The California Experiment: Can Government Use Community Service to Fix Work and Heal Society? | Josh Fryday

When Josh Fryday’s wife was evacuated from Japan after the 2011 Japan disaster, he stayed behind. As a Navy officer, he joined Operation Tomodachi, one of the largest humanitarian relief efforts in history. Working alongside people who thought differently, he learned that service brings people together around a common mission to accomplish amazing things.

Now, as California’s first-ever Secretary of Service, Josh is helping build the largest state-run service corps in the U.S. Through programs like College Corps and the Climate Corps, thousands of Californians are getting paid opportunities to serve their communities while gaining the critical skills and social networks they need to thrive in the workforce.

In this episode, Dart and Josh discuss:
- Service as the ultimate training ground for work
- How College Corps is reshaping the leap from school to career
- How social capital shapes careers
- The soft skills crisis
- The human edge AI will never replace
- Fighting isolation block by block
- What businesses can learn from teams with a mission
- Why other states are copying California’s service model
- And other topics...

Josh Fryday is California’s Secretary of Service, leading the nation’s most ambitious state service initiative under Governor Gavin Newsom. He created the College Corps and Climate Action Corps, paying thousands of young people to serve their communities while gaining critical career skills. A Navy veteran and former Mayor of Novato, Josh also led efforts to expand the California Earned Income Tax Credit, helping low-income families across the state. His work bridges service, workforce development, and civic engagement.

Resources Mentioned:

California Volunteers: https://californiavolunteers.ca.gov/
College Corps: https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/californiansforall-college-corps/
Neighbor-to-Neighbor Initiative: https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/neighbor-to-neighbor/
Bowling Alone, by Robert Putnam: https://www.amazon.com/Bowling-Alone-Collapse-American-Community/dp/0743203046
Hardball: How Politics Is Played, by Chris Matthews: https://www.amazon.com/Hardball-Politics-Played-Chris-Matthews/dp/0684845598
Eyes on the Prize documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092999/

Connect with Josh:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-fryday-b9625219/
Twitter: https://x.com/JoshFryday

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.