Guest blog by Jonathan Chaparro, LEG ’24
As I reflect on my career, one theme has continually fueled my passion: the belief in the transformative power of philanthropy to create meaningful, lasting change. Over the years, this belief has guided my work at Braven, where I’ve had the privilege of advancing our mission to empower underrepresented college students with the skills, mindsets, experiences, and social capital they need to secure strong first jobs that propel upward mobility. Yet, through the lens of my work and personal roots, part of my attention has increasingly turned toward the challenges and opportunities facing Puerto Rico, a place deeply connected to my upbringing and my familial history.
This curiosity grew when I convened with my fellow Northwestern Kellogg Youn Impact Leaders. As part of a reunion, I connected with incredible people working at the intersection of profit and purpose and wrestled with questions of how leaders can spark systemic change across sectors. I left this gathering inspired and curious to explore policy’s role in fueling economic mobility. That’s when I decided to pursue the Executive Certificate in Economic Development and signed up for the Leading Economic Growth course.
In one particular session with Professors Matt Andrews and Ricardo Hausmann, I was struck by their insights on economic complexity and Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA). Their frameworks highlighted the importance of building local capabilities, tackling binding constraints iteratively, and embracing bold, innovative approaches to growth challenges. These principles resonated as both theoretical concepts and practical truths I’ve witnessed in action. Throughout my career, I’ve seen the transformative potential of philanthropy and nonprofits when they are driven by a bold vision and grounded in locally led solutions. The most enduring impact occurs when philanthropy steps in not as a savior but as a catalyst, empowering communities to identify their needs and create change from within. This alignment between visionary leadership and local ownership is a powerful force for systemic change—one I’ve come to believe is crucial for addressing challenges in Puerto Rico, where untapped potential and resilience abound.
Puerto Rico’s challenges are complex, but they are not insurmountable. Thousands of talented individuals leave the island every year, drawn by opportunities elsewhere. This exodus undermines the island’s potential to diversify its economy, build local industries, and foster upward mobility for its people. Yet, as Professor Hausmann’s “Scrabble Theory” of development emphasizes, building economic complexity requires assembling the right “letters” of know-how and capabilities. Puerto Rico’s talent pool is one of its strongest assets, and reversing brain drain can serve as a cornerstone for revitalization.
At Braven, I’ve seen firsthand how targeted interventions—structured career readiness support, mentorships, and catalytic partnerships—can drive mobility. These insights inform my vision for Puerto Rico: creating initiatives that attract diaspora talent, empower local entrepreneurs, and build industries aligned with the global green transition. For instance, investing in renewable energy technologies, a sector that is ripe for growth, could transform Puerto Rico into a hub for green innovation while fostering economic self-sufficiency. The Leading Economic Growth course reaffirmed a truth I’ve witnessed firsthand: solving systemic challenges requires uniting unlikely allies. Government leaders, nonprofits, higher education institutions, employers, and community stakeholders must come together to drive meaningful change. This spirit of collaboration has been the catalyst for extraordinary impact at Braven. Since 2018, we’ve grown from fueling upward mobility for about 300 mostly First-Gen, Pell-Grant college students to empowering over 12,000 Fellows nationwide—a testament to what’s possible when partnerships thrive. Our work is built on deep collaboration with amazing higher education institutions, which serve as engines of mobility, alongside the commitment of local and national employers and the growing bipartisan support that bridges political divides. Together, these partnerships have transformed what once seemed ambitious into a scalable model for upward economic mobility. The success I’ve seen at Braven also underscores another truth: collaboration is a powerful tool to create scalable solutions for systemic challenges. It’s a lesson I carry with me as I think about tackling complex problems like economic mobility in Puerto Rico and beyond.
The insights from the Leading Economic Growth course and my professional experiences have deepened my conviction that the strategies that drive upward mobility—whether for First-Generation college students in urban centers or communities across Puerto Rico—are rooted in collective action and locally led innovation. Looking ahead, I’m motivated to explore how these collaborative models might apply to rural regions in the United States. Like Puerto Rico, these areas face significant hurdles, from talent flight to economic stagnation. Yet they also hold untapped potential that can be unlocked through partnerships and bold, iterative solutions. Leading economic growth is about marrying personal conviction with professional insight. The road ahead may not be linear, but, as Professor Andrews reminded us, complex problems demand iterative solutions. With resilience, innovation, and collective action, Puerto Rico and other regions across the country can, in fact, chart a new path to prosperity.
This is a blog series written by the alumni of the Leading Economic Growth Executive Education Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. 47 Participants successfully completed this 10-week online course in December 2024. These are their learning journey stories.