Devika Gopal Agge

“If the communities had been consulted in the first place we would not be in the climate crisis now.” Juma Xipaia, youth activist, mother, and leader of the Xipaia community in #brazil responding on @HIHngo event at @COP26 See the live stream here - lnkd.in/dGFSrUni

To land a job in the age of AI, make a human connection. Build in public. Be persistent. Our AI-Native Builders sat down with @emmamariecryer, founding Business Development Representative at @OpenRouter, for a fireside chat led by Devika Gopal Agge, Chief Development & Employer Services Officer at Pursuit. OpenRouter is the API gateway connecting developers to 350+ AI models. Co-founder @alexatallah sits on Pursuit’s board, and the team has been a real partner to us. Emma came to AI without a computer science or software engineering degree. She studied humanities, trained as an actor, and produces short films on the side. She’s worked in business development for five years, now at OpenRouter working with the engineering and product teams at companies and universities building with frontier AI. Her advice to Builders looking to break in: “The bar has never been lower.” OpenRouter recently hired their second BDR. Out of thousands of applicants, only two reached out to Emma directly on LinkedIn. The one they hired didn’t pitch himself. He reached out like a person, showed her his work, and named the problem he could help solve. Then he kept following up, even when she didn’t reply. This is the humanist approach to employment in the age of AI. That story landed hard. Show, not tell. Build in public. Find the pain point at the company you want to join. Reach out like a person, not a transaction. Build a real connection. Then keep following up. And that’s what our Builders do. Thank you, Emma. The letters are coming. #Pursuit #OpenRouter #AI #futureofwork #tech

We’re proud to announce a $4 million grant from @AscendiumEd @AscendiumEP, a substantial programmatic investment in our AI program. This partnership supports the programmatic engine of the AI Jobs Institute, Pursuit’s dedicated workforce hub launching in Long Island City in 2027, and advances a question at the center of our work: As AI reshapes every industry, who gets access to the jobs it creates? Ascendium’s pivotal investment will help fund the full infrastructure to meet that moment: → Scaling Pursuit’s AI-native training for low-income New Yorkers → Creating new career pathways for low-income New Yorkers, and → Setting new standards for Registered Apprenticeships in the AI economy. The initiative will also expand Registered Apprenticeship pathways in AI and technology, creating more paid, earn-while-you-learn opportunities for learners from low-income backgrounds while demonstrating how apprenticeships can scale as a long-term strategy for developing the future tech workforce. This work builds on Pursuit's track record of connecting low-income New Yorkers to good jobs and launches the AI Jobs Institute as a national model for how workforce systems can keep pace with the AI era. We’re deeply grateful to Ascendium for their partnership and shared belief that the AI economy should expand economic mobility by democratizing access to the jobs and opportunities it creates. Read the press release: pursuit.org/blog/pursuit-a… #Pursuit #AIJobsInstitute #WorkforceDevelopment #FutureOfWork #Ascendium

We’re proud to partner with @joinpursuit, a New York City-based nonprofit that creates pathways to economic mobility by training adults for AI-enabled careers, in its launch of the “AI Nonprofit Build Corps.” The new training initiative prepares participants to become AI-native experts known as “Pursuit Builders” and assist nonprofits. Funding the AI Nonprofit Build Corps initiative is just one way we are committed to investing in the future of work in ways that are both innovative and inclusive. We recently welcomed the Pursuit team to our New York City office, where they met with President and CEO of Mizuho Securities USA and Head of CIB Mizuho Americas Jerry Rizzieri and board members and officers of the Mizuho USA Foundation. Read more here: mizuhogroup.com/americas-news/…

Most AI companies say they're trying to augment workers, not replacing them. But this week, I wrote about @MechanizeWork, a buzzy new AI start-up whose explicit goal is automating all jobs. I don't love that, but I'm glad they're not hiding the ball. nytimes.com/2025/06/11/tec…

Our cities are the future of global living, so we ‘Act Local to Go Global.’ From 2021-2022, we invested $5,051,240 in #NYC economic #justice leaders like @EqualFlatbush to seed sustainability everywhere. ✊🏾Fund the future: bit.ly/499kRJ3

📢 If you are in NYC #ClimateWeekNYC, join the “Health Hub” as dozens of health professionals will march to #EndFossilFuel. 🗓️Sunday Sept. 17th, 🕛12pm: Health pro. will meet outside Duane Reed at 900 8th Ave. March will start at 1pm, 📍56th & Broadway.

The Forest and Health Challenge is live! Have an innovative solution on how forests can make us happier and healthier? Submit on UpLink to win and scale your business: bit.ly/3NAY53X @WEFUpLink @Manulife @1t_org @AmericanForests @HIHngo @UW #SDG3 #SDG15 #TrillionTrees

“The goals of reaching the Paris Agreement will not be achieved without nature”, Razan Al Mubarak, @HLCChampions for #COP28, emphasized the crucial role of elevating nature on the climate agenda during her remarks at the COP28 reception. #SB58

Brazil says UN confirmed Amazonian city of Belem as COP30 host reut.rs/3IImNN0

It is a must see production that brings the best of opera and theatrics in ‘magical’ packages

The climate crisis is a health crisis. @WHO welcomes @COP28_UAE's strategic decisions to include health at the centre of #COP28 discussions and hold the first-ever health and climate ministerial meeting.

Bridging ecoacoustics and environmental eDNA to monitor #biodiversity in Manombo Special Reserve, Madagascar with @HIHngo & @NatureMetrics 🍃🔬 ! The Manombo Reserve consists of 5,800 hectares of protected forest fragments that represent some of the last remaining coastal forests in southeastern Madagascar! Together we will leverage our strengths to comprehensively survey the species in Manombo. To start we'll create a biodiversity baseline to assess how the ecosystem is changing over time with a special focus on #endangered species like the James’ sportive lemur (Lepilemur jamesorum), which is found ONLY in Manombo reserve 🌟! Read on ➡ rfcx.org/blog/monitorin… and follow us to stay tuned for project updates!

Ghana's Parliament is currently considering a groundbreaking bill that would enshrine clean air as a fundamental human right. This initiative, led by the Hon @fx_sosu, underscores the need for governments to tackle the air pollution and climate crisis together. #AirPollution

Thank you @CarolineYLChen 💚 brilliant series showcasing links between #health and #reforestation ⬇️

Least Developed Countries contribute less than 4% of the world’s greenhouse gases. Governments, businesses & civil society must deliver climate justice to those on the frontlines of the crisis. The era of broken promises must end now.

BTS and sneak peek into my first panel event at @YPC2023 tomorrow. Will be discussing how philanthropy and activism can break silos between environment and health with @HIHngo @ClimateLandUse and @Jhpiego.

Last moments of #COP27 and all eyes are on Saudi Arabia and others who are trying to block a desperately needed fossil fuel phase out. We are not compromising on livelihoods, end fossil all fuels!

#COP27 negotiators say they've agreed to create a loss and damage fund, which would be a breakthrough. It doesn't appear there will be any timeline on actually funding it, though apnews.com/article/united…