Fast Facts

Join Opportunity 180 as a Propel Entrepreneur in Residence to lead a strategic exploration aimed at creating an organization that addresses the needs of disconnected youth in Clark County, Nevada.

Responsibilities: Conduct landscape assessments, engage stakeholders, and design a startup plan for a new organization focused on youth reengagement and system transformation.

Skills: Experience with youth impacted by the justice system, strong communication skills, and ability to work in fast-paced environments.

Qualifications: Preferred experience in strategic planning, program development, and project management with a focus on youth justice and education equity.

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $60,000 - $100,000.

At Opportunity 180, we work in service of a North Star: every kid graduating from high school college and career-ready, prepared to live the life they dream. We are committed to ensuring every kid has access to a great school in their neighborhood, regardless of their zip code.

In Clark County, far too many young people are at risk of being pushed off that path. More than 101,000 students in Nevada—nearly 1 in 5—attend a school where only 2 in 10 are proficient in reading and math (Nevada Report Card). For students who are disconnected from school, involved in the justice system, or navigating multiple systems of hardship, the odds are even longer.

To change that trajectory, ThirdWay Solutions, in partnership with Opportunity 180, is supporting a Propel Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) through a one-year fellowship to develop a startup plan for a new organization specifically designed to meet the needs of disconnected and nearly-disconnected youth in Clark County. The Fellow will lead a strategic exploration to answer critical questions: Who are these youth? Where are the service gaps? What models, local or national, are working? What must we build here to make a difference?

ThirdWay Solutions—led by Cami Anderson, a nationally recognized leader in education system transformation, equity, and cross-sector systems change—will serve as an “elbow partner” throughout the fellowship, providing mentorship, coaching, design support, expert consultation, and hands-on collaboration on both content and process. ThirdWay’s team brings deep experience in designing and implementing transformative strategies for schools, districts, and community organizations, with a track record of driving measurable improvements for students most often left behind. Opportunity 180 will provide the fellowship experience and sponsor the project, ensuring alignment with its mission and leveraging its resources and connections.

Through a deep landscape assessment, cross-sector collaboration, and national research, the Fellow will produce a strategic startup plan and launch roadmap for a new, purpose-built entity aimed at reengaging young people and transforming outcomes.

This fellowship offers the opportunity to shape a new organization from the ground up, with guidance from seasoned system leaders, partnership with community stakeholders, and the full support of Opportunity 180’s mission and resources. The work will center youth voice, equity, and systems-level impact across education, juvenile justice, and social services.

Key Responsibilities

• Landscape and Needs AssessmentConduct a comprehensive scan to understand the current state for disconnected and court-involved youth across Clark County.
• Map existing services, identify service deserts, and quantify unmet needs.
• Synthesize relevant data and insights from Nevada and national models. 
• Stakeholder Engagement & Co-DesignBuild relationships with youth, families, schools, government agencies, community organizations, and funders.
• Conduct interviews, listening sessions, and working groups to elevate community voice and generate ideas.
• Serve as a connector across education, juvenile justice, and social service sectors.
• National Research & Strategic BenchmarkingResearch promising programs, interventions, and organizations across the country that support youth reconnection and diversion. 
• Analyze operating models, funding structures, and partnership strategies that could inform a Clark County-specific approach.
• Design, Strategy, & Startup PlanningSynthesize findings into a clear organizational vision, strategic priorities, and delivery model
• Develop a full startup plan, including mission, program design, governance structure, budget model, staffing plan, and key partnerships.
• Align proposed strategy with Opportunity 180’s mission, the School Justice Partnership, and other local efforts.
• Project Leadership & CommunicationBuild and manage a project plan with clear milestones and deliverables.
• Analyze data, present findings, and support fundraising or policy efforts through compelling narratives and materials.
• Contribute to development efforts, including pitches, proposals, and communications.
• New School IncubationWork to scale existing schools serving opportunity youth and/or
• Design and support new school start-up to serve opportunity youth

Ideal Candidate Profile

Required:

• Personal, lived, and/or professional experience working with youth impacted by the justice system (e.g., juvenile court, school-based diversion, social work, or lived experience).
• Demonstrated ability to work in or alongside K-12 systems, particularly with underserved populations.
• Comfort in fast-paced, entrepreneurial settings; ability to self-manage, pivot, and move from vision to action.
• Desire to participate in rigorous, cohort-based development to improve as a leader to ensure the effectiveness of the endeavor
• Communication and storytelling skills
• Stakeholder engagement and community co-design

Preferred:

• Experience in strategic planning, business development, or launching programs or organizations.
• Experience developing and executing project plans, facilitating cross-sector meetings, analyzing data, and producing reports or funding materials.
• Results-driven mindset with a passion for youth justice, education equity, and systems transformation.

Why This Matters

In Clark County, too many young people are kept far from the opportunities, resources, and relationships they need to thrive. The systems meant to support them, like education, juvenile justice, social services, and workforce development, are often fragmented, difficult to navigate, and inequitable in both design and implementation. As a result, young people who are navigating one or more of these systems often face limited pathways back to school, into meaningful work, or toward long-term stability.

These gaps are not the result of a lack of potential or ambition from our youth, They reflect a system that was never fully built to serve them. When access to high-quality education, coordinated services, and caring adult support depends on your zip code, your family’s resources, or your ability to self-advocate across multiple bureaucracies, the outcome is predictable: many are left without a fair chance to reach their goals.

This project seeks to answer a bold question: What would it take to design an organization, from the ground up, that exists to close these systemic gaps and ensure every young person has a clear, supported pathway to opportunity?

Drawing on ThirdWay Solutions’ experience leading large-scale system redesigns, like restructuring cross-agency collaborations, reimagining diversion and prevention programs, and aligning education and juvenile justice systems, this Fellowship will create a blueprint for a coordinated, equity-centered solution in Clark County.

The Fellowship is the first step toward launching that organization. Your work will lay the foundation for a solution that is:

• Grounded in equity – ensuring that systems work for youth who have been most marginalized, including youth of color, LGBTQIA+ youth, and youth experiencing poverty.
• Rooted in innovation – informed by proven models across the country, adapted to the local context.
• Responsive to community – co-designed with youth, families, and cross-sector partners to reflect the realities and strengths of Clark County.

Done right, this work will not just improve access, but it will redesign the very systems that have historically kept too many young people from realizing their full potential.