The Paradox Prize
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Through three rounds of public competition over the course of several months, the Prize sourced more than 150 proposals from across the region. An Advisory and Selection Committee (see page 51) composed of leaders in transportation, business, philanthropy, and workforce and community development vetted and ultimately selected eight pilots to receive resources and technical assistance. The ideas ranged from the testing of new public transit routes through on-demand vanpool service, to utilizing unused church vans to transport workers to suburban job centers. The pilot teams brought together public transportation agencies, workforce development organizations, innovators, nonprofits, and community-based organizations. Operating across urban, suburban, and rural communities in seven counties, the pilots benefited more than 1,300 residents, enabling individuals to connect to jobs that were previously inaccessible, and worked with more than 400 employers. Certainly, not every pilot went as initially planned. Some faced unforeseen implementation delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, others adjusted milestones or pivoted their original plans. But in a short period of time, several pilots have resulted in enduring service to users, and others are working toward long-term sustainability. The pages that follow share some of the big takeaways from the pilots and recommendations for what comes next. Profiles of all the teams and their efforts are included in the hopes that others can learn from and build on the work they’ve started.