Rajiv Shah, the former USAID administrator, and president of the Rockefeller Foundation, reflects on the role of philanthropy in times of austerity and the greatest challenges Rockefeller is undertaking both domestically and abroad.

How do you do innovative work in an organization that’s been around more than a century?

"You find partners who are scientists and technologists and entrepreneurs and policymakers who have new and fresh ideas. We have the capacity now to bring science and technology and innovation to everything, from in-field medical diagnostics to solar power and lighting, to new financial instruments that can help provide insurance products for small-scale farmers. The world has never been more capable of solving these problems and expanding the cause of justice for those who are vulnerable."

What are the most important barriers to economic opportunity in the US and what is the role of philanthropy in addressing those barriers?

"The future of work is appropriately in question as technology, globalization, and automation move both the types of jobs that are available and the requirements for getting good jobs in a future interconnected, tech-enabled economy. Making sure more people have the skills that are appropriate for the future of work is a big part of addressing a barrier that has been created by progress and innovation."

Read the full interview with Rockefeller Foundation's Rajiv Shah at Stanford Social Innovation Review.