New commitments support the bipartisan effort led by Secretary Gina Raimondo and Governor Eric Holcomb to help American workers get ahead in an AI economy by designing and running programs and policy experiments in states to address AI-related job dislocation
WASHINGTON - RAISE US today announced new backing from Apple, AT&T, the Bezos family, Google, and Walmart, bringing total commitments to date to over $735 million toward the organization’s goal of raising $1 billion in multi-year funding.
RAISE US was launched by Secretary Raimondo and Governor Holcomb in June with the backing of dozens of leading companies, philanthropies, labor leaders, educational organizations and bipartisan governors. It is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit organization bringing together governors, employers, and educators to ensure American workers aren’t left behind in the AI economy. RAISE US is pulling on all three levers critical for that mission at once: Engaging employers, scaling education and training programs to create connections to good, resilient jobs, and changing state policies to strengthen the safety net for American workers.
“We need to make sure American workers come out ahead in an AI economy. That won’t happen on its own,” said Gina Raimondo, CEO and co-chair of RAISE US. “We launched RAISE US because we need to stop simply talking about the challenges workers will face as AI transforms our economy, and actually do something about it. Just four months since our launch, we’re already rolling up our sleeves and getting to work – with four state partnerships already in place and many more on the way. I’m pleased to welcome new partners to our broad-based and growing coalition, which spans the private sector, labor, governors from both parties, philanthropies and educational institutions. Our mission to make sure we don’t leave Americans behind in the coming economic transition is urgent – we can’t afford as a country to get this wrong.”
Progress Since Launch
In the four months since launch, RAISE US has moved from commitments to work on the ground with state, employer, and postsecondary partners.
This week, Secretary Raimondo and Governor Holcomb convened dozens of leaders from across the RAISE US coalition in Rhode Island – including top private sector leaders, educators, philanthropies, and officials from partner states – to discuss joint efforts to support American workers and help them get ahead.
In July, RAISE US and the National Governors Association announced a $1 million partnership to help states develop and share policies that support workers through the AI transition, including through new corporate incentives to retrain and redeploy workers, support people through job transitions and develop training programs tied to real employer demands. Key findings will be presented during the NGA’s 2027 Winter Meeting from February 18-20 in Washington, D.C. In September, RAISE US announced a partnership with the American Federation of Teachers to develop new ways to improve outcomes for students in higher education entering the workforce. In October, RAISE US announced that it would work with Idealab.ai to expand access to entrepreneurship resources as part of its work with states and community business leaders.
At the state level, RAISE US is partnering with Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, and Utah to help workers prepare for and thrive in the AI economy. Working with governors, employers, and education and training providers, these partnerships will test and scale approaches to building skills, expanding connections to good jobs, and helping states adapt their workforce systems as technology transforms work. As part of this, in Maryland, RAISE US is working with state partners to expand Service Year programs to help young workers reach the first rung of the career ladder in AI-resilient sectors like health care and education. In Arkansas, RAISE US is supporting Arkansas LAUNCH, an AI-powered career navigation platform developed by the state government that connects students and jobseekers with personalized learning and employer-linked career opportunities.
In addition to its work with state governments, RAISE US is co-designing numerous pilots with major employers and postsecondary innovators to retrain and redeploy workers into new roles, both within their companies and at other employers. At the same time, RAISE US is working with employer partners to build apprenticeship and other earn-and-learn opportunities in advanced manufacturing and healthcare. RAISE US is also working to modernize the safety net for workers in transition, partnering with researchers on pilots that test policies such as short-time compensation and wage insurance.
The new commitments will help RAISE US accelerate and expand its work, supporting the design and implementation of workforce pilots, training tied to employer needs, and career support for workers navigating transitions. As the programs develop, RAISE US will evaluate their effectiveness and help partners expand the approaches that connect workers with good jobs. The RAISE US Policy Lab will also turn lessons from this work into recommendations for decision makers in Washington, state capitols, and the private sector.
New Partners
“At Apple, we've always believed technology is at its best when it creates opportunity for everyone. That's why we're proud to support RAISE US, and why we want to make sure American workers are ready to benefit from the jobs of tomorrow,” said Sabih Khan, Apple Chief Operating Officer.
“The AI economy will demand new skills and create new opportunities. At AT&T, we’re investing in both, giving people the training and career pathways to succeed. We’re proud to bring that experience to RAISE US and work together to expand opportunity for more Americans,” said John Stankey, Chairman and CEO of AT&T.
“At Google, we believe that digital transformation, economic opportunity, and community well-being must move forward together. Only by combining the strengths of the public and private sectors can we ensure that all Americans share in the massive potential of AI. We are proud to partner with RAISE US and its broader coalition to deliver on this shared promise,” said Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google.
"The companies that get AI right will be the ones that bring their people with them. We’re investing in helping our associates build the skills to thrive in what’s next, and we’re proud to support RAISE US in helping more companies do the same,” said Julie Gehrki, President, Walmart Foundation and Senior Vice President, Philanthropy, Walmart Inc.
Launch Partners
RAISE US launched on June 25, 2026 with state partnerships with Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, and with more than $500 million in multi-year commitments from the nation's leading companies and philanthropies. A full list of RAISE US’ partners can be found here.
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About RAISE US
RAISE US is a national nonprofit building America’s people strategy for the AI economy — an America where workers thrive in the AI economy and workforce systems adapt as technology transforms work. Co-chaired by Gina Raimondo, the 40th U.S. Secretary of Commerce and 75th Governor of Rhode Island, and Eric Holcomb, the 51st Governor of Indiana, RAISE US partners with states, employers, and educators to fund and pilot innovative workforce models and policies, embed with partners to implement and evaluate them, and scale what works. Learn more at raiseus.ai.
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