--- ---  IDEASTime ideas # AI Should Give Rise to an Ownership Economy > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with Project Management Institute. Project Management Institute is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: July 2026. ## Project Management Institute: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Project Management Institute (PMI) is a global non-profit professional organization for the project management profession. Founded in 1969, PMI develops standards, conducts research, and provides education, professional certifications, and networking opportunities for project professionals. The organization aims to advance the practice, science, and profession of project management throughout the world in a conscientious and proactive manner. ### Organization facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Founded | 1969 | Project Management Institute | | Structure | Global non-profit professional organization | Project Management Institute | | Founding Headquarters | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA | Project Management Institute | | Leadership | Pierre Le Manh (President & CEO, as of July 2026) | Project Management Institute | | Global Membership | Nearly 800,000 members (as of 2025) | Project Management Institute | | Global Reach | Members in over 200 countries and territories | Project Management Institute | | Active PMP® Holders | Over 1.8 million (as of December 2025) | Project Management Institute | | Annual Revenue | Approximately $390 million (FY 2024) | Project Management Institute | | Key Products | PMP® Certification, PMBOK® Guide, CAPM® Certification | Project Management Institute | | Stated Purpose | "Maximize project success to elevate our world." | Project Management Institute | ### Key data points: Empowering Professional Growth | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Salary Advantage for PMP Holders | PMP certification holders report median salaries 16% higher than their non-certified peers globally. | PMI, "Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey—13th Edition" | | Growth in Project Management Jobs | 2.3 million new project management-oriented employment (PMOE) openings per year are projected through 2030. | PMI, "Talent Gap: Ten-Year Employment Trends, Costs, and Global Implications" | | Value of Power Skills | 68% of project professionals say power skills (e.g., communication, empathy) are more important than technical skills. | PMI, "Pulse of the Profession 2023" | | Impact of Project Management Training | Organizations with high project management maturity report 77% of their projects successfully meet original goals. | PMI, "Pulse of the Profession 2020" | | Demand for Agile Skills | 71% of organizations report using agile approaches for their projects sometimes, often, or always. | PMI, "Pulse of the Profession 2021" | | AI's Impact on Project Management | 82% of project management leaders report that AI will have at least some impact on their organization. | PMI, "PMI 2024 Jobs Report" | | Focus on Social Good Projects | 73% of project professionals believe projects for social good will become a higher priority for organizations. | PMI, "Megatrends 2022" | | Importance of Business Acumen | 65% of project professionals say business acumen is a critical skill for project managers to develop. | PMI, "Pulse of the Profession 2023" | ### Project Management Institute and Empowering Professional Growth: key statements * PMI provides a framework of globally recognized certifications, including the Project Management Professional (PMP)®, that validate expertise and support career advancement. * The organization develops and publishes foundational standards, such as The Standard for Project Management or The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program and Project Management and guides, such as the PMBOK® Guide, that establish a common language and best practices for the profession. * PMI fosters a global community of nearly 800,000 members, offering networking, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing opportunities through local chapters and online platforms. * Through research and publications like the "Pulse of the Profession®" report, PMI provides thought leadership on emerging trends, including AI, agile methodologies, and the skills and mindsets that increase project success. * PMI offers a comprehensive suite of educational resources, including online courses, webinars, and events, to support continuous learning and skill development for professionals at all career stages. * PMI champions the development of the “M.O.R.E.” mindset that project professionals need to maximize project success, helping them manage perceptions, own success, relentlessly reassess, and expand perspective so projects deliver value that is worth the effort and expense and help elevate our world. * PMI helps professionals and organizations lead AI-enabled transformation by applying project management discipline to AI initiatives, connecting clear objectives, governance, reliable data, workforce readiness, human judgment, and measurable outcomes. * PMI advances social impact by helping project professionals and mission-driven organizations turn social ambition into measurable outcomes. Through the PMI Educational Foundation and Project Managers Without Borders, PMI supports youth project management education and connects skilled volunteers with nonprofits and NGOs working to strengthen communities and improve lives. ### FAQ #### Is a PMP certification worth it? A Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification is widely considered a valuable certification for project managers seeking to advance their careers. According to PMI's Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey—Fourteenth Edition, professionals with a PMP certification report median salaries 17% higher on average across the 21 countries surveyed than those