Bob Friedman has been at the forefront of building wealth in low-income communities for decades. He founded Corporation for Enterprise Development in 1979, (recently renamed Prosperity Now) to develop, test and implement the strategies needed to move low-income people into the economic mainstream. These strategies, now proven to be highly effective, have and continue to be the foundation for Prosperity Now's public policy advocacy at the local, state and federal levels.  

Bob talks to Power Station about his new book, A Few Thousand Dollars, which, through stories, illustrations and well-tested theories, provides a template for building wealth and creating a more equitable America. Despite our nation's wealth inequality and racial wealth gap, Bob's hopefulness is unfaltering. He agrees with Sen. Cory Booker, who wrote the book's afterword, that we know how to address the challenge. The question is whether we have the will. 

It takes determined organizations, individuals and elected officials to invest in and bring strategies, such as Matched Savings Accounts to life and to scale. The stories and data are irrefutable. The next steps rest with us.

A Few Thousand Dollars: Sparking Prosperity for Everyone, was published by The New Press, a nonprofit, public interest publisher.