In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Olivia Jefferson, VP of Social Impact at Best Buy and a leader helping drive the vision of the Best Buy Foundation.
Olivia shares how her personal story, her mother’s resilience after a life-changing accident, and her early exposure to philanthropy shaped her purpose and commitment to community impact. She explains why philanthropy is not just about moving dollars, but about stewarding resources in ways that change lives, open doors, and create lasting opportunity.
Kyle and Olivia also discuss corporate philanthropy, authentic partnership, youth workforce development, durable skills, AI, mentorship, accountability, skills-first hiring, and how the Best Buy Foundation is helping young people move from access to technology toward economic opportunity and mobility.
Key Topics:
- Olivia’s journey into philanthropy and social impact
- How her mother’s resilience shaped her purpose
- Why corporate philanthropy can drive meaningful community change
- The weight of leading impact work from inside a corporation
- What Olivia had to unlearn to become the leader she is today
- Trusting yourself as a leader
- The importance of coaching, accountability, and repair
- Why durable skills matter in the future of work
- How AI is changing workforce preparation
- Why relationships, curiosity, and critical thinking still matter
- What strong partnership looks like beyond the grant dollar
- How funders can reduce friction for nonprofit partners
- Best Buy Foundation’s work around technology, mentorship, and economic mobility
Episode History
00:00 — Introduction
00:30 — Meet Olivia Jefferson
01:15 — Kyle shares Olivia’s impact on his leadership
02:00 — Who Olivia is outside of work
03:00 — Family, friendship, mentorship, and community service
04:30 — The journey that shaped Olivia’s values
05:30 — Olivia’s mother’s accident and resilience
07:00 — Learning the power of grants and philanthropy
08:30 — Discovering philanthropy through the Kresge Foundation
09:45 — Purpose and corporate philanthropy
11:00 — Carrying the weight of impact work
12:30 — Why people like Olivia need to be in corporate spaces
14:30 — Unlearning ego in impact work
15:15 — Learning to trust yourself as a leader
16:30 — Leading young and growing through responsibility
18:30 — The importance of coaches, sponsors, and advocates
20:00 — Accountability, repair, and leadership growth
22:00 — Are young people ready for the workforce?
23:00 — Skills-first hiring and economic mobility
24:30 — Durable skills and the automation of entry-level work
27:30 — Where jobs are going and how young people can prepare
28:30 — Relationships, curiosity, communication, and critical thinking
30:30 — AI as a resource, not a replacement
31:00 — What real partnership looks like
32:00 — Supporting nonprofits beyond the grant dollar
35:30 — Vetting partnerships and reducing wasted time
38:00 — Why nonprofits should not shape-shift for funding
40:30 — Best Buy Foundation’s work in community
41:30 — Tech-reliant careers, skills, and credentials
43:00 — Teen Tech Centers and preparing young people early
44:30 — The next generation of community impact leaders
46:30 — Corporate philanthropy aligned with business strategy
48:00 — Where to connect with Olivia and Best Buy Foundation
Guest Bio
