When venture capitalist Art Bilger sold his successful media company, he took the time to step back and examine his career path.
Having begun working on Wall Street as a runner at just 16 years old, Bilger went on to make his fortune investing in media and technology companies. Inspired by the book “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, he started looking at the relationship between employment and purpose of life.
He realized the importance of finding that purpose and dignity through one’s career — and compared that with the staggering unemployment numbers in the U.S.
Without work, thousands of people may not only feel the effect economically, but psychologically as well.
“I started thinking about how to use media to educate the people of this country on these issues but also on the opportunities,” he said.
Bilger created WorkingNation, a nonprofit organization aimed at bringing attention to the problem and the future of work. To Bilger, unemployment is one of the biggest issues our nation is facing. On a special edition of "LA Stories Revisited," he explains the major causes of unemployment in our country.
He notes key components, such as globalization, advancing technology, life expectancy and broken education. Bilger is using WorkingNation not only to expose the hard truths about the jobs crisis but also to create opportunities.
Bilger also explained how certain fields are growing quickly, such as cybersecurity, data and analytics and health care.
Through storytelling, town halls and training programs, Bilger hopes to offer solutions in order to put people back to work.
“It’s not just about the bottom 20%” he said. “It’s about the heart of America.”
Today, Bilger continues to shine a light on programs aimed at putting people back to work. His most recent documentary, Glory in Overcoming, follows three single mothers who found new hope for their careers in the tech world through Goodwill’s Digital Career Accelerator Program.
In May 2023, Bilger was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, given to those who uphold the spirit of the American Dream. Though he’s experienced immense success throughout his life, he says WorkingNation may be his greatest legacy.
“The American dream is being redefined right now,” Bilger said. “I do believe we can get back on track through the education of where the opportunities will be.”
Watch "LA Stories with Giselle Fernandez" at 9 p.m. every Monday on Spectrum News 1.