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The ways that rural communities improve the flow of capital was one of the topics covered at the 2026 Investing in Rural America Conference, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond in partnership with the Federal Reserve System and Rural LISC. In this episode, Jason Smith, the Richmond Fed's senior community development advisor, discusses what the Bank has done to improve capital investment in rural areas. We also hear from three conference speakers: Robin Hacke, co-founder and senior fellow at the Center for Community Investment; Alex Flachsbart, founder and CEO of OPAL Community Capital; and Diane Standaert, senior vice president of policy and advocacy at HOPE Credit Union. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_11_04_IRA_credit_formation

Raj Chetty discusses his research on economic mobility and variations in how readily people can climb the income ladder, especially in rural communities. Chetty, an economics professor at Harvard University and director of Opportunity Insights, gave the keynote address at the Investing in Rural America Conference in September 2026. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_10_21_IRA_chetty

Kyle DeMaria and Urvi Neelakantan talk about their recent research on people who work multiple jobs and what this segment of the labor market says about the overall economy. DeMaria is a regional economist and advisor for workforce pathways and Neelakantan is a senior policy economist, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_10_14_job_juggling

Sarah Gunn describes an online tool developed by the Federal Reserve to help students explore their post-high school career and education options and choose the path that is best for them. Gunn is district outreach manager for community development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_10_07_invest_in_whats_next

Andy Bauer and Renee Haltom share what they have learned through conversations with Fifth District businesses about consumer spending and how it has responded to cost increases and other economic headwinds. Bauer and Haltom are regional executives at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_09_23_the_creative_consumer

John Haltiwanger talks about his work with the U.S. Census Bureau to improve the tracking of AI usage by workers and their employers. Haltiwanger, a professor of economics at the University of Maryland, shared this research during the August 2026 CORE Week held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_09_09_measuring_ai_adoption

Katarína Borovičková and Claudia Macaluso discuss their research on the long-term unemployed, including the factors like AI adoption that could be affecting the movement of people into and out of this employment status and the broader economic implications of these labor market flows. Macaluso and Borovičková are senior economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_09_02_long-term_unemployment

Michael Newsome talks about what he has learned about apprenticeships from discussions with business and education leaders. As an illustration, Melissa Stowasser shares how Trident Technical College partnered with smaller employers to develop an apprenticeship program for the Charleston, S.C., region. Newsome is community development regional manager for workforce pathways in North Carolina and South Carolina at the Richmond Fed, while Stowasser is vice president for community and continuing education at Trident.  Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_08_19_apprenticeships

Erik Hurst discusses his research on the potential impacts of AI adoption on the labor market, in particular entry-level workers and their human capital development over time through the acquisition of new skills and knowledge. Hurst is the Roman Family Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and John E. Jeuck Faculty Fellow at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_08_12_AI_human_capital

Jay Langston discusses how rural communities in western Virginia have diversified the region from agriculture into pharmaceutical and other forms of manufacturing. Key ingredients of this economic progress include developing the local workforce, building relationships between local and state economic development organizations, and addressing quality-of-life issues. Langston is executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_08_05_shenandoah_valley

Daniel Davis talks about the barriers that rural communities face in fully realizing their economic potential and how economic development professionals have addressed those barriers. He also shares insights on this topic from the speakers at an Investing in Rural America webinar in June 2026. Davis is group vice president for regional economics at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_07_15_rural_econ_dev

John Bailey Jones and Jason Kosakow discuss their research on how family members and friends give their time and money to help each other and how these transfers benefit households. Jones is vice president of microeconomic analysis and Kosakow is survey director, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_07_08_helping_hands

John O'Trakoun discusses the supply shocks resulting from the recent conflicts in the Middle East and how businesses and consumers have responded to these shocks. O'Trakoun is a senior policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_07_01_supply_shocks

Urvi Neelakantan describes how employment, income growth and consumption can differ between groups of households and reviews recent trends in this divergence of economic outcomes. Neelakantan is a senior policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_06_17_k-shaped_economy

Surekha Carpenter and Borys Grochulski discuss how community development financial institutions work to help underserved communities that lack adequate access to credit and what factors determine their success in filling