About
I excel in connecting the dots—between ideas, people, capital, and opportunity—to help…
Articles by Matthew
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What’s Missing from the Financial Health Conversation? Policy.
What’s Missing from the Financial Health Conversation? Policy.
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate at Financial Health Network's annual #EMERGE conference where one theme…
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Matthew Cohen reposted thisMatthew Cohen reposted thisWe’ve spent years talking about the “skills gap,” but I think this misses something fundamental: the “career navigation gap.” The rise of genAI brings renewed urgency to this problem. Our latest report from The Project on Workforce at Harvard shares findings from a mixed-methods study on how low-wage workers and community college students navigate careers in today’s labor market. A few points: 💡 Individuals described constant pivots—switching jobs, exiting and re-entering education, responding to shocks. 💡 Career information is abundant—but it's difficult to sort through the noise without guidance. 💡 Family and friends are the most common sources of information, but often point to the same limited set of opportunities. 💡 GenAI tools show promise, but their use remains limited among the populations we studied, and they require safeguards against bias. We’ve built a labor market that requires constant navigation–but we haven’t built the infrastructure to support it. Without quality information, cross-income and -sector networks, jobs that are stable enough to plan ahead, navigation skills, and guidance from tusted intermediaries, even the most highly motivated individuals can stall. If we want to improve mobility, we can’t just invest in training. We have to invest in career navigation. Huge thanks to my co-authors, Joseph Fuller, Amanda R. Holloway, Ed.D., Rony Rodriguez Ramirez, Candace Megerssa, and Allyson Birger Dennis, Ed.M., and to contributing researchers Ali Epstein and Radha Biswas. Full report here: https://lnkd.in/eqSDJjgxPivots Without Pathways: Career Navigation in a Fragmented Labor MarketPivots Without Pathways: Career Navigation in a Fragmented Labor Market
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Matthew Cohen shared thisI started writing about my friend, Stuart, a few different times since learning of his passing, but never quite found the right words. I still havent. Matt Sigelman captures him well here, as have others in our network. Stu was an exceptionally smart person, but more importantly, he was a genuinely kind and generous one. The type of person who quietly made other people better through his ideas, his curiosity, and the way he showed up for others. If you’re able, please consider supporting one of the contribution opportunities below in his memory. https://lnkd.in/egsQ7g6aMatthew Cohen shared thisWe are honoring Stuart Andreason’s extraordinary life and asking our community to give back by supporting Lauren and their four young children, in gratitude for the generosity with which Stu gave of himself to so many. Stu was a brilliant visionary, leader, and builder. He dedicated his career to advancing workforce and education systems that were more fair, data-driven, and rooted in economic opportunity for all. But Stu’s impact was never only professional. He built community. He created lifelong friendships. He made people feel seen, valued, and supported. With his kindness, dry humor, and enormous heart, Stu always had your back — whether in a quick conference hello, a happy-hour catch-up, a keynote, a roundtable, or a partnership conversation. He was family. For all of Stu’s professional accomplishments, nothing came close to the pride and love he had for his wife, Lauren, and their four beautiful children: Charlotte (11), Ellis (10), Walter (7), and Phoebe (4). Now it is our turn to give back — to help support Stu’s family and ensure that the work he devoted his life to continues to inspire scaled solutions for those most in need. There are two ways to contribute: 1. Support the children’s college funds through Ugift Visit Ugift529.com and enter the code for the child you wish to support. You will then be prompted to enter your name and gift amount and can complete your contribution by electronic funds transfer or check. Phoebe (age 4): P4S-M9J Walter (age 7): 62V-S4T Ellis (age 10): Q6J-P39 Charlotte (age 11): P33-Q8E 2. Contribute through GoFundMe You may also give here: https://lnkd.in/evJm4aFm Lauren Andreason is the sole beneficiary of all funds given. The outpouring of love, stories, and memories from around the world speaks volumes about Stu’s character, the person he was, and the imprint he left on each of us. Thank you in advance for your generosity — and for helping carry forward the love, care, and commitment Stu gave so freely to others. May his memory be for blessing.
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Matthew Cohen shared thisNo doubt, AI is transforming work *far faster* than our workforce is adapting. 🎯 Much of the current discourse focuses on jobs disappearing, BUT that captures only part of the story and none of the opportunity. AI can solve complicated problems, quickly. My work and my life, and perhaps yours too, are more often about navigating 💣complex💣 ones. The future will belong less to those who simply have answers; and more to those who understand people, who create meaning or value, and who help teams move through what machines cannot. 👉That is the kind of work I (and others) try to do. At the ASU+GSV Summit, I am struck by how important that distinction feels right now. It's always great to reconnect w/ old friends & colleagues, and to meet new people along the way!