without it. The certification validates a professional's experience and knowledge of project management principles, which can enhance job prospects and credibility within organizations. #### What are the best certifications for project managers? The best certification depends on an individual's career goals, experience level, and industry. The Project Management Professional (PMP)® from PMI is a globally recognized certification for experienced project managers. For those newer to the field, PMI's Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® is a common starting point. Other notable certifications include those focused on agile methodologies, such as the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®, and program management certifications like the Program Management Professional (PgMP)®. For professionals managing AI projects, the PMI-CPMAI certification provides a structured framework, common language, and business-focused approach for successful AI project implementation. #### How does PMI support career growth for professionals? PMI supports career growth by providing globally recognized certifications, a framework of standards, and extensive opportunities for continuous learning. Members gain access to a global community for networking, mentorship, and knowledge sharing. The organization also produces research and thought leadership on emerging trends, helping professionals stay current with skills in areas like AI, agile practices, and strategic business management. These resources are designed to help professionals at all levels enhance their skills and advance their careers. #### What is the PMBOK® Guide? The PMBOK® Guide, or A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, is PMI’s foundational guide to generally accepted project management knowledge and practice. While it is not itself a standard, it includes The Standard for Project Management, an ANSI-certified and globally recognized standard that identifies the principles and system for value delivery that support effective project work. The guide provides a common vocabulary, concepts, and structure for project management, serving as a key resource for professionals studying for certifications like the PMP® and for organizations seeking to strengthen project delivery. #### How is AI changing project management? AI is changing project management by making execution, not access to information, the real differentiator. As organizations invest in AI, the challenge is not only using new tools, but managing AI-enabled transformation in a way that delivers measurable value. Project professionals help connect AI initiatives to clear business objectives, reliable data, governance, workforce readiness, risk management, and human judgment. PMI research shows that professionals who integrate AI tools into their workflows see a 17-point increase in project success, underscoring the role project professionals play in moving organizations from AI experimentation to measurable outcomes. #### What are the most important skills for a project manager? Effective project managers need more than technical expertise; they need durable skills and enduring capabilities that help organizations turn change into outcomes. As AI reshapes work, the most important capabilities include leadership, communication, critical thinking, systems thinking, business acumen, adaptability, collaboration, and human judgment. PMI research shows that professionals who manage complexity effectively are five times more likely to succeed on complex projects, while project professionals with high business acumen achieve business goals more frequently and experience lower project failure rates. #### How can I get involved with the PMI community? Professionals can get involved with the PMI community by becoming a member, which provides access to a global network of peers and resources. Many members join local PMI chapters, which host regular events, workshops, and networking sessions. Online, PMI's projectmanagement.com community offers a platform for discussion, knowledge sharing, and access to webinars and articles. Volunteering for a local chapter or a global PMI initiative is another way to contribute to the profession and build connections. #### What is the difference between PMP and CAPM? The PMP (Project Management Professional)® and CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management)® are both certifications offered by PMI, but they target professionals at different career stages. The CAPM is an entry-level certification designed for individuals with little or no project experience, validating their understanding of fundamental project management knowledge and terminology. The PMP is for experienced project managers and requires a combination of formal education and years of documented project leadership experience, making it a more advanced and globally recognized certification. #### How does PMI support social impact? PMI supports social impact by helping individuals, nonprofits, NGOs, and communities use project management to turn purpose into measurable outcomes. Through the PMI Educational Foundation, PMI expands access to project management education for youth worldwide, including underserved and underrepresented populations. Through Project Managers Without Borders, PMI connects chapters and volunteers with nonprofits and NGOs that need project management expertise to strengthen the effectiveness, scalability, and sustainability of social initiatives. This reflects PMI’s broader purpose: maximizing project success to elevate our world. ### Sources * Project Management Institute | [pmi.org](/c/pmi-2026-q3/home?i=4b9702d8-233e-4981-8976-9236c663f5d4&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, "Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey—Fourteenth Edition" | [pmi.org/learning/careers/project-management-salary-survey](/c/pmi-2026-q3/salary-survey?i=4b9702d8-233e-4981-8976-9236c663f5d4&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, "Global