Breakthroughs in brain science show that young people need stable relationships, meaningful opportunities and strong support to thrive — yet too many grow up without them. In Thrive, Lisa M. Lawson reveals how families, communities and public systems can rise to the challenge, offering clear, practical steps to ensure every young person has a fair chance to flourish.
Breakthroughs in adolescent brain science have made it clear that young people need stable relationships, meaningful opportunities and strong support to become thriving adults. Yet far too many grow up without access to these essentials. Whether it’s a young person trying to finish school and secure their first job, navigating the trauma of losing loved ones to violence or seeking connection after being placed in foster care, their experiences reveal how deeply our public systems are falling short—and how urgently we must act.
A major new book for parents, local leaders and policymakers alike, Thrive argues that how we understand and address the unequal experiences of adolescence holds the key to ensuring that all children have an equal chance of becoming successful adults. Drawing on her deep experience working in business and alongside youth, nonprofit and public system leaders as head of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, author Lisa M. Lawson offers a powerful and accessible look at what the science of adolescent development tells us—and what it demands of us. With clarity and purpose, she reveals how our policies and practices too often fail young people, and how we can do better by creating the connections, opportunities and support they need to reach their full potential.
Arguing that we all have a shared stake in helping young people navigate the road to adulthood, Lawson lays out the ways that public systems, nonprofits, businesses and families can draw lessons from science — and take steps to help all young people thrive.
Read our blog post about Thrive
Lisa M. Lawson is president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where she has led since 2019. In her tenure, she’s launched transformative initiatives like Thrive by 25®, aligning the Foundation’s efforts to improve outcomes for adolescents and young adults. Before that, she served as executive vice president and chief program officer, and earlier as vice president of external affairs. Her leadership style is rooted in blending philanthropic insight with corporate acumen, drawing from her 14-year career at UPS (where she led the UPS Foundation and corporate public relations). A recognized voice in the sector, she was named one of Inside Philanthropy’s 50 Most Powerful Women in U.S. philanthropy in 2023, and a consistent presence on the Nonprofit Times’ Power & Influence Top 50 list.
Beyond her leadership, Lisa is known for making complex issues accessible and relatable. She draws on decades of experience working with young people, nonprofits and public systems, consistently grounding her vision in real-world stories and solutions. As host of the Foundation’s CaseyCast podcast, she extends that approachable voice to conversations with researchers, advocates and community leaders, helping audiences better understand how we can all support children and families.
To invite Lisa to speak, complete our request form. For media inquiries, write to media@aecf.org.
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