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Matthew Cohen shared thisBeyond enriching our campuses, international students literally help subsidize higher ed's financial model (thereby supporting domestic students). So, 35.6% drop YOY in student visas is not just an enrollment issue but a $3 billion hit to US colleges & universities.
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Matthew Cohen posted thisAI is accelerating economic & employability shifts already underway: • fewer true entry points • higher expectations • a widening experience gap, especially for new grads 🎯 TL;DR But this isn’t a tech problem; at least, not really. It’s a system design failure. A lack of infrastructure. We’ve historically had an employment model where real work experience was often optional, while employers today now expect day-one readiness in roles where the “learn on the job” phase is shrinking or gone altogether. A few takeaways from Jane Swift (Education at Work) and Ryan Craig (Achieve Partners): 1️⃣ Work-based learning needs to become core, not peripheral; 2️⃣ The current internship model doesn’t scale; and 3️⃣ New intermediaries, infrastructure, and employer-edu partnerships are critical. The H.E. institutions that consistently translate or integrate learning into earning will win. 👉 The rest risk becoming even less relevant (and, yes, that's actually possible). 📖 Worth a read: https://lnkd.in/gS2WMurH
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Matthew Cohen shared this"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it." "You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win; and you're never as bad as they say when you lose." - Coach Lou Holtz Way back when the ASU+GSV Summit was at The Phoenician Resort (and much more collegial, than performative), Michael T. Moe, who played for Holtz, brought his college coach to the keynote stage. Needless to say, it was a treat. #RIP
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Matthew Cohen shared thisJust read about “Series SAFE Preferred,” a new early-stage financing structure from Mintz that’s worth a look. At a high level, it blends what founders & early investors like most about SAFEs (speed, simplicity, deferred valuation) w/ a key upgrade: investors receive actual preferred stock at issuance, with a charter filed upfront. In other words, it’s equity from day one— not just a contractual promise (to become equity at later date). Why this matters right now 👇 • Earlier investor protections 🔒 Because this is actual stock, investors get stockholder rights immediately. That addresses one of the long-standing investor critiques of SAFEs, especially as rounds get larger & timelines stretch. • Better positioning for QSBS 🧾 The structure is designed to more clearly support Qualified Small Business Stock treatment (Section 1202). That can be a material outcome at exit, particularly for early capital. • Founder-friendly execution ⚡ Parties still avoid negotiating a full, priced round. That speed can matter a lot when momentum, hiring, or runway is the priority. This seems to offer a pragmatic middle path for seed and pre-seed financings, especially in a market where both founders *and* investors are more sensitive to risk, rights, and downstream complexity. What do other pre-seed investors and founders think? Link to docs: https://bit.ly/4p3yz6Z #AngelInvestingIntroducing Series SAFE Preferred: A New Venture Financing ToolIntroducing Series SAFE Preferred: A New Venture Financing Tool
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Matthew Cohen shared thisAmerica has a resilience gap (that often shows up as talent gap). A new JPMorganChase report shows that 40% of adults lack basic digital skills, a finding highlighted by Axios’ Madison Mills as part of the bank’s $1.5T U.S. investment initiative. 👉 Why it matters: JPMorgan frames the workforce shortage as a national security threat, not just an economic issue. We can pour capital into AI, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing, but without a robust and inclusive talent pipeline, those investments stall. We need to treat human capital as critical infrastructure. That means doubling down on upskilling, employer & other public-private partnerships, and regional pathways that connect more workers to high-demand fields. The opportunity is enormous, but only if we build it w/ intention. Links: JPMorganChase report: https://lnkd.in/ea4b_db8 Axios coverage: https://lnkd.in/eYpR3qmwJPMorgan: The biggest national security threat may be America's workforceJPMorgan: The biggest national security threat may be America's workforce