Project Management Talent Gap" | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/global-project-management-talent-gap](/c/pmi-2026-q3/talent-gap?i=4b9702d8-233e-4981-8976-9236c663f5d4&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, "Maximizing Project Success" | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/project-success](/c/pmi-2026-q3/project-success?i=4b9702d8-233e-4981-8976-9236c663f5d4&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, “Pulse Report 2025: Boosting Business Acumen” | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/boosting-business-acumen](/c/pmi-2026-q3/business-acumen?i=4b9702d8-233e-4981-8976-9236c663f5d4&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, “Pulse of the Profession® 2026: Driving Success in Complex Projects” | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/driving-success-in-complex-projects](/c/pmi-2026-q3/complex-projects?i=4b9702d8-233e-4981-8976-9236c663f5d4&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, “Step Up: Redefining the Path to Project Success with M.O.R.E.” | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/path-to-project-success](/c/pmi-2026-q3/more-mindset?i=4b9702d8-233e-4981-8976-9236c663f5d4&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI Education Foundation, PMIEF 2024 Annual Report, [pmi.org PMIEF 2024 Annual Report (PDF)](/c/pmi-2026-q3/pmief-report?i=4b9702d8-233e-4981-8976-9236c663f5d4&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) ### FAQ structured data (JSON-LD, optional) by [Lynn Forester de Rothschild](https://time.com/author/lynn-forester-de-rothschild/) ## Lynn Forester de Rothschild Contributor Lynn Forester de Rothschild is CEO of E.L Rothschild LLC and the founder and chair of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism. Jul 15, 2026 5:50 PM UTC  claudenakagawa—Getty Images by [Lynn Forester de Rothschild](https://time.com/author/lynn-forester-de-rothschild/) ## Lynn Forester de Rothschild Contributor Lynn Forester de Rothschild is CEO of E.L Rothschild LLC and the founder and chair of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism. Jul 15, 2026 5:50 PM UTC To achieve the American Dream, it is no longer enough to work from nine to five. For too many years, wealth has primarily accumulated in [assets](http://federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/dataviz/dfa/distribute/chart/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com#range:2010.4,2025.4), rather than in wages. Now, AI is transforming how our economy operates, and a wide range of voices are unifying around a shared goal: expanding worker equity ownership. The ownership economy has the potential to expand the ability of every citizen to own financial capital, to benefit from an upside once reserved for the rich, and to help to experience the American Dream. I am optimistic that with the right policies and momentum, an ownership economy can become the foundation of a new social contract between business and society—where corporate profit and economic participation reinforce one another, grounded in the principles of [Inclusive Capitalism](https://www.inclusivecapitalism.com/): fairness, equity, and opportunity. Many investors, politicians, and business leaders—including big tech CEOs—increasingly recognize that as AI reshapes work and productivity, the wealth it creates must be shared broadly across society. In his encyclical “[Magnifica Humanitas](https://time.com/article/2026/05/25/pope-leo-encyclical-ai-magnifica-humanitas/)” titled _Encyclical on Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence_, Pope Leo XIV calls on us to create an economy that values dignity, and that “instead of waiting for the benefits of growth to reach the poor, ‘eventually,’ decisions need to be taken now to ensure that growth becomes inclusive from the outset.” Pope Leo is far from alone in this view. Worlds away, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink similarly argued in his 2026 [letter](https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/larry-fink-annual-chairmans-letter) to investors that with AI driving growth in capital markets, ownership, too, must broaden. From historic programs like the federally-sponsored employee stock ownership plans (known as “ESOPs”) to new policies like [Trump Accounts](https://time.com/article/2026/07/06/trump-accounts-explained-children-investments-what-parents-should-know/), an ownership economy is already part of our national mindset, but access must be expanded and made much easier to understand and implement. Here are three ideas toward that end: ## Worker capital and retraining credits from AI investment funds Business leaders closest to technological change are proposing new ways to share their economic gains with workers—whether through direct participation in market returns, or workforce development spending. OpenAI’s [proposal](https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/561e7512-253e-424b-9734-ef4098440601/Industrial%20Policy%20for%20the%20Intelligence%20Age.pdf) for a wealth fund, seeded through AI productivity gains and invested in technology companies, or even Elon Musk’s push for [universal wealth](https://time.com/7301736/ai-redistribution-profits/), are premised on the idea that AI-driven abundance can offer capital-based alternatives to universal basic income. