Leadership for inclusive workforce systems
Cara Collective has welcomed Susan Dunseth as Managing Director of Cara Plus, its national workforce-development arm. The appointment brings an experienced leader in workforce strategy, training, organizational change, and social impact to an organization working to expand access to meaningful employment.
Experience that connects systems and people
Dunseth has more than 25 years of experience building teams, guiding growth, and strengthening programs across both nonprofit and corporate environments. Her work has focused on improving how organizations prepare talent, respond to labor-market needs, and create pathways that help people advance in their careers.
Most recently, she partnered with America Achieves to launch Align Wisconsin, a workforce intermediary in southeast Wisconsin. The initiative focused on matching employers’ needs with available talent and developing systems that support economic mobility. That work reflects the central challenge facing many communities: opportunity requires more than available jobs. It also requires training, clear hiring practices, employer partnerships, and support that helps people sustain progress.
The role of Cara Plus
Cara Plus works alongside employers and nonprofit organizations to share workforce-development practices and help create a more inclusive economy. Its work extends the lessons Cara Collective has learned through direct service to job seekers in Chicago. The goal is not simply to fill positions but to help organizations build durable systems that recognize talent, reduce barriers, and support long-term advancement.
Dunseth’s background in strategic partnerships, skills-based hiring, and workforce design will help guide that effort. Her leadership arrives at a time when employers and communities are navigating rapid changes in the economy and considering how to make career pathways more equitable and responsive.
Expanding opportunity
At Sai Kripalu Foundation, we believe that work can be a source of dignity, stability, and participation in community life. We are encouraged by leaders who approach workforce development as both an economic and human opportunity. Susan Dunseth’s appointment strengthens Cara Plus’s capacity to support people and employers alike as they build more inclusive pathways to work.
Source: Cara Collective announcement
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