Enterprise for Youth CEO Carlo Solis delivered the following speech at Enterprise for Youth’s annual dinner celebration, Heroes at Work on May 1st, 2024. Carlo shares his personal and professional journey along with his direction with Enterprise for Youth as CEO.

I would like to thank all of our continued supporters and welcome our new ones. Before sharing my vision for Enterprise for Youth as the new CEO, let me tell you about myself.

I was born here in San Francisco at St. Luke’s Hospital. My mom worked at Pacific Bell, and my dad worked at the US Postal Service. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail stopped Papa from being there to make sure my brother and I were in check.

We were a one-car family, a circumstance that shaped my identity as a San Franciscan. With only one car, we relied on public transportation, navigating the city on Muni and Bart. Growing up near Balboa Park, the entirety of San Francisco was just a bus ride away.

Those bus rides were lessons in courage, empathy, and adaptability. They taught me to think on my feet and to remain flexible in my plans while never losing sight of my destination. Riding the bus with the diverse people that make up our city instilled in me a deep love and appreciation for San Francisco. I love all of San Francisco, but I am especially dedicated and have great love for the young people who grow up here as I did.

This affection for young San Franciscans has been a major driver in my professional life. I see reflections of myself in each of our youth. In truth, I don’t feel all that removed from being that teenager on the bus.

Since assuming the role of CEO in January, our first accomplishment was the opening of our Career Lab in partnership with SPUR. The Career Lab at SPUR excites me for several reasons. Primarily, it expands our capacity to reach young people from all over San Francisco with our amazing programming.

“Many youths join us to make some money over the summer, but they leave with a new level of confidence, courage, and excitement about their future. These paid internships are transformational experiences for our youth and are the reason we are celebrating and fundraising today.”

Let me walk you through how it works: our team, with volunteers and Program Assistants, gets the youth ready. We offer job readiness training, where youth build resumes and learn how to highlight their personal strengths and superpowers. From there, the youth are interviewed individually so we can carefully place each in an internship that matches their interests and readiness level.

Once youth are placed in their internships, we onboard our newest employees onto our payroll system. These internship placements are the key of Enterprise’s mission—as all our young adults go out to work at hospitals, in City Hall, in the parks, at the Aquarium, or a law firm, they change, they learn, they grow.

Many youths join us to make some money over the summer, but they leave with a new level of confidence, courage, and excitement about their future. These paid internships are transformational experiences for our youth and are the reason we are celebrating and fundraising today. 

“By investing in workforce development from a young age, we’re cultivating a highly skilled, city-connected workforce. Whether they become engineers, accountants, programmers, or tradespeople, our youth will play a pivotal role in shaping the city’s future.”

One of my goals is to open more career labs in the city so that more youth have easy access to Enterprise for Youth and the opportunities that are provided through our organization.

Despite the doom loop narrative surrounding downtown SF, I know and feel its significance. As an amateur San Francisco historian, I take great pleasure in learning the city’s rich history and exploring its hidden landmarks.

As we commemorate 55 years of Gladys Thacher’s founding of Enterprise for Youth in October (don’t worry, you’ll get an invitation), we will continue to be an integral part of San Francisco’s history, present, and future.

I firmly believe that Enterprise for Youth can serve as one of the catalysts for revitalizing downtown San Francisco. The power of a paid internship can never be discounted. People are turning to us as a leader in workforce development. 

By investing in workforce development from a young age, we’re cultivating a highly skilled, city-connected workforce. Whether they become engineers, accountants, programmers, or tradespeople, our youth will play a pivotal role in shaping the city’s future.

I’m also very proud that the young people in this room will be the future intern hosts, mentors, and donors. Some recent investments include a $400K grant from Waverley Street Foundation for climate solutions with our Climate Career Corps, a three-year funding grant from the federal government for the work we do with the National Park Services, and a recent five-year grant for $2.6 million from the city of San Francisco. These wins show how much Enterprise means to the community, and I am here to ask for more.

Since becoming CEO, folks have asked how they can support Enterprise. Please consider giving generously tonight. Your investment fuels our mission, and we are so grateful to have your partnership. While financial contributions are invaluable, there are numerous other ways to lend your support. Can you or your company host interns? Can your department participate in a career panel? Can we count on you to be a yearly supporter?

The question I will ask everyone in this room is simple. How can you pay it forward and leverage your professional network to benefit young people in our community? Supporting our mission is not daunting if you’re willing to use your access and success to empower the next generation.

I would like to sincerely thank you for being here tonight, for supporting our youth and listening to their stories.