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Matthew Cohen shared thisToo many people are working hard w/o the stability, dignity, and growth that define a quality job. According to the newly released American Job Quality Study (link below), nearly two-thirds of workers are in jobs that fall short of that standard. That’s not a small gap; and it should be a call-to-action. So, what can we do about it? If you’re an employer... Prioritize mentorship and skills development. Ensure predictable scheduling. Create real mechanisms for employee input. These aren’t perks; they’re levers for retention, productivity, engagement, and culture. If you shape policy... Close the structural gaps the report highlights: strengthen access to affordable childcare & paid leave, workplace protections, and scheduling practices that allow people to reliably plan their lives. Better jobs strengthen families and local economies. If you’re an intermediary, advocate or labor leader... Use this data to amplify worker voice and build shared solutions through bargaining, training pathways, and advancement opportunities that meet both workers’ and employers’ needs. #JobQuality isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s foundational to #economicmobility, business performance, and community well-being. Let’s make quality jobs the standard, not the exception. "American Job Quality Study 2025" — https://bit.ly/4oMrV4Z via Jobs for the Future (JFF) & Gallup #goodjobs
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Matthew Cohen liked thisMatthew Cohen liked this🧮 Word problem time. A Wall Street analyst tells you they know a share of stock will be worth $100,000 in five years. Assume the analyst has never been wrong. How much would you pay for that share today? A) $50,000 B) $100,000 C) $250,000 Most of us wouldn’t hesitate to run the math. We’d discount future value, assess risk, and decide whether the price makes sense. That’s how rational investment decisions get made. Now compare that to how students are asked to invest in education. When students decide where—and whether—to pursue higher education, the lack of price transparency makes the return on investment nearly incalculable. Costs are unclear, financial aid signals are incomplete, and outcomes are often disconnected from price. It’s like reading a restaurant menu with no prices and being asked to commit anyway. That confusion is personal for me. When I applied to colleges in 1984, I knew I was going to pay for college myself. My primary research tool was checking out Peterson’s Guide to 4‑Year Colleges (published in 1982) from my high school library and flipping through pages, trying to piece together tuition, room, and board. I was making one of the most important financial decisions of my life with incomplete information and a lot of guesswork. Fast forward to today, and while the tools look more modern, the experience for too many students hasn’t improved nearly enough. That’s why this new report from Strada Education Foundation, “The Price Transparency Imperative: Rebuilding Confidence in Higher Education,” is so important. Their research shows people still believe deeply in the value of higher education—but unclear pricing and opaque financial aid continue to undermine trust and confidence in the system. At Ascent, this is exactly why the cost of education matters so much to us. Education is one of the most consequential investments a person will ever make. If the higher education industry wants families and taxpayers to invest in education, it has to be transparent about price, clear about value, and honest about outcomes. Rebuilding confidence starts by putting clear prices on the menu—so students and families can choose their future with confidence. 🔗 Worth the read: https://lnkd.in/gWAHxafT #HigherEducation #CollegeAffordability #PriceTransparency #StudentSuccess #AscentFundingThe Price Transparency Imperative: Rebuilding Confidence in Higher Education | Strada Education FoundationThe Price Transparency Imperative: Rebuilding Confidence in Higher Education | Strada Education Foundation
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Matthew Cohen liked thisMatthew Cohen liked thisYesterday, we announced that Alongside has been acquired by TimelyCare. We started Alongside before GPT, with a simple goal: build a chatbot that could help kids navigate wellbeing challenges. As the models improved, our focus shifted to putting clear clinical informed pathways and safety guardrails in place for how the system behaves, especially in higher-risk situations. Our S.U.R.E. framework sets a standard that's rare in AI products today. Over time, we also expanded the platform to support both students and the staff around them, reaching 100k students across 200 schools in 19 states. Students can build 50+ skills to help with day-to-day challenges, and staff can better understand where students need help and what’s working. This foundation piqued the interest of TimelyCare. Luke Hejl and his team have built the leading virtual care platform in higher ed. Together we can support students across the full spectrum of care, from everyday to higher acuity, spanning K-12 and higher ed. I’m incredibly grateful to my cofounders, Anish Mehta and Scott Freschet. They poured everything into building Alongside. The same goes for our team, who worked tirelessly to build and partner with schools on a product they trust and students actually use. And thank you to all our investors. Amy Nam McCullough, Chuck Stonecipher, and the Trilogy Equity Partners team backed us early and never wavered. Grateful for all of you.