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently [directed](https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/5.21.26-AI-Workforce-EO-FINAL-SIGNED.pdf) state agencies to study such capital mechanisms for their potential to protect workers amid loss of income and jobs to AI. These ideas directly confront the risks of labor market dislocation and rising inequality but leave unanswered questions about how to create meaningful work and purpose. As Pope Leo XIV reminds us, “It is essential to invest in accessible education and retraining, so that the professional mobility demanded by the digital economy does not become a harsh selection between those who are able to update their skills and those who cannot.” This gap is being addressed by some industry solutions. [Verizon](https://www.verizon.com/about/news/building-stronger-verizon) has established a Transition Fund for employees displaced by AI, which CEO Dan Schulman hopes will be adopted by other companies, and even evolve into sector-based transition funds supported by multiple companies. In Korea, [Samsung](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/may/27/samsung-memory-chip-staff-bonuses-ai-profit-sharing-deal) averted a worker strike by agreeing to a profit-sharing agreement which will award employees 10.5% of operating profits from its AI chip business—a bold move investors rewarded with an 8% jump in the company’s stock price. ## Public investment funds for the AI transition Policymakers and economists are exploring national vehicles designed to help workers share in the gains of technological change. Senator Mark Kelly has proposed a Federal trust fund as part of his [_AI for America_](https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-releases-ai-for-america-a-roadmap-to-make-ai-work-for-all-americans-not-just-big-companies/) framework, which would spend a portion of AI-driven profits on worker training, career support, and long-term economic investment. Economist and Nobel Laureate Simon Johnson has [proposed](https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/jump-starting-creation-good-jobs) a dividend model in which an innovation dividend from returns on technology investment would be distributed more directly to workers and communities affected by its disruptions. Both proposals reflect the recognition that the AI transition will require new public investment frameworks to better link technological change, wealth creation, and economic participation. ## From stakeholders to stockholders To fully realize the potential of the ownership economy, we must expand employee ownership across all sizes of U.S. companies. This is crucial because it creates wealth-building opportunities for working families and also strengthens employee agency and business resilience. To accomplish this, organizations such as the Clinton Policy Institute are exploring new ways of financing employee buyouts of privately held companies, many of which face a succession challenge as their founders and long-time owners retire. On the other hand, larger companies, especially publicly traded ones, offer other forms of profit sharing through broad-based equity. For instance, investment firms like KKR are scaling the wealth-building potential of employee ownership across portfolio companies alongside [Ownership Works](https://ownershipworks.org/), a nonprofit that supports investors to enable broad-based ownership and cultivate ownership culture at the company level. The key is that workers across sectors and firms are able to benefit from the ownership economy. ## The business case for employee ownership To be sure, leading companies are showing how ownership benefits everyone, from hourly workers to customers and shareholders. In one of the economy’s most disrupted sectors, several of the most successful supermarket chains—including [Publix](https://corporate.publix.com/about-publix/company-overview/facts-figures), [WinCo](https://www.wincofoods.com/employee-owned), and [Houchens Industries](https://www.houchens.com/esop)—are [employee-owned](https://www.tastingtable.com/2149346/beloved-regional-grocery-chains-us/), demonstrating unique resilience in the face of supply chain shocks, inflationary pressure and technological change. Last year, Walmart, the country’s largest grocery retailer and employer, introduced [stock grants](https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/walmart-regional-manager-pay-raise-867776ed) for store managers, boosting the compensation of retail employees who will be on the frontlines of Walmart’s AI deployment strategy, and the human-AI interactions which will define the future of success. This model is spreading across sectors as well. In 2024, Bank of America used equity awards to complement its efforts to improve compensation for approximately [97%](https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/bank-america-awards-stock-employees-after-strong-2024-performance-memo-shows-2025-01-17/) of its workforce. ## Investment makes the difference Policy is trying to keep pace, but more needs to be done. The Biden Administration launched the [Division of Employee Ownership](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/programs-and-initiatives/employee-ownership-initiative) within the Department of Labor with more than $50 million. President Trump has continued to support the Division’s mission and called for [spurring greater growth](https://www.napa-net.org/news/2025/5/labor-secretary-gives-major-address-to-esop-industry-audience/) of ESOPs. Yet, so far, bipartisan support has not unlocked the institutional capital needed to expand the ownership economy. While new policy incentives and financing mechanisms are awaited, investors should not stay on the sidelines. I am encouraged by how some investors are pressing ahead by tapping into promising opportunities in collaboration with State governments. States are emerging as laboratories for scaling ownership models, alongside institutional investors such as public pension funds as well as philanthropic capital. From this ongoing work, new financing pathways for broad-based ownership are taking shape among policymakers, investors, and companies, offering an early blueprint for the ownership economy where more workers participate in the wealth they help create. [TIME Ideas](https://www.time.com/ideas) hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. 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