What does it mean to live well? Sagamore’s fellows and partners are working to answer that question with evidence, then put the answer to work in everyday life. From the largest study of human well-being ever conducted to faith-led renewal in cities and statehouses, our flourishing work brings rigorous research and local relationships together so more people can thrive.
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Opportunity
Our Projects
Building better communities
Sagamore empowers and equips leaders in small and mid-sized communities to achieve lasting economic and social prosperity. By promoting local ownership, enhancing quality of life, and supporting innovative leaders, the Building Better Communities portfolio provides the tools communities need to shape their future and build thriving, resilient places.
HUMAN FLOURISHING
What does it mean to live well? Sagamore’s fellows and partners are working to answer that question with evidence, then put the answer to work in everyday life. From the largest study of human well-being ever conducted to faith-led renewal in cities and statehouses, our flourishing work brings rigorous research and local relationships together so more people can thrive.
Workforce 2040: Pathways to Prosperity
Workforce 2040: Pathways to Prosperity looks ahead to the forces reshaping work and opportunity across the Great Lakes region, with a special focus on Indiana. The project explores how demographic shifts, technological advances, and globalization will shape the workforce over the next two decades. It presents future scenarios and strategic pathways to help Indiana and its neighbors not only adapt to change but also lead in building a more resilient and prosperous economy.
improving mental health
More than one in five Americans suffers from some type of mental illness. This social crisis was looming under the surface for a long time, but it gained velocity and visibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Much attention is being paid to the specific causes, such as social media, stigma ,and barriers to entry. However, Sagamore is focused on the systems reform, innovations in practices, and other solutions to help the individual as well as society gain health and well-being.
closing the wealth gap
A dime to a dollar. That’s the gap between the median net worth of a Black American family ($17,000) and a white American family ($170,000). 1 in 5 Black families have zero or negative net worth, twice the rate of white families. Overseas, Africa’s GDP per capita is $2500 compared to the US average of $89,000. Black talent is abundant in America and Africa, yet opportunities for shared prosperity need to be widened dramatically. Sagamore conducts research, advances innovations, and makes direct investment in dozens of market-based strategies to close the wealth gap.
Invest for impact
Sagamore’s impact investing vehicle—Commonwealth Impact Investing—will be featured on PBS nationwide in the Fall of 2025. The documentary will be titled Invest for Impact and it will be hosted by actress Meg Ryan via her Empowered educational TV programming company.
IMproving education outcomes
Sagamore has a long tradition of influencing policy and practice to expand education opportunities, to improve K-12 schools, and increase access to quality higher education. Sagamore President Teresa Lubbers is a longtime architect of these strategies, including her services as a state senator driving innovative Indiana policy change and, more recently, as Commissioner of Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education. In addition to her leadership at Sagamore, she is a board member at Lumina Foundation and a contributor to their bold goal to ensure that by 2040, 75 percent of Americans will have a degree or credential of value, leading to economic prosperity.
Secretaries Innovation Group
Jason Turner was credited as being a lead architect in Wisconsin’s landmark welfare reforms, and he also served as commissioner of New York City’s human services department. Now he’s convening dozens of state-level welfare, health, and workforce cabinet officials twice annually to spur continued reforms.
BOYS & MEN
Across Indiana and the nation, boys and men are falling behind — in classrooms, in the workforce, and in their sense of connection and purpose. From declining graduation rates to rising isolation, these challenges are shaping the next generation of fathers, workers, and leaders. Sagamore is digging into the research behind this challenge and supporting solutions, including the power of mentorship to help boys and young men build the relationships and support they need to thrive.