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Matthew Cohen liked thisMatthew Cohen liked thisWe are honoring Stuart Andreason’s extraordinary life and asking our community to give back by supporting Lauren and their four young children, in gratitude for the generosity with which Stu gave of himself to so many. Stu was a brilliant visionary, leader, and builder. He dedicated his career to advancing workforce and education systems that were more fair, data-driven, and rooted in economic opportunity for all. But Stu’s impact was never only professional. He built community. He created lifelong friendships. He made people feel seen, valued, and supported. With his kindness, dry humor, and enormous heart, Stu always had your back — whether in a quick conference hello, a happy-hour catch-up, a keynote, a roundtable, or a partnership conversation. He was family. For all of Stu’s professional accomplishments, nothing came close to the pride and love he had for his wife, Lauren, and their four beautiful children: Charlotte (11), Ellis (10), Walter (7), and Phoebe (4). Now it is our turn to give back — to help support Stu’s family and ensure that the work he devoted his life to continues to inspire scaled solutions for those most in need. There are two ways to contribute: 1. Support the children’s college funds through Ugift Visit Ugift529.com and enter the code for the child you wish to support. You will then be prompted to enter your name and gift amount and can complete your contribution by electronic funds transfer or check. Phoebe (age 4): P4S-M9J Walter (age 7): 62V-S4T Ellis (age 10): Q6J-P39 Charlotte (age 11): P33-Q8E 2. Contribute through GoFundMe You may also give here: https://lnkd.in/evJm4aFm Lauren Andreason is the sole beneficiary of all funds given. The outpouring of love, stories, and memories from around the world speaks volumes about Stu’s character, the person he was, and the imprint he left on each of us. Thank you in advance for your generosity — and for helping carry forward the love, care, and commitment Stu gave so freely to others. May his memory be for blessing.
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Matthew Cohen liked thisMatthew Cohen liked thisExcited to commemorate the three-year anniversary of Lemnis by sharing our ongoing commitment to reimagining learning in an AI-driven era. As technology rapidly evolves, we remain dedicated to keeping human connection at the heart of education—ensuring learners are seen, heard, and supported to thrive. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gaT_xrYi Grateful for our board, team, and partners who are making this possible. We’ll continue investing in organizations and tools that responsibly expand what’s possible at scale. If you’re building more human-centered learning in areas like belonging, durable skills, opportunity pathways, and pro-social technology, let’s connect! #EdTech #AI #HumanCenteredLearning #Lemnis #UnlimitedLearnerThree Years of Lemnis: Building Human-Centered Learning in an AI EraThree Years of Lemnis: Building Human-Centered Learning in an AI Era
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Licenses & Certifications
Volunteer Experience
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Founding Member
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- Present 7 years 10 months
Economic Empowerment
The T3 Innovation Network (T3 Network) is a public-private collective action initiative aims to make it easier for different parts of the job market to share information and work together, with a focus on creating equity and opportunity for all.
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Executive Advisor
Harvard Business Review
- Present 5 years
Economic Empowerment
As a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, I offer strategic insights on emerging business trends, contribute feedback on content development, and help shape the frameworks that inform HBR’s global thought leadership.
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Member, Jewish Engagement Coalition, Office of Public Engagement
The White House
- 3 years 11 months
Civil Rights and Social Action
With a focus on making the White House inclusive and accessible to its citizens, the Office of Public Engagement (OPE) is responsible for creating and coordinating direct dialogue between the Biden-Harris administration and the diverse American public.
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President, Brotherhood
Temple Shaaray Tefila of Westchester
- Present 11 years 5 months
Civil Rights and Social Action
Our mission is to connect social action initiatives with foundational Jewish values such as "Tikkun Olam" (social justice), "Chesed" (loving-kindness) and "Tzedakah" (justice). Our goal to “heal the world” (or bring light where there is darkness) is fostered through philanthropic, multi-generational programming that affects social change and benefits local, national and international communities.
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Advisor
NewSchools Venture Fund
- Present 8 years 4 months
Economic Empowerment
We accelerate and strengthen the efforts of innovators who are making a positive difference in public education. We believe every young person should finish high school prepared and inspired to reach their most ambitious dreams and plans. It’s time to reimagine learning to help all students — especially those in underserved communities — succeed now and in the future. We meet this challenge with a rigorous investment strategy focused on impact, equity and innovation.
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Founding Member
Civic Alliance
- Present 6 years 2 months
Civil Rights and Social Action
The Civic Alliance is a nonpartisan business coalition that strengthens our democracy by supporting safe, accessible, and trusted elections and inspiring every American to participate in shaping our country’s future.
Publications
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BATNA Basics - Boost Your Power at the Bargaining Table
Harvard Law School
See publicationLearn how to understand your BATNA----Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement----and never accept a bad deal again.
BATNA Basics: Boost Your Power at the Bargaining Table includes three simple yet masterful strategies to deploying your BATNA successfully. You'll learn how to:
(1) Assess your BATNA using a four-step process
(2) Track BATNAs in multiparty negotiations
(3) Anticipate hidden hazards of BATNA research -
Negotiation Processes & Strategies Demystified
Cohen Strategy Group, LLC
See publicationWithout a clear understanding of goals and strategies, negotiations can be unproductive and may lead to settlements that are not very favorable to either party.
Organizations
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Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation
20/30 Leadership Council
- Present
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