy, sociology, worklife, etc. Includes, for example NIH, HHS, NSF, and so on. (Israeli model–Forum for National Research and Development Infrastructure, TELEM <http://www.interacademies.net/Academies/ByRegion/MiddleEastCentralAsia/Israel/13970.aspx> ). The roundtable is an independent complement to the Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals With Disabilities <http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/WIOA.htm> that was created by presidential decision in 2014.

Acceptable deliverables: DOL publishes selected results in its yearly statistics–the competitive skills and talents of blind people, matching professions, etc.

Reliable Funding models: ODEP issues multidisciplinary research grants to consortia studying how blindness can be competitive. Each grant program in collaboration with at least one other high-class funder that already is funding top-level research, e.g. NIH. Proposals are screened jointly by collaborating funders. Granting by consensus between funders. This way ODEP can assure high quality funding.

PROOF OF CONCEPT STAGE: DOL joins the Small Business Innovation Research SBIR <https://www.sbir.gov/about> program. They fund R&D companies with commercial ideas for increasing the value creation by blind people. This can be, for example, previously funded research groups with ideas to create analytics companies to serve HR and Recruiting industry with real-time data on increasing value-creation of blind people. DOL will earn from funding such small companies, it enables them to procure good labor statistics.

ANGEL STAGE: Incentive programs for alliances between Angels + Venture Philanthropists. Venture Philanthropists give away money, but require to see quantitative results in return, similar to venture investors.

VENTURE STAGE: As described in the discussion about the future of banks, DOL offers venture capitalists to apply for DOL-matching of private investments for creating innovation for jobs seed funds. In the created funds, private investors get the option to buy out DOL’s share within five years.

In reality, this would be for more than just blind people. It would include all special conditions that are considered disabling on the job market today..

Here is an example of a policy idea that has

Here is an example of a policy idea that has been brewing in my head.
What do you think?

(posted here: https://i4j.info/2016/01/how-dol-might-facilitate-an-innovation-for-jobs-ecosystem/ <570539b6666a28967ca3f5ab39bbcb8b73ef71d1>)
An idea for innovation-for-jobs policy, building venture value chains for startups. The idea of this model is to align existing interests and incentives for the stakeholders. Government stimulates the competitive commercial business by sharing the risk for investors, so that they get all the upside if it goes well and half the downside if it doesn’t. No subsidies. The investors can now take higher risks, but they won’t go for low-growth opportunities. It’s still competitive. The idea has been used before for kickstarting the Israeli venture capital industry, in the 90s. Here it is suggested to be used as a tool for breaking removing the barrier between innovation and labor policy, nurturing new innovation-for-jobs startup ecosystems.

Example: Nurturing en ecosystem for offering blind people good jobs.

RESEARCH STAGE: Fund research to find out strengths of blind people (already known: superior tactile perception, superior interpretation of sounds, there are certainly more)

DOL’s ticket to ride: Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP <http://www.dol.gov/odep/>) invites funders to co-initiate a roundtable of funders: medicine, psychology, economy, sociology, worklife, etc. Includes, for example NIH, HHS, NSF, and so on. (Israeli model–Forum for National Research and Development Infrastructure, TELEM <http://www.interacademies.net/Academies/ByRegion/MiddleEastCentralAsia/Israel/13970.aspx> ). The roundtable is an independent complement to the Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals With Disabilities <http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/WIOA.htm> that was created by presidential decision in 2014.

Acceptable deliverables: DOL publishes selected results in its yearly statistics–the competitive skills and talents of blind people, matching professions, etc.

Reliable Funding models: ODEP issues multidisciplinary research grants to consortia studying how blindness can be competitive. Each grant program in collaboration with at least one other high-class funder that already is funding top-level research, e.g. NIH. Proposals are screened jointly by collaborating funders. Granting by consensus between funders. This way ODEP can assure high quality funding.

PROOF OF CONCEPT STAGE: DOL joins the Small Business Innovation Research SBIR <https://www.sbir.gov/about> program. They fund R&D companies with commercial ideas for increasing the value creation by blind people. This can be, for example, previously funded research groups with ideas to create analytics companies to serve HR and Recruiting industry with real-time data on increasing value-creation of blind people. DOL will earn from funding such small companies, it enables them to procure good labor statistics.

