The Huffington Post, LinkedIn, Starbucks, Microsoft, NBC News & Major Foundations to Team up and Shine a Spotlight on Job Creation During the RNC and DNC Presidential Conventions

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Huffington Post:

WHO:	Arianna Huffington and The Huffington Post, joined by LinkedIn, Starbucks, NBC News, Microsoft, The MCJ Amelior Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Skoll Foundation, City Year, Opportunity Nation, OurTime, Purpose, Startup America, StartUpHire, Valencia College, Venture for America and Year Up.
WHAT:	A lunch and job-creation exhibition at both the RNC and DNC --
	Opportunity: What Is Working – A Bipartisan Search for Solutions to the Jobs Crisis
	1) An exhibition showcasing social entrepreneurs, small businesses, and innovative ideas that provide skills and training to create jobs.
	2) Lunch panel discussion moderated by Tom Brokaw focusing on concrete job-creation initiatives, as well as big ideas for future job growth. Panelists will include Ohio Governor John Kasich, Rockefeller Foundation president Judith Rodin, Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson, Startup America CEO Scott Case, LinkedIn Co-Founder and VP of Product Management Allen Blue, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith, Year Up CEO Gerald Chertavian, Venture for America CEO Andrew Yang, Valencia College President Sanford Shugart, Civic Ventures CEO Marc Freedman, Purpose CEO Jeremy Heimans and Arianna Huffington.
WHEN:	Tampa – Wednesday, August 29^th; lunch panel 12:30–2:30pm, exhibition 2:30–5:30pm
	Charlotte – Wednesday, September 5th; lunch panel 12:30–2:30pm, exhibition 2:30–5:30pm
WHERE:	Tampa – The Cuban Club
	Charlotte – Ritz-Carlton
WHY:	More than 20 million Americans are currently unemployed or underemployed. At the same time, there are more than 3 million jobs that have not been filled because applicants don't have the right skills or training. But there is a real danger that by focusing exclusively on what is not working, we are ignoring what is working -- the opportunities that are available, the surpluses of creativity, ingenuity and compassion that can be poured into job creation.
	With 15,000 credentialed media present, the conventions in Tampa and Charlotte present a unique opportunity to put the spotlight on solutions, innovative ideas and the men and women who are actually creating jobs. There is nothing left-wing or right-wing about caring for the millions of Americans who are unemployed, or those who are unable to find available jobs because they lack the necessary training. Read Arianna’s blog post about Opportunity: What Is Working to learn more.