Michael Gritton
Executive Director
KentuckianaWorks
Louisville, KY USA
“The only way to find out what you’re going to be the best at and what you’re going to love the most is to try things.”
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and focused a lot of my time on playing basketball—I had dreams of playing basketball in the NBA.
As I got older, I started thinking that I might pursue a career as a lawyer because I enjoyed reading, discussion, and debate.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from Duke University and then went on to law school at Columbia.
After law school, I got a job as a lawyer at a well known law firm in New York—it was a good job and I was making good money, but I started realizing that I didn’t actually love being a lawyer.
I was eventually laid off and rather than finding another job as a lawyer, I decided to pivot, move with my wife to Boston, Massachusetts, and work on political campaigns instead.
After a few years, my wife and I moved back to Louisville and I found my way into workforce development through local government.
I’m now the executive director of KentuckianaWorks, where I work to help people in the seven county region around Louisville gain skills and opportunities to succeed in the workforce.
Keep following my journey
Education
Career
Executive Director
I help people in Louisville and surrounding areas gain skills and opportunity to succeed in the workforce.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Government
Politics
Helping People
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
There is a lot of pressure on high school students to pick a path and stick to it. But at this point in your life, you do not need to have everything figured out and you do not need to succeed at everything you try. I recommend trying things that you know you won't be great at off the bat. This helps alleviate some of that pressure that we feel to always succeed. The only way you're going to find what you're good at and what you love the most is to try things.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Bachelor
Political Science and Philosophy
Political Science and Philosophy
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
"You're not good enough at this job to keep it."
Challenges I Overcame
First-Generation College Student
Job Loss