ANGEL STAGE: Incentive programs for alliances between Angels + Venture Philanthropists. Venture Philanthropists give away money, but require to see quantitative results in return, similar to venture investors.

VENTURE STAGE: As described in the discussion about the future of banks, DOL offers venture capitalists to apply for DOL-matching of private investments for creating innovation for jobs seed funds. In the created funds, private investors get the option to buy out DOL’s share within five years.

In reality, this would be for more than just blind people. It would include all special conditions that are considered disabling on the job market today..

David,

You point to two important partners for I4J:

Department of

David,

You point to two important partners for I4J:

Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP
)

NSF's Small Business Innovation Research SBIR program

Also see exoskeleton and mind-reading technologies that open up
opportunities for many to participate more broadly:

http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_disp.jsp?med_id=76391

http://techcrunch.com/tag/emotiv/

-Jim

Dr. James ("Jim") C. Spohrer
Director, IBM University Programs (IBM UP) and Cognitive Systems Institute
IBM Research – Almaden, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120 USA
[…] 408-927-1928 (o) 408-829-3112 (c)
Innovation Champion (http://www.service-science.info/archives/2233)

From: David A Nordfors […]
To: "[…]" […]
Date: 01/08/2016 02:10 PM
Subject: [i4j2015] Policy idea: How DOL might facilitate an
Innovation for Jobs Ecosystem

Here is an example of a policy idea that has been brewing in my head.
What do you think?

(posted here:
https://i4j.info/2016/01/how-dol-might-facilitate-an-innovation-for-jobs-ecosystem/
)
An idea for innovation-for-jobs policy, building venture value chains for
startups. The idea of this model is to align existing interests and
incentives for the stakeholders. Government stimulates the competitive
commercial business by sharing the risk for investors, so that they get
all the upside if it goes well and half the downside if it doesn’t. No
subsidies. The investors can now take higher risks, but they won’t go for
low-growth opportunities. It’s still competitive. The idea has been used
before for kickstarting the Israeli venture capital industry, in the 90s.
Here it is suggested to be used as a tool for breaking removing the
barrier between innovation and labor policy, nurturing new
innovation-for-jobs startup ecosystems.
Example: Nurturing en ecosystem for offering blind people good jobs.

RESEARCH STAGE: Fund research to find out strengths of blind people
(already known: superior tactile perception, superior interpretation of
sounds, there are certainly more)
DOL’s ticket to ride: Department of Labor’s Office of Disability
Employment Policy (ODEP) invites funders to co-initiate a roundtable of
funders: medicine, psychology, economy, sociology, worklife, etc.
Includes, for example NIH, HHS, NSF, and so on. (Israeli model–Forum for
National Research and Development Infrastructure, TELEM ). The roundtable
is an independent complement to the Advisory Committee on Increasing
Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals With Disabilities that
was created by presidential decision in 2014.
Acceptable deliverables: DOL publishes selected results in its yearly
statistics–the competitive skills and talents of blind people, matching
professions, etc.
Reliable Funding models: ODEP issues multidisciplinary research grants to
consortia studying how blindness can be competitive. Each grant program in
collaboration with at least one other high-class funder that already is
funding top-level research, e.g. NIH. Proposals are screened jointly by
collaborating funders. Granting by consensus between funders. This way
ODEP can assure high quality funding.
PROOF OF CONCEPT STAGE: DOL joins the Small Business Innovation Research
SBIR program. They fund R&D companies with commercial ideas for increasing
the value creation by blind people. This can be, for example, previously
funded research groups with ideas to create analytics companies to serve
HR and Recruiting industry with real-time data on increasing
value-creation of blind people. DOL will earn from funding such small
companies, it enables them to procure good labor statistics.
ANGEL STAGE: Incentive programs for alliances between Angels + Venture
Philanthropists. Venture Philanthropists give away money, but require to
see quantitative results in return, similar to venture investors.
VENTURE STAGE: As described in the discussion about the future of banks,
DOL offers venture capitalists to apply for DOL-matching of private
investments for creating innovation for jobs seed funds. In the created
funds, private investors get the option to buy out DOL’s share within five
years.
In reality, this would be for more than just blind people. It would
include all special conditions that are considered disabling on the job
market today..

