Advertise on podcast: The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program — Events and Interviews

Economic security shouldn’t be a lottery. Yet for millions of working families, stagnant wages and precarious jobs collide with the daily grind of managing money on shaky ground — leaving stability feeling less like a plan and more like a gamble. Fixing that takes more than one lever. It takes structural reform and the tools people need to take control of their financial lives, working together. In “The Wage Standard: What’s Wrong in the Labor Market and How to Fix It,” Professor Arindrajit Dube maps out how to rebuild a labor market that actually works for workers. In “The Joy of Money: How to Do More With and Feel Better About Your Money—No Matter How Much You Have,” Carrie Joy Grimes flips the script on personal finance, showing that financial agency isn’t reserved for the wealthy. Together, their ideas offer something rare: a real blueprint for security that starts at the policy level and ends in people’s pockets. This conversation — hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on October 7, 2026 — connected these dots and explored the big questions: What will it actually take to fix a broken labor market? How do practical financial tools build real agency, no matter your income? And what does an economy look like when systemic fairness and individual security aren’t trade-offs — but a package deal? Our speakers include Dube, Grimes, and moderator Natalie Foster, senior fellow at the Economic Opportunities Program, co-founder of Economic Security Project, and author of “The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy.” For more information about this event, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website:https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/building-economic-security-a-book-talk-with-arindrajit-dube-and-carrie-joy-grimes/ This event is part of our Opportunity in America series:https://www.aspeninstitute.org/series/opportunity-in-america/ For highlights from this discussion, subscribe to our YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@AspenEOP Or subscribe to our podcast to listen on the go:https://pod.link/1503944129

“Social contract” has quickly become one of the most-used, least-defined phrases in the AI policy conversation. This first event in a two-part series will trace the origin and history of the American social contract, examining how work became the anchor of economic security, mobility, and civic identity in the United States. From an economy whose foundations were built on forced and unpaid labor, through the rise of industrialization, the New Deal, a postwar economic boom, financialization, and then globalization, the relationship between workers, employers, and the state has been redefined repeatedly. Panelists will discuss these inflection points, focusing on who was (and was not) party to these agreements — from organized labor and industrial barons to policymakers and grassroots movements — and under what circumstances their compromises established the baseline expectations of a middle-class life. Speakers explore the evolving role of labor and how structural shifts over the 20th century laid the groundwork for today’s economic landscape — including the extent to which AI is a novel force reshaping our society. The discussion provides essential context for today’s leaders to understand their respective roles in forging a new social contract for the 21st century — a discussion that will continue in the second installment of the series: Work and the Social Contract in the Age of AI: Where do we go from here? This conversation was hosted by the Future of Work Initiative, an initiative of the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program on September 23, 2026 — explores what drove this transformation, who bears its costs, and what it would take to reverse it. Our speakers include Joseph Blasi (Rutgers University), Chris Hyams (former CEO of Indeed), Marshall Kosloff (Niskanen Center), Liba Wenig Rubenstein (Future of Work Initiative, The Aspen Institute), and Erica Smiley (Jobs with Justice). For more information about this event, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website.  For highlights from this discussion, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast to listen on the go. This event is part of our Opportunity in America series.

For decades, economists and policymakers have debated how to help workers get better jobs. But what if the more fundamental problem is that employers have systematically redesigned work itself to make a third of the workforce expendable? In his forthcoming book, “Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment,” MIT Sloan Professor Emeritus Paul Osterman examines this idea and what it would take to reverse it. Osterman documents the rise of contract workers, freelancers, and what he calls “marginal workers” — W-2 employees who are cut off from training, advancement, and any real stake in the organizations they work for. Together, these three groups now make up more than a third of the American workforce. Osterman argues that this trend is neither an accident nor an inevitable byproduct of technological change. It is the result of deliberate choices employers have made about how to structure work and manage labor costs. Osterman traces both the logic behind those choices and their consequences for worker well-being, economic mobility, and the broader social contract. This conversation — hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on September 9, 2026 — explores what drove this transformation, who bears its costs, and what it would take to reverse it. Our speakers include Osterman and moderator Maureen Conway, a vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Economic Opportunities Program. For more information about this event, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website.  For highlights from this discussion, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast to listen on the go. This event is part of our Opportunity in America series.

