The future of work and entrepreneurship for the underserved

Scholars and technocrats globally continue to be concerned about the widening income gap in the micro, meso and macro levels. As global wealth creation continues to grow exponentially at the apex, there is stagnation and poverty increase at the bottom levels. Racism and poverty plague economies globally resulting in underutilization of diverse talent especially for the underserved. Additionally, global underemployment is on the increase and skilled labor demands decreases with the advent of technology and automation. As these changes take place, there will be a decrease of income streams and lower yield of economic opportunity. This paper discusses how we can prepare diverse talent for a dynamic world with continuous automation by addressing the global wealth and income disparities. We also explore options for increasing and utilizing global diverse talent especially among the underserved. Further, we discuss the future of technology and entrepreneurial innovations for the underserved and how to enhance unity in community and capacity building. This study used exploratory design to collect data from a sample of students, faculty and entrepreneurs from the both developed and emerging markets; USA, Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti. An interview guide was used to collect data from entrepreneurs and faculty while focus group discussions and interviews were held with students from Medgar Evers and Kenyatta universities. The sample was purposively selected from these countries and institutions that were convenient and reachable to the researchers. The findings revealed that economic disparities accentuated the blurred lines of poverty and had great ramifications on individuals, communities and the environment. To increase the use of global talent, institutions of higher learning need to strengthen the weak partnerships with industry players and entrepreneurs globally. It is imperative for these institutions to synergize across countries and communities so that innovations lead to market-based solutions that become new revenue streams for wealth creation. Additionally, experiential learning is essential for entrepreneur students to ensure they get the “hard knocks” of business whilst leveraging technology such as block chain, AI, virtual reality and 3 D printing. We conclude by reiterating that collaborative ventures internationally, with entrepreneurs, academics and industry players will equip nascent entrepreneurs from underserved communities will gradually slow the rise of inequalities globally.