Photo: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo speaks during the opening session of the 2024 National AANHPI Business Summit, organized by the National ACE and held at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C., on May 15, 2024. Photo: VisibleTogether (VT).
Institution Record | Workforce Transition | Artificial Intelligence | United States
[VT | June 28, 2026 | Philadelphia PA]
Hero Summary
RAISE US is a national nonprofit founded in 2026 by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and former Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb to help prepare America’s workforce for the age of artificial intelligence.
Rather than developing AI technologies, the organization works with state governments, employers, universities, researchers, and philanthropic partners to strengthen workforce transition, institutional capacity, and long-term economic competitiveness.
Its launch represents one of the earliest national institutional responses to managing workforce transformation during the AI era.
Institution Snapshot
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Organization | RAISE US |
| Organization Type | National nonprofit (501(c)(3)) |
| Founded | 2026 |
| Founders | Gina Raimondo · Eric Holcomb |
| Mission | Prepare America’s workforce for the AI economy |
| Primary Focus | AI Workforce Transition |
| Operating Model | State partnerships · Employer collaboration · Research · Education · Workforce pilots |
| Initial State Partners | Maryland · Arkansas · Utah · Connecticut |
| Initial Funding Goal | Approximately US$1 Billion |
Why This Institution Exists
Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, occupations, and labor markets across the United States at a pace not seen since previous industrial and digital revolutions.
Much public attention has focused on AI model development, computing infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, and technological competition. Yet another challenge has emerged alongside rapid innovation: preparing workers, employers, educators, and public institutions for long-term economic transition.
RAISE US was created within this broader context.
Rather than building AI systems, the organization focuses on helping society adapt to technological change by strengthening workforce readiness, expanding state partnerships, supporting applied research, and developing institutional capacity for workforce transition.
Its creation reflects a growing recognition that successful AI adoption depends not only on technological innovation, but also on how people, institutions, and governments prepare for structural economic change.
Institutional Origins
RAISE US did not emerge as an isolated initiative.
It represents the continuation of Gina Raimondo’s long-term work at the intersection of investment, manufacturing, industrial competitiveness, workforce development, and public policy.
Her professional trajectory illustrates an evolving focus on preparing America’s economy for structural transformation.
Gina Raimondo
Co-Founder, Point Judith Capital
↓
Rhode Island General Treasurer
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Governor of Rhode Island
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U.S. Secretary of Commerce
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Co-Founder, RAISE US
As Secretary of Commerce, Raimondo played a leading role in implementing the CHIPS and Science Act, strengthening domestic manufacturing, expanding semiconductor production, and advancing America’s industrial competitiveness.
Following her public service, her attention increasingly shifted toward one of the next major policy questions facing the United States:
How should American workers prepare for an AI-driven economy?
Viewed across two decades of public leadership, RAISE US is less a new direction than the next stage of a consistent public mission:
Preparing America’s economy for long-term structural change.
Operating Model
Rather than operating as a single workforce program, RAISE US is designed as a collaborative institutional platform connecting sectors that traditionally work independently.
State Governments
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Employers
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Universities
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Researchers
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Philanthropic Partners
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Workforce Programs
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Policy Learning
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Institutional Capacity
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Workforce Transition
Rather than framing AI solely as a technology challenge, RAISE US approaches artificial intelligence as a long-term societal transition requiring coordination across government, education, industry, research, and philanthropy.
Funding Model
RAISE US is supported through a combination of corporate philanthropy, philanthropic organizations, employers, and cross-sector partnerships rather than relying exclusively on government appropriations.
According to publicly announced information, the organization has established an initial fundraising goal of approximately US$1 billion, with roughly US$500 million already committed during its launch phase.
Initial anchor partners include:
- OpenAI Foundation
- Anthropic
- Amazon
- Microsoft
along with additional employers, research institutions, philanthropic organizations, and state partners.
Rather than financing a single workforce program, this funding model is intended to support long-term institutional capacity through state implementation, workforce pilots, applied research, and collaborative learning across sectors.
The structure reflects one of RAISE US’s central ideas:
Preparing for AI is a shared responsibility across public institutions, private industry, academia, and philanthropy.
Leadership
Founders
- Gina Raimondo
Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce - Eric Holcomb
Former Governor of Indiana
Together, the founders bring experience from federal government, state government, economic development, manufacturing policy, workforce strategy, and public administration.
Timeline
2022
CHIPS and Science Act enacted.
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2023–2025
Growing national focus on AI competitiveness, semiconductor manufacturing, and industrial policy.
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2026
RAISE US launched to help prepare America’s workforce for AI-driven economic transition.
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Future
Expansion of state partnerships, workforce pilots, institutional research, and long-term workforce transition initiatives.
Institution Ecosystem
Related People
- Gina Raimondo
- Eric Holcomb
Related Institutions
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- OpenAI Foundation
- Anthropic
- Amazon
- Microsoft
- Participating State Governments
- Universities and Research Institutions
Related Policy Areas
- Artificial Intelligence
- Workforce Development
- Economic Competitiveness
- Industrial Policy
- Manufacturing
- Education
- Labor Market Transition
Why It Matters
RAISE US illustrates an important evolution in America’s AI strategy.
Much of the public conversation surrounding artificial intelligence has centered on developing increasingly capable AI systems, expanding computing infrastructure, and strengthening technological leadership.
RAISE US addresses a different question:
How should society prepare for AI?
Its work shifts attention from technological innovation alone toward workforce transition, institutional adaptation, and long-term economic resilience.
In this sense, RAISE US represents more than a new nonprofit organization.
It reflects an emerging governance model in which governments, employers, universities, researchers, and philanthropic institutions collectively share responsibility for helping workers navigate structural change in the AI era.
As artificial intelligence continues reshaping economies around the world, initiatives such as RAISE US may offer an early example of how democratic societies seek to organize long-term workforce transition—not simply through technology, but through institutions.
Institution Record
Institution: RAISE US
Category: Workforce Development · Artificial Intelligence · Public Policy · Economic Competitiveness
Archive: VisibleTogether Institution Record Series
