What if the promise that each generation will do better than the last is slipping away?
In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya talks with Bill Crim, CEO of United Way of Salt Lake and Utah’s Promise, about economic mobility and what it really takes to align communities around cradle to career outcomes.
Bill shares how cross sector collaboration, policy advocacy, and collective impact partnerships can strengthen education outcomes and rebuild opportunity for kids and families. Instead of launching new programs, this work focuses on aligning existing resources and building shared accountability across schools, nonprofits, businesses, and government.
They explore Utah’s 100% Initiative, the role of backbone leadership in sustaining change, and why lasting progress depends on listening to families and working together over the long term.
Bill also reflects on his own path from engineering student to nonprofit leader and why he still believes communities can create a more just and opportunity filled future.
If you are an education leader, nonprofit executive, policy advocate, or someone who cares about the future of economic mobility in America, this episode offers both realism and hope.
Chapter:
01:00 🙋♂️ Meet Bill Crim: United Way of Salt Lake & Utah’s Promise
03:39 📉 The Core Problem: Poverty, Stalled Mobility, and the ‘Promise’ to Families
07:37 🔄 Cross-Sector Alignment: How Collective Impact Works
17:41 🌟 Bill’s Origin Story: From Engineering to Policy Advocacy to United Way Leadership
26:25 👉 Why Policy Advocacy Matters for Community Change
28:15 📈 United Way Today: Trust, 211, and Backbone Infrastructure
32:10 🎯 Cradle-to-Career Goals and the 100% Initiative
41:37 🧠 Building Backbone Leadership, Resilience, and Retention
48:47 ⚖️ Reflections on Justice, Hope, and Closing Takeaways
Connect with Bill Crim on LinkedIn and explore the work of United Way of Salt Lake to see how community partnerships, shared accountability, and cradle-to-career alignment are helping rebuild opportunity for kids and families.
Stay strong.
Episode 16