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Some insight here as I am the chief innovation officer

Some insight here as I am the chief innovation officer at DOL. This is a
great idea – the only piece that is not possible is #3. ODEP does not have
grant issuing authority or discretionary funding for this type of work.

SBRI link is great.

I am about to launch the DOL Ventures Program in the next 30 days that will
connect government workers seeking to innovate with external parties. More
soon.

X

On Friday, January 8, 2016, Jim Spohrer […] wrote:

Xavier,
In addition to SBIR, NSF has PFi:BIC (Partnership for Innovation:

Xavier,
In addition to SBIR, NSF has PFi:BIC (Partnership for Innovation: Building
Innovation Capacity) for "People-Centered Smart Service Systems, now led
by Alexandra-Medina Borja:

Future I4J aligned policy should give a big boost to what Alexandra is
trying to accomplish IMHO.

-Jim

Dr. James ("Jim") C. Spohrer
Director, IBM University Programs (IBM UP) and Cognitive Systems Institute
IBM Research – Almaden, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120 USA
[…] 408-927-1928 (o) 408-829-3112 (c)
Innovation Champion (http://www.service-science.info/archives/2233)

From: Xavier Hughes […]
To: Jim Spohrer/Almaden/[…]
Cc: David A Nordfors […], "[…]"
[…]
Date: 01/09/2016 05:57 AM
Subject: Re: [i4j2015] Policy idea: How DOL might facilitate an
Innovation for Jobs Ecosystem

Some insight here as I am the chief innovation officer at DOL. This is a
great idea – the only piece that is not possible is #3. ODEP does not have
grant issuing authority or discretionary funding for this type of work.

SBRI link is great.

I am about to launch the DOL Ventures Program in the next 30 days that
will connect government workers seeking to innovate with external parties.
More soon.

X

On Friday, January 8, 2016, Jim Spohrer […] wrote:
David,

You point to two important partners for I4J:

Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP
)

NSF's Small Business Innovation Research SBIRprogram

Also see exoskeleton and mind-reading technologies that open up
opportunities for many to participate more broadly:

http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_disp.jsp?med_id=76391

http://techcrunch.com/tag/emotiv/

-Jim

Dr. James ("Jim") C. Spohrer
Director, IBM University Programs (IBM UP) and Cognitive Systems Institute
IBM Research – Almaden, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120 USA
[…] 408-927-1928 (o) 408-829-3112 (c)
Innovation Champion (a7c6978635ddb35cf767ca48a3bdf588cd62d35d)

From: David A Nordfors […]
To: "[…]" […]
Date: 01/08/2016 02:10 PM
Subject: [i4j2015] Policy idea: How DOL might facilitate an
Innovation for Jobs Ecosystem

Here is an example of a policy idea that has been brewing in my head.
What do you think?

