Episode 117: The Dignity of Work: Helen Young Hayes on Workforce Transformation

In Episode 117, Patrick and Ciprian speak with Helen Young Hayes, Founder and CEO of ActivateWork. A former award-winning global fund manager turned workforce innovator, Helen shares how she’s helping underserved individuals achieve economic mobility through the dignity of work. 

The conversation explores building inclusive career pipelines, preparing future-ready learners for tech roles, and how ActivateWork’s unique approach delivers triple wins for employers, candidates, and communities. 

They also discuss sustaining rapid industry growth and Helen’s broader efforts to create a more racially diverse and inclusive economy through CEO-led collaboration. 

Helen Young Hayes is the founder and CEO of ActivateWork, whose mission is to help under-served individuals achieve their fullest potential through the dignity of work. ActivateWork is the culmination of Helen's past for-profit and nonprofit experience--harnessing the power of business to achieve profound social impact. By providing access to and training for successful careers, ActivateWork moves individuals to self-sufficiency, creating triple wins for employers, placements, and the community. ActivateWork’s employer partners benefit from highly vetted employees who demonstrate work ethic, initiative, and follow-through.  ActivateWork’s clients experience more than a three-fold increase in average annual income upon placement. 

 In 2020 Helen launched ActivateWork’s tuition-free IT program powered by Per Scholas. Through rigorous training, professional development, and robust employer connections, ActivateWork prepares individuals traditionally underrepresented in technology for high-growth careers in the industry. ActivateWork was founded as a collaboration with Per Scholas, a national organization that has trained and placed over 17,000 individuals from underserved communities into 1700+ employers in 20 cities.

 Also in 2020, Helen founded and launched the Colorado Inclusive Economy Movement, a CEO-led movement of design, action, and accountability to build the nation’s most racially diverse and inclusive economy. Comprising 134 leaders from business, nonprofits, education and government, CIE commits to creating change: change in self, change for others, and change in recruiting, hiring, retention, promotion and pay practices to build multicultural organizations from the top-down, bottom-up and inside-out.

 Helen is a 20-year veteran of the financial industry.  She was Portfolio Manager of the flagship Janus Worldwide and Janus Overseas Funds at Janus Henderson Investors, an asset management company headquartered in Denver, Colorado.  She also served as Managing Director of Investments, heading up the 100-person research and investment arm of Janus Capital, encompassing equities, fixed income, money market, and trading. 

 A prominent investor in overseas equities, Helen was a pioneer in bottom-up, fundamental stock-picking in international markets. She is credited with bringing growth style investing to foreign markets.  Helen was the Morningstar International Manager of the Year in 1997 and was a repeat Barron’s Manager of the Year winner. 

 In 2018, Helen was selected as one of the Denver Business Journal's Outstanding Women in Business for her leadership at ActivateWork Workforce Solutions.  Additionally, Helen was honored by Girl Scouts of Colorado as a 2019 Woman of Distinction.  In 2020 Helen was named the GlobalMindED Inclusive Leader Award Winner 2020 for the Nonprofit Sector.  In 2021 she received the Talent Champion of the Year Award from the Colorado Technology Association and was a Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business. In 2022 Helen was an Entrepreneur of the Year Alternate by Colorado Biz magazine.