CrossPurpose co-founder Jason Janz and workforce policy expert Dr. Steven Taylor offer a practical roadmap to expand economic opportunity and lasting prosperity
DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, November 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — America has spent decades fighting poverty, yet tens of millions of people remain trapped in cycles of economic hardship. In their new book, Together We Climb: A Community-Driven Approach to Break the Cycle of Poverty and Build Prosperity, Jason Janz and Dr. Steven C. Taylor argue that breaking those cycles requires more than government programs or individual determination. It requires communities working together to create pathways to lasting economic mobility.
Published by Advantage Books, Together We Climb explores how local leaders, employers, nonprofits, and community members can work together to address the barriers that keep individuals and families from achieving economic stability—the foundation for growth, purpose, and success. Drawing on research, real-world stories, and lessons from communities across the country, the authors outline strategies for connecting people to education, meaningful employment, supportive relationships, and other resources that create pathways to long-term prosperity.
The book draws on the authors’ combined experience in community development, higher education, and workforce policy to make the case that lasting economic mobility requires collaboration from the philanthropic, private, and public sectors.
Janz, a first-generation college graduate who grew up in poverty, has spent his career helping individuals and families achieve financial self-sufficiency. As co-founder and CEO of CrossPurpose, he has helped build a community-based model that combines career training with personal development and support. The organization has moved more than 4,000 people out of poverty.
“Poverty is about more than a lack of income. It’s about a lack of opportunity, relationships, and the support people need to build a different future,” said Janz. “At CrossPurpose, we’ve seen what happens when you give someone access to those things for the first time. People don’t just get a good job. They build careers, strengthen their families, and build wealth for the next generation. That’s the American Dream that we want to see reignited across America.”
Taylor, a first-generation college graduate and former Pell Grant recipient, brings more than two decades of experience expanding educational opportunity and strengthening pathways to economic mobility. He is the founder of ED2WORK®, which helps philanthropies, nonprofits, and civic leaders design policy strategies that expand economic opportunity, and serves on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and as Vice Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, which advises the U.S. Secretary of Education on accreditation and institutional quality. His work focuses on improving the value of education and credentials and connecting more people to the skills and opportunities needed to build meaningful careers.
“For too long, America has treated economic mobility as either a policy problem for government to solve or a personal challenge for individuals. The reality is that neither approach works in isolation,” said Taylor. “We need policies that remove barriers to opportunity, employers willing to invest in people, and communities that connect individuals to the education, skills, and relationships they need to succeed. This book is about bringing those pieces together to create pathways to prosperity that last for generations.”
Rather than treating poverty solely as a lack of income, Together We Climb explores the interconnected challenges that can prevent people from moving forward, and what is possible when sectors come together to form alliances to help people move toward prosperity. The book offers actionable lessons for community leaders, funders, policymakers, business owners, nonprofit organizations, and individuals seeking to strengthen economic mobility in their own communities.
About Jason Janz
Jason Janz is CEO and co-founder of CrossPurpose, a Denver-based nonprofit that helps families journey from poverty to prosperity by providing the skills, training, and relationships they need to build stable careers and create generational wealth. Over the past 15 years, he has developed and refined a proven model that helps people climb out of poverty through deep relationships and community-centered support. Jason combines lived experience with a unique ability to unite faith, community, and social innovation around a shared vision of hope and opportunity.
About Dr. Steven C. Taylor
Dr. Steven C. Taylor is an author, speaker, and policy leader advancing how America creates opportunity. His work sits at the intersection of economic mobility, public policy, and philanthropy, with a focus on building pathways that help more people pursue meaningful work and build lives of dignity, purpose, and prosperity. He is the founder of ED2WORK® and previously directed national initiatives at the American Council on Education. Taylor holds political appointments to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. He earned his doctorate in business from Wilmington University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from East Texas A&M University.
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