Caring adults are the centerpiece of a child's development. Having one or not can transform a child's life forever.

Deon Jones was a member of the start-up team at Opportunity@Work operationalizing the national TechHire Initiative announced by President Obama to connect more Americans to well-paying tech jobs. Beyond this work, Deon has become a nationally recognized voice on the upward mobility and wellness of young people, particularly those growing up in poverty and in at-risk communities. As a passionate advocate for young people, he was a national spokesperson at the Campaign for Youth Justice, where he traveled globally speaking on the organization’s mission to end youth incarceration in the U.S. adult criminal justice system. In addition, he served on the board of America’s Promise Alliance, an organization founded by General Colin Powell to end the U.S. high-school dropout crisis.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx.