Areas of expertise
Bell Creek works across the full education-to-workforce continuum, from K-12 and higher education to workforce training, job quality, and benefits access, helping leaders turn strategy into measurable gains in economic mobility. Our expertise spans program design, data and AI tools, philanthropic strategy, and economic and community development, and we bring these together to build integrated, durable systems of opportunity. Below is a closer look at where we go deep and the partners we work alongside.
Workforce, worker supports & training
A workforce system should feel like a pathway, not a maze. We partner with leaders to design training and support strategies that integrate into people's real lives. We use labor market evidence to align training, supports, and employer demand so more residents can access good jobs and advancement.
Client highlight
DC Deputy Mayor for Education
Identified high-demand "gateway jobs" and aligned 50+ government decision makers on an inclusive recovery roadmap.
Economic & community development
Where you live shapes what's possible. We help regions align economic development, workforce, and civic partners around shared goals for inclusive growth and good jobs. Our focus is building durable structures that translate collaboration into measurable gains in employment and opportunity.
Client highlight
Private philanthropy
Partnered with a private philanthropy to design a $300M+ strategy and investment program advancing state-level coordinated workforce and education strategies to empower disconnected youth.
Job quality & employer practices
Jobs only support economic mobility when they are safe, stable, and offer room to grow. We help employers and civic partners strengthen job quality in practical, measurable ways. Our work is grounded in what workers experience and what organizations can implement, so improvements show up in wages, stability, retention, and advancement.
Client highlight
Markle Foundation
Supported the design and launch of "Skillful" and "Rework America," helping convene 15 Fortune 500 companies to advance a skills-based labor market.
Education-to-workforce data infrastructure & AI tools
Data and AI should expand opportunity, not encode yesterday's inequities at scale. We help partners build data-driven decision tools that work in the real world and lead to better, more equitable decisions. Our approach is grounded in user needs, informed by evidence, and guided by governance that centers privacy, fairness, and community voice.
Client highlight
Gates Foundation Data Strategy
Evaluated the on-the-ground impact and strategic value of the foundation’s education-to-employment data strategy across its first four years, informing a focused strategy refresh aligned to an AI-enabled future.
Benefits access
When people can meet their essential needs, everything else becomes more possible—learning, work, persistence, and long-term stability. We work with partners to design benefits access approaches that are dignified and low-burden. We help ensure those approaches are shaped by community input and measured by what actually reaches people.
Client highlight
Gates Foundation Economic Mobility & Opportunity
Scaled national investments from $20M to $120M annually, defining strategies for training, benefits access, and job quality.
Higher education
Higher education remains a powerful driver of upward mobility. We work with colleges and statewide systems to strengthen outcomes by aligning policies, programs, and partnerships at scale. Our focus is building durable systems that improve completion and employment outcomes, especially for students who have historically been underserved.
Client highlight
State higher education system
Designed an innovation ecosystem and the "Change Leaders Program" while expanding Open Educational Resources.
K-12 long-term planning
Long-range planning is ultimately about trust. We know these decisions touch children, families, and neighborhoods for generations. We help districts make complex portfolio decisions with transparency and care: pairing a strong fact base with meaningful engagement so goals translate into plans communities can understand and stand behind.
Client highlight
Urban public school district
Developed an integrated, sequenced plan for facility upgrades, grade bands, and enrollment boundaries for the new Superintendent.
Strategic philanthropy
Philanthropy has a unique responsibility: to learn quickly, invest wisely, and be accountable to the communities most affected. We help funders turn values into clear strategies grounded in evidence and partner insight. Our focus is grantmaking that builds field capacity, supports what works, and improves decision-making.
Client highlight
Private philanthropy
Partnered with a private philanthropy to design a $300M+ strategy and investment program advancing state-level coordinated workforce and education strategies to empower disconnected youth.
Integrated economic mobility strategies
Economic mobility is a systemwide effort. Progress requires coordinated action across education, workforce, benefits, and employers. We help public and civic leaders build shared agendas that center community voice and support clearer, more effective delivery.
Client highlight
Philadelphia Foundation
Helped advance a regional economic mobility backbone, supporting a coalition of mission-driven organizations to integrate economic development and mobility strategies. Aligned partners across sectors around shared priorities and practical pathways to expand opportunity for residents across the Greater Philadelphia region.