world but , unfortunately , economic opportunity and jobs are not . In fact , one out of every six Americans lives in a distressed community , where the manufacturing base or extraction economy has started to fade into a less-than-relevant technology . We wanted to create job opportunities in these communities and at the same time create great business outcomes for Intuit . The Prosperity Hub Program is a socially responsible sourcing program that creates careers and career development opportunities while also producing great business results for Intuit and the customers we serve .”
Last March , Intuit announced a Prosperity Hub would be established in Bluefield , WV , and it was officially launched on September 23 , 2019 . It includes a customer success center and innovation lab . Its goal is to bring full-time jobs , improve access to vocational training and expand the expertise of the community . As of August 2020 , the hub had 150 fulltime employees who were trained and working to help online customers with Intuit ’ s Mint and QuickBooks products . According to Smith , the hub will have 250 full-time employees by the end of 2020 , and more will be added in 2021 .
After stepping down as CEO of Intuit , Smith increased the amount of time he was spending in West Virginia , and he is excited for the adventures and opportunities ahead .
“ The future is here , and we have to lean in as a state , teach 21st century skills and make the assets and tools available to our people ,” he says .
Teaching West Virginia to Dream
Growing up in the chemical valley of Charleston , WV , Chambers learned from his parents , both doctors and graduates of WVU , the benefits of forethought . They taught their son not to look one or two years down the road but instead to look 10 or 15 years into the future . With a background in technologies that disrupted entire industries , today Chambers lives by the mantra disrupt or be disrupted .
“ I have learned you disrupt or you are going to get disrupted , you grow or you die , and you have to have the courage to change ,” says Chambers . “ I have also learned that the pain of not changing is much worse than the pain of changing . It took a while , but I am very comfortable with disruption now , and I focus on it .”
As CEO of Cisco , Chambers led the acquisition of 180 companies , and , as executive chairman of the board of directors , he counseled the leadership team on strategy and digital transformation . He also spearheaded the company ’ s country digitization program , which helps government leaders across the world use technology to create economic opportunities .
“ At Cisco , it was an honor to change the world ,” he says . “ We changed the internet , and we changed the way the world works , lives , learns and plays at the most valuable company of all time . Today , I have three goals in my life : to really make a difference one more time , to live life to the fullest and to give back . I have always believed if you are fortunate enough to be a little bit more successful , you owe an obligation to help your peers , so that is what I am doing with my life .”
Chambers is achieving those goals and putting his West Virginia values into practice in the state he loves . His unique 2018 gift to WVU wasn ’ t just financial . He promised intellectual resources in the form of his time and talent to support the John
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