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Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD)

About MCAAD

The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream was established as a beacon to the world to honor and preserve the ideal that everyone, everywhere, regardless of their age, race, gender, religion, or background, should have equal opportunity to pursue a life of meaning and fulfillment. That simple yet profound belief has endured wars, financial shocks, pandemics, natural disasters, and other woes that have befallen us throughout history. Yet, even as the Dream has been realized by many, and despite the barriers they may have encountered, equal access to the Dream does not exist for everyone.

Who We Are and What We Believe

The Milken Institute believes financial, physical, mental, and environmental health are crucial to an individual's pursuit of a meaningful life. For more than 20 years, the Institute has put forth ideas and blueprints that address these evolving issues with innovative solutions-through partnerships, convenings, and oft-cited reports. This work informs our understanding of the American Dream and provides the foundation for what we believe shapes the capacity to build it.

Education and the Educator
Human capital—the world's largest asset class—is built on a solid education. We celebrate the crucial importance of the educator. We also provide support for educators in areas including financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
Public Health and Medical Research
The relationship between prosperity and health flows in both directions: A healthy society lifts everyone, and a prosperous society should invest in the health of its people. We highlight the role of innovation in extending lives and provide recommendations for people to lead healthier lives.
Access to Capital and Financial Empowerment
A healthy financial system acts as a multiplier of human ability, such that those with good ideas and the capability to see them through can often access resources to turn dreams into reality. We illustrate the contributions of the financial system to important social, cultural, and technological advances.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
From the local shop owner to the creator of new industries, entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of a prosperous society and the primary force for job creation. We showcase inspirational stories of entrepreneurs who have had the fortitude to build something new, benefiting their employees, families, and communities.

The idea at the heart of the American Dream speaks to the aspirations of people everywhere: no matter who you are or where you come from, you should have the opportunity to build the life you want to live

Whether you are in search of your dreams or want to help others achieve theirs, join our virtual community and stay engaged with MCAAD.

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What is dreamed in America is really no different from what is dreamed in Shanghai. It's the same dream dreamed in Cairo and Johannesburg. Everybody in the world wants a good job. Everybody in the world wants to be loved. Everybody wants healthy children, wants safe streets. Everybody wants to be able to count on good health care ... That is the Dream.

Maya Angelou