Many employers want to help workers build new skills, advance into better jobs, and meet evolving business needs, but the systems designed to support employer-provided education benefits can be difficult to navigate. Longstanding tax policies like Section 127 and Section 132 offer employers important tools for expanding access to education and training, yet outdated limits and administrative confusion can prevent these benefits from reaching the workers who could use them most. In this interview, Chelsea Miller of Upskill America speaks with Nick Greif of InStride about how employers can design education benefits that are more accessible, strategic, and aligned with workforce goals. Their conversation covers changes coming to Section 127 in 2027, how employers can think about related tax policies, common misconceptions about education benefit programs, and practical ways to build programs that support both business needs and workers’ economic mobility.

CDFI boards, leadership teams, investors, and regulators have long relied on a familiar set of financial metrics to assess organizational performance. While measures such as delinquency, loan loss rates, self-sufficiency, and net asset ratios remain important, they often provide an incomplete picture of how effectively a CDFI small business lender is deploying capital, managing risk, serving its target market, and positioning itself for long-term sustainability. In the present moment, navigating the most effective strategies and solutions is more important than ever.  This session — hosted by the the Aspen Institute’s Business Ownership Initiative on August 26, 2026 — explores an emerging framework that seeks to move beyond compliance-oriented reporting toward a more integrated view of organizational performance. Participants examine how decisions related to risk, pricing, capitalization, deployment, and operating costs influence both mission outcomes and financial strength and discuss what metrics may better support real-time decision-making for leadership teams, boards, funders, and investors. Our speakers include BOI Senior Director Joyce Klein and Aspen Institute Senior Fellow Brett Simmons, principal at Blue Aster Advising. For more information about this event, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website.  For highlights from this discussion, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast to listen on the go.

Foundational skills — including literacy, math, digital fluency, and English language proficiency — are critical elements for a thriving workforce. Yet, gaps in these essential skills stall  employee growth and corporate goals alike. This conversation — hosted by UpSkill America and Lumina Foundation on August 18, 2026 — offers an exclusive look into how innovative employers are turning this challenge into an opportunity. Drawing on early insights from our forthcoming national landscape analysis, this conversation explores the practical impact of foundational skill gaps and highlights the cutting-edge solutions leading companies are deploying to bridge them. Our speakers include Della Adams (Tyson Foods), Quentin Bradley (Ochsner Health), Joe Dunlap (CJK Group), Georgia Reagan (Lumina Foundation), and moderator Chelsea Miller (UpSkill America). For more information about this event, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website.  For highlights from this discussion, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast to listen on the go.

We are living through a moment of profound uncertainty about the future of work. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are raising urgent questions about which jobs will survive, which will be transformed, and which will disappear entirely. Yet amid all the speculation, one thing is already clear: millions of Americans are working jobs that do not pay enough, do not offer stability, and do not provide a real path forward. And businesses — in health care, child care, hospitality, food service and other large employment sectors — seek to hire even more people into such jobs. In their new book, “Help Wanted: How To Find and Keep Talent in a Forever-Tight Labor Market,” authors Steve Dawson and Jerry Rubin argue that demographic realities, including an aging population, slowing growth, and declining workforce participation, mean the competition for workers is structural and long-term, not a temporary blip. Rather than treating workers as a cost to be minimized, they argue that investing in people is now a competitive necessity, and they introduce readers to business leaders who are redesigning jobs, recruiting differently, and partnering with workforce organizations to attract and retain the talent their businesses depend on. This conversation — hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on July 29, 2026 — goes beyond the employer-competitiveness frame to ask harder questions: How can we redesign work to maximize the value of all workers? How can businesses organize and advocate on behalf of their workforces? What barriers keep businesses from changing practice? And what role can policy, philanthropy, and workforce intermediaries play in redesigning work at scale? Our speakers include Dawson, Rubin, and moderator Maureen Conway, a vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Economic Opportunities Program. For more information about this event, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website.  This event is part of our Opportunity in America series. For highlights from this discussion, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast to listen on the go.

