📈 The Stock Market is NOT the Economy
You can't fix what you can't measure.
📡 On my Radar
Despite the economic chaos of the current presidential administration, and unprecedented tariffs unseen since the 1930’s … the S&P 500 is up 7% this year, hitting near-record highs. But if you talk to actual people about their lives, the story is completely different.
Tariffs are at 27%, immigration raids are shutting down businesses, and inflation hasn’t gotten better. Yet Wall Street keeps partying. Why?
The stock market has never been "the economy." It's a scorecard for the wealthy, not a measure of how most people are doing.
The top 10% of Americans own 93% of all stock wealth - and the top 1% of those own roughly half of all stocks. When the Dow Jones hits records, it's measuring affluent investor mood, not whether your neighbor can afford rent.
Meanwhile, half of the families in America own no stocks at all. In a survey undertaken by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland 76% of organizations serving low-income communities report their clients got worse financially over the last six months. Same period stocks were climbing.
We need a better definition than the stock market of a what a “strong economy” is … one that tells us whether:
People can afford homes, healthcare, and education
Workers are paid fairly for their labor
Families can save for the future
Students can dream without being crushed by debt
Wall Street doesn't measure any of that.
📈 By the Numbers
👊🏽 Make a Difference
12 jobs | 2 opportunities | 1 funding opportunity
JOB | Walton Enterprises is seeking a Senior Program Officer for grantmaking in support of high-impact K–12 education strategies across Oklahoma.
FUNDING | ERC Starting Grant applications now open for early-career researchers. PhD holders from 2–7 years ago can apply by October 15, 2025 for up to €1.5M–€2.5M to launch independent research projects in Europe.
JOB | Val Wimes is hiring at Socially Immersed for a Managing Director role in the education and creativity space.
OPPORTUNITY | Grand Challenges Canada seeks passionate individuals with LMIC experience to join their investment committee, guiding decisions that scale bold innovations for global impact in humanitarian response, global health, or business in the Global South.
JOB | Johnson & Johnson is looking for a Senior Manager, Social Impact in a part-time job share role, leading strategic grant making and partnerships in local communities in NJ/PA.
JOB | ASU colleague Chelsea Julian Reynolds shares an opportunity at Rebuild Local News for Director of Research - a fully remote journalism research position.
JOB | Substack is hiring a Politics Partnership Manager to join their team building the future of news.
JOB | The Obama Foundation is hiring for their social media team.
JOB | My friends at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council are searching for GPEC's next President & CEO.
JOB | ASU colleague Jennifer Marsteen is hiring a passionate, seasoned fundraiser to work with the social sciences division of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
OPPORTUNITY | Good friend
shares that SEED SPOT is looking for mentors to support their Emerging Brand Accelerator.JOB | The Google DeepMind Impact Accelerator is hiring someone to translate their breakthrough AI research into scalable, real-world solutions for global health challenges.
JOB | Friend Ari Shaw shares that The Williams Institute is hiring a new Executive Director to guide the preeminent LGBTQ+ law and policy think tank at a critical moment.
🤓 This is Your Next
The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness, by Morgan Housel.
🙌🏽 FairNation
Doing what AT&T can’t.
Thanks very much Ehsan for your newsletter! As an aspiring development professional and immigrant worker based in Canada, I always look forward to your posts and curated opportunities. I would love to find more remote and entry-mid career level opportunities 😊 Thanks again for all you do!