Today’s societal and economic realities have exponentially increased the scale and depth of the needs of people doing low-wage work, who are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and global uncertainty.

Millions have lost their jobs, faced unprecedented physical and mental health challenges, and now they continue to struggle to make ends meet. Among those facing the greatest challenges are individuals who identify as people of color, immigrants, or women of any background. And the frontline workers once celebrated as “essential” to helping the country survive the pandemic are now grappling with rising inflation and prolonged economic uncertainty.

We launched the Employment Technology Fund (ETF@JFFLabs, or ETF) in late 2017 to fund the development of technologies that build a more inclusive future of work—a future where innovative products and solutions give everyone increased access to learning, employment, and economic advancement opportunities. Since then, we have remained committed to supporting entrepreneurs who are finding new ways to use technology to help workers in low-to-middle-wage jobs build in-demand skills and access employment opportunities that lead to economic advancement.

This report offers a look at the progress that ETF@JFFLabs and our portfolio companies have made in 2021. We are honored to report that our portfolio companies have had a positive impact on the lives of 15 million people in 14 states. We also celebrate the caliber, commitment, and diversity of our founders. People who identify as women founded 59 percent of our 29 portfolio companies, and 69 percent of ETF company founders are individuals who identify as people of color.