(posted here:
https://i4j.info/2016/01/how-dol-might-facilitate-an-innovation-for-jobs-ecosystem/
)
An idea for innovation-for-jobs policy, building venture value chains for
startups. The idea of this model is to align existing interests and
incentives for the stakeholders. Government stimulates the competitive
commercial business by sharing the risk for investors, so that they get
all the upside if it goes well and half the downside if it doesn’t. No
subsidies. The investors can now take higher risks, but they won’t go for
low-growth opportunities. It’s still competitive. The idea has been used
before for kickstarting the Israeli venture capital industry, in the 90s.
Here it is suggested to be used as a tool for breaking removing the
barrier between innovation and labor policy, nurturing new
innovation-for-jobs startup ecosystems.
Example: Nurturing en ecosystem for offering blind people good jobs.
RESEARCH STAGE: Fund research to find out strengths of blind people
(already known: superior tactile perception, superior interpretation of
sounds, there are certainly more)
DOL’s ticket to ride: Department of Labor’s Office of Disability
Employment Policy (ODEP) invites funders to co-initiate a roundtable of
funders: medicine, psychology, economy, sociology, worklife, etc.
Includes, for example NIH, HHS, NSF, and so on. (Israeli model–Forum for
National Research and Development Infrastructure, TELEM). The roundtable
is an independent complement to the Advisory Committee on Increasing
Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals With Disabilitiesthat
was created by presidential decision in 2014.
Acceptable deliverables: DOL publishes selected results in its yearly
statistics–the competitive skills and talents of blind people, matching
professions, etc.
Reliable Funding models: ODEP issues multidisciplinary research grants to
consortia studying how blindness can be competitive. Each grant program in
collaboration with at least one other high-class funder that already is
funding top-level research, e.g. NIH. Proposals are screened jointly by
collaborating funders. Granting by consensus between funders. This way
ODEP can assure high quality funding.
PROOF OF CONCEPT STAGE: DOL joins the Small Business Innovation Research
SBIRprogram. They fund R&D companies with commercial ideas for increasing
the value creation by blind people. This can be, for example, previously
funded research groups with ideas to create analytics companies to serve
HR and Recruiting industry with real-time data on increasing
value-creation of blind people. DOL will earn from funding such small
companies, it enables them to procure good labor statistics.
ANGEL STAGE: Incentive programs for alliances between Angels + Venture
Philanthropists. Venture Philanthropists give away money, but require to
see quantitative results in return, similar to venture investors.
VENTURE STAGE: As described in the discussion about the future of banks,
DOL offers venture capitalists to apply for DOL-matching of private
investments for creating innovation for jobs seed funds. In the created
funds, private investors get the option to buy out DOL’s share within five
years.
In reality, this would be for more than just blind people. It would
include all special conditions that are considered disabling on the job
market today..

"i4j Leadership Forum" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
email to […].
Visit this group at
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Great idea!

Here is my thinking on potential areas of impact:
–

Great idea!

Here is my thinking on potential areas of impact:
– US lost lots of jobs [manufacturing, etc] – what type of innovations
could help to get these jobs back? Policies to support?
– many industries are disrupted by new technologies – today Macy's
announced they are closing over 50 stores – many will loose jobs. Macy's I
am sure planned stores closures for a while. Are there new technological
solutions that could of been used to start retraining impacted folks for
the jobs they can do in areas where the shortage is expected [RN for
example]?
– many new research ideas that could result in companies employing people
are not materializing – SBIR [glad it was mentioned in emails] is a great
tool to provide means to productize promising innovations, however
matchmaking between researchers & product [solutions] people doesn't exist
– maybe opportunities here as well?

T

Tatyana Kanzaveli
CEO, Open Health Network <http://openhealth.cc>
Top 10 Influential Women in Health IT 2015
<http://www.fiercehealthit.com/slideshows/10-influential-women-health-it-2015>
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I am going to try to attend this month's event

I am going to try to attend this month's event so we can chat about all
this.

On Saturday, January 9, 2016, Tatyana Kanzaveli […]
wrote:

HI Xavier and Jim,

Xavier – If not ODEP, then who

HI Xavier and Jim,

Xavier – If not ODEP, then who can be suitable funders within DOL to join the roundtable with other funders?

Jim – great pointers to the NSF! Here is other research that could create commercially viable companies with the scheme I suggested:
"Super Powers for the Blind and Deaf – The brain rewires itself to boost the remaining senses” http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/superpowers-for-the-blind-and-deaf/

Chally Grundwag (on CC) is organizing a workshop at the ECO Summit on this topic:

i4j ECO Summit Workshop – Special Conditions and Special Abilities

People who have difficulties getting jobs because of special conditions, might be helped by modern information technology to get good jobs, such as databases correlating special conditions with special abilities.

A special condition is an open ended concept which may included, but is not limited to, physical handicap, mental or neurological disorder.

Blindness is a disability in most jobs, but blind people will often have compensational abilities, such as unusually sensitive hands and good hearing, that are valuable strengths in special jobs that either already exist or can be created. The task is to identify the strengths accompanying the challenges and to find or create markets for good meaningful jobs. People with special conditions may in fact be extra valuable, because their special abilities are often rare.

In this workshop we will brainstorm how databases can be used for identifying the potential and increasing the acknowledged value of people with special conditions, and how it can be a part of the innovation-for-jobs ecosystem.

