#186 | Building Brighter Futures: Leadership, Tech Equity, and the Power of Corporate Citizenship

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Olivia Jefferson, VP of Social Impact at Best Buy and a leader helping drive the vision of the Best Buy Foundation. Olivia shares how her personal story, her mother’s resilience after a life-changing accident, and her early exposure to philanthropy shaped her purpose and commitment to community impact. She explains why philanthropy is not just about moving dollars, but about stewarding resources in ways that change lives, open doors, and create lasting opportunity. Kyle and Olivia also discuss corporate philanthropy, authentic partnership, youth workforce development, durable skills, AI, mentorship, accountability, skills-first hiring, and how the Best Buy Foundation is helping young people move from access to technology toward economic opportunity and mobility. Key Topics: Olivia’s journey into philanthropy and social impact How her mother’s resilience shaped her purpose Why corporate philanthropy can drive meaningful community change The weight of leading impact work from inside a corporation What Olivia had to unlearn to become the leader she is today Trusting yourself as a leader The importance of coaching, accountability, and repair Why durable skills matter in the future of work How AI is changing workforce preparation Why relationships, curiosity, and critical thinking still matter What strong partnership looks like beyond the grant dollar How funders can reduce friction for nonprofit partners Best Buy Foundation’s work around technology, mentorship, and economic mobility Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:30 — Meet Olivia Jefferson 01:15 — Kyle shares Olivia’s impact on his leadership 02:00 — Who Olivia is outside of work 03:00 — Family, friendship, mentorship, and community service 04:30 — The journey that shaped Olivia’s values 05:30 — Olivia’s mother’s accident and resilience 07:00 — Learning the power of grants and philanthropy 08:30 — Discovering philanthropy through the Kresge Foundation 09:45 — Purpose and corporate philanthropy 11:00 — Carrying the weight of impact work 12:30 — Why people like Olivia need to be in corporate spaces 14:30 — Unlearning ego in impact work 15:15 — Learning to trust yourself as a leader 16:30 — Leading young and growing through responsibility 18:30 — The importance of coaches, sponsors, and advocates 20:00 — Accountability, repair, and leadership growth 22:00 — Are young people ready for the workforce? 23:00 — Skills-first hiring and economic mobility 24:30 — Durable skills and the automation of entry-level work 27:30 — Where jobs are going and how young people can prepare 28:30 — Relationships, curiosity, communication, and critical thinking 30:30 — AI as a resource, not a replacement 31:00 — What real partnership looks like 32:00 — Supporting nonprofits beyond the grant dollar 35:30 — Vetting partnerships and reducing wasted time 38:00 — Why nonprofits should not shape-shift for funding 40:30 — Best Buy Foundation’s work in community 41:30 — Tech-reliant careers, skills, and credentials 43:00 — Teen Tech Centers and preparing young people early 44:30 — The next generation of community impact leaders 46:30 — Corporate philanthropy aligned with business strategy 48:00 — Where to connect with Olivia and Best Buy Foundation Guest Bio Olivia Jefferson is the VP of Social Impact at Best Buy and a leader helping drive the vision of the Best Buy Foundation. Her work sits at the intersection of corporate citizenship, community partnership, youth opportunity, technology access, mentorship, and workforce development. Through her leadership, Olivia helps create pathways that support young people as they move from access to technology toward economic opportunity, mobility, and real-world career exposure. -- Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts 📞 Schedule Your Call Here 🖥️ Join the #1 Community for Leaders and Change Makers 👉🏽 Apply to Be in the Growth Alliance 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King