
Jovanay Carter
Cofounder and CEO, The Dev Difference

A workforce and education technology incubator supporting entrepreneurs and startups committed to using cutting-edge solutions to drive economic advancement.
JFF has embraced an ambitious North Star goal: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs. Meeting that goal will require innovative new technologies that foster equitable economic advancement by giving workers of all backgrounds access to employers and education and workforce systems. However, the entrepreneurs and startups that develop those innovative solutions often lack the network connections and expertise they need to scale their products and services and achieve the impact they envision.
JFFLabs is where game-changers incubate bold new models and harness technology-driven solutions shaping the future of work and learning. The JFFLabs Entrepreneur-in-Residence experience provides cohorts of startup founders with the support and inspiration they need to fully develop their ideas, test trial versions of groundbreaking innovations, and develop go-to-market strategies that yield sustainable operations.
For more than 40 years, JFF has helped design, scale, and influence workforce and education systems. The support and guidance that JFFLabs offers entrepreneurs leverages JFF’s expertise, networks, and resources to identify and scale solutions that help workers prepare for the future of work.
Since its launch in 2018, JFFLabs has evaluated nearly 5,000 early-stage and growth companies, amplified 682 solutions, identified and publicized 118 innovators to watch, invested in 46 companies, and incubated or accelerated 31 companies and entrepreneurs offering solutions in a range of emerging markets, including immersive learning, climate resilience, and work-based learning.
JFFLabs is the innovation lab of Jobs for the Future, providing the infrastructure to bring solutions from ideation to national-scale social impact. Our proven model provides market analysis, identifies trends, and invests in promising innovators. Watch this video to learn more.
JFFLabs is excited to introduce the AI & Worker-Informed Design Entrepreneurs-in-Residence cohort, supported by Siegel Family Endowment.
Selected through a competitive national recruitment process, this cohort brings together early-stage founders building AI-powered solutions shaped by worker-informed design and lived experience. Over the next six months, cohort members will participate in a structured accelerator featuring mentorship, peer learning, and national amplification to refine their solutions.

Cofounder and CEO, The Dev Difference

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