Two ideas for additional discussants on this topic: Cornell's ILR

Two ideas for additional discussants on this topic: Cornell's ILR school
has some very innovative worker initiatives for people with disabilities,
and also this program for climate change jobs (
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/worker-institute/news/ibew-local-3-highlights-worker-institutes-climate-jobs-program.)

Has anyone connected the DOL initiatives with the VA programs for returning
and retiring veterans – disabled and not? I have heard there is an
especially successful program for female veterans and I will try to locate
the precise name of it.

I'd like to join this discussion if you are coordinating a roundtable at
the upcoming summit.

Elizabeth

ELIZABETH ISELE / *Co-Founder:* Senior Entrepreneurship Works
<http://www.seniorentrepreneurshipworks.org/>

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*Founder*, SavvySeniorsWork.com
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Great pointer Alex – thanks!

General and Age-related disabilities
managed

Great pointer Alex – thanks!

General and Age-related disabilities
managed by Alexander Leonessa, NSF Engineering
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=501021

I4J policy might strengthen these types of programs

Also, these may be of interest – you, John Seely Brown, and all the other
I4Jers at HICSS got to see these live:

HICSS-49, Distinguished Lecture: Wearables for your brain!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkgTXPzJiyw

HICSS-49, Keynote Address: Human Factors and Social Design of
Disruptive Technologies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS-g6sD_yBo

From: "Medina-Borja, Alexandra" […]
To: David A Nordfors […]
Cc: Jim Spohrer/Almaden/[…], Xavier Hughes
[…], "[…]" […], Chally
Grundwag […]
Date: 01/09/2016 01:43 PM
Subject: Re: [i4j2015] Policy idea: How DOL might facilitate an
Innovation for Jobs Ecosystem

Jim et al,
Another important and related program in NSF engineering is the General
and Age-related disabilities engineering managed by Alexander Leonessa:
85fd87aeecb48c8c1e9562d87919d3298868dfe0

Alex is a huge collaborator in my program as well. Let me know if it is
relevant to your conversation as I think it is.

Alex

Sent from my iPad. Please excuse any typos or formatting problems with
this email.

HI Xavier and Jim,

Xavier – If not ODEP, then who can be suitable funders within DOL to join
the roundtable with other funders?

Jim – great pointers to the NSF! Here is other research that could create
commercially viable companies with the scheme I suggested:
"Super Powers for the Blind and Deaf – The brain rewires itself to boost
the remaining senses”
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/superpowers-for-the-blind-and-deaf/

Chally Grundwag (on CC) is organizing a workshop at the ECO Summit on this
topic:

i4j ECO Summit Workshop – Special Conditions and Special Abilities

People who have difficulties getting jobs because of special conditions,
might be helped by modern information technology to get good jobs, such as
databases correlating special conditions with special abilities.

A special condition is an open ended concept which may included, but is
not limited to, physical handicap, mental or neurological disorder.

Blindness is a disability in most jobs, but blind people will often have
compensational abilities, such as unusually sensitive hands and good
hearing, that are valuable strengths in special jobs that either already
exist or can be created. The task is to identify the strengths
accompanying the challenges and to find or create markets for good
meaningful jobs. People with special conditions may in fact be extra
valuable, because their special abilities are often rare.

In this workshop we will brainstorm how databases can be used for
identifying the potential and increasing the acknowledged value of people
with special conditions, and how it can be a part of the
innovation-for-jobs ecosystem.

On Jan 9, 2016, at 9:10 AM, Jim Spohrer […] wrote:

Xavier,
In addition to SBIR, NSF has PFi:BIC (Partnership for Innovation: Building
Innovation Capacity) for "People-Centered Smart Service Systems, now led
byAlexandra-Medina Borja:

Future I4J aligned policy should give a big boost to what Alexandra is
trying to accomplish IMHO.

-Jim

Dr. James ("Jim") C. Spohrer
Director, IBM University Programs (IBM UP) and Cognitive Systems Institute
IBM Research – Almaden, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120 USA
[…] 408-927-1928 (o) 408-829-3112 (c)
Innovation Champion (http://www.service-science.info/archives/2233)

From: Xavier Hughes […]
To: Jim Spohrer/Almaden/[…]
Cc: David A Nordfors […], "[…]" <
[…]
Date: 01/09/2016 05:57 AM
Subject: Re: [i4j2015] Policy idea: How DOL might facilitate an
Innovation for Jobs Ecosystem

Some insight here as I am the chief innovation officer at DOL. This is a
great idea – the only piece that is not possible is #3. ODEP does not have
grant issuing authority or discretionary funding for this type of work.