Culture is an essential cornerstone that determines whether employee ownership translates into strong business outcomes and high quality jobs. This session explores the mindset shift required to move from passive participation to a vibrant culture of ownership, as well as the cultural shift required societally to prioritize worker ownership and economic empowerment. Panelists discuss how a strong internal culture of ownership protects the dignity of work in an automated age and serves as a powerful competitive advantage, while also exploring the changes required to shift our economy towards a new understanding of ownership and profit distribution. Our speakers include Evan Edwards (CEO and President, Project Equity); Melissa Hoover (Director of Ownership Culture, Apis & Heritage); Chris Mackin (Founder, Ownership Associates, Partner, American Working Capital); Anna-Lisa Miller (Executive Director, Ownership Works); and moderator Adria Scharf (Assistant Professor and Senior Associate Director, Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, Rutgers University; Director of the Curriculum Library for Employee Ownership, Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations). This video comes from the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online. For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page. To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go. About this event: The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America’s prosperity and future. The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership. We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

In this video, Bharat Ramamurti — former deputy director of the National Economic Council of the United States — speaks at the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online. For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page. To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go. About this event: The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America’s prosperity and future. The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership. We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

Employee ownership has a compelling track record, but the model has yet to attract capital at the scale required to address the silver tsunami. That is beginning to change. This panel brings together investors and intermediaries from across the institutional landscape to explore what it would take to make employee ownership a mainstream investment strategy — and what a future looks like in which financial institutions are active partners in expanding ownership across the American economy. Our speakers include Regina Carls (Managing Director and Head of ESOP Advisory, JPMorganChase); Jim Sorenson (Founder and CEO, Sorenson Impact Foundation); Chavon Sutton (Managing Director, Sustainable and Impact Investing, Cambridge Associates, LLC); Emily Thomas (Executive Director and the Head of Investing with Impact, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management); and moderator Jack Moriarty (Executive Director, Lafayette Square Institute). This video comes from the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online. For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page. To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go. About this event: The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America’s prosperity and future. The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership. We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

In this video, Margot Brandenburg — senior program officer for mission investments at The Ford Foundation — speaks at the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online. For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page. To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go. About this event: The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America’s prosperity and future. The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership. We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

Our speakers include Sara Horowitz (Founder, Mutualist Society; Founder, Freelancers Union); Esteban Kelly (Executive Director, The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives); Ginny Vanderslice (Principal Emeritus, Praxis Consulting Group); Felipe Witchger (Executive Director, Francesco Collaborative and the Livable Future Impact); and Sean-Tamba Matthew (Shareholder, Stevens & Lee and SES ESOP Strategies). This video comes from the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online. For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page. To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go. About this event: The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America’s prosperity and future. The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership. We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

In this video, Paula D’Ambrosa — director of inclusive wealth-building at Prudential Financial — delivers opening remarks on day two of the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online. For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page. To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go. About this event: The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America’s prosperity and future. The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership. We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

In this video, Gwyneth Galbraith — vice president and philanthropy program officer at JPMorganChase — delivers closing remarks on day one of the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online. For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page. To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go. About this event: The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America’s prosperity and future. The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership. We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

States are emerging as important laboratories for expanding employee ownership. From experimenting with new financing and investment tools to technical assistance and outreach programs, states are increasingly on the frontlines of helping more businesses transition to employee ownership. This session highlights some of the newest and most promising state-level innovations, the leaders driving them, and what other states and federal policymakers can learn from what's emerging. Our speakers include Shannon Lundgren (State Representative, Iowa); Andrew Zwicker (State Senator, New Jersey); Hilary Abell (Chief of the Employee Ownership Division, US Department of Labor); and moderator Julien Rosenbloom (Senior Associate, Lafayette Square Institute). This video comes from the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online. For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page. To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go. About this event: The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America’s prosperity and future. The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership. We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.