SBRI link is great.

I am about to launch the DOL Ventures Program in the next 30 days that
will connect government workers seeking to innovate with external parties.
More soon.

X

On Friday, January 8, 2016, Jim Spohrer […] wrote:
David,

You point to two important partners for I4J:

Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP
)

NSF's Small Business Innovation Research SBIRprogram

Also see exoskeleton and mind-reading technologies that open up
opportunities for many to participate more broadly:

http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_disp.jsp?med_id=76391

http://techcrunch.com/tag/emotiv/

-Jim

Dr. James ("Jim") C. Spohrer
Director, IBM University Programs (IBM UP) and Cognitive Systems Institute
IBM Research – Almaden, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120 USA
[…] (o) 408-829-3112 (c)
Innovation Champion (a7c6978635ddb35cf767ca48a3bdf588cd62d35d)

From: David A Nordfors […]
To: "[…]" […]
Date: 01/08/2016 02:10 PM
Subject: [i4j2015] Policy idea: How DOL might facilitate an
Innovation for Jobs Ecosystem

Here is an example of a policy idea that has been brewing in my head.
What do you think?

(posted here:
https://i4j.info/2016/01/how-dol-might-facilitate-an-innovation-for-jobs-ecosystem/
)
An idea for innovation-for-jobs policy, building venture value chains for
startups. The idea of this model is to align existing interests and
incentives for the stakeholders. Government stimulates the competitive
commercial business by sharing the risk for investors, so that they get
all the upside if it goes well and half the downside if it doesn’t. No
subsidies. The investors can now take higher risks, but they won’t go for
low-growth opportunities. It’s still competitive. The idea has been used
before for kickstarting the Israeli venture capital industry, in the 90s.
Here it is suggested to be used as a tool for breaking removing the
barrier between innovation and labor policy, nurturing new
innovation-for-jobs startup ecosystems.
Example: Nurturing en ecosystem for offering blind people good jobs.
RESEARCH STAGE: Fund research to find out strengths of blind people
(already known: superior tactile perception, superior interpretation of
sounds, there are certainly more)
DOL’s ticket to ride: Department of Labor’s Office of Disability
Employment Policy (ODEP) invites funders to co-initiate a roundtable of
funders: medicine, psychology, economy, sociology, worklife, etc.
Includes, for example NIH, HHS, NSF, and so on. (Israeli model–Forum for
National Research and Development Infrastructure, TELEM). The roundtable
is an independent complement to the Advisory Committee on Increasing
Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals With Disabilitiesthat
was created by presidential decision in 2014.
Acceptable deliverables: DOL publishes selected results in its yearly
statistics–the competitive skills and talents of blind people, matching
professions, etc.
Reliable Funding models: ODEP issues multidisciplinary research grants to
consortia studying how blindness can be competitive. Each grant program in
collaboration with at least one other high-class funder that already is
funding top-level research, e.g. NIH. Proposals are screened jointly by
collaborating funders. Granting by consensus between funders. This way
ODEP can assure high quality funding.
PROOF OF CONCEPT STAGE: DOL joins the Small Business Innovation Research
SBIRprogram. They fund R&D companies with commercial ideas for increasing
the value creation by blind people. This can be, for example, previously
funded research groups with ideas to create analytics companies to serve
HR and Recruiting industry with real-time data on increasing
value-creation of blind people. DOL will earn from funding such small
companies, it enables them to procure good labor statistics.
ANGEL STAGE: Incentive programs for alliances between Angels + Venture
Philanthropists. Venture Philanthropists give away money, but require to
see quantitative results in return, similar to venture investors.
VENTURE STAGE: As described in the discussion about the future of banks,
DOL offers venture capitalists to apply for DOL-matching of private
investments for creating innovation for jobs seed funds. In the created
funds, private investors get the option to buy out DOL’s share within five
years.
In reality, this would be for more than just blind people. It would
include all special conditions that are considered disabling on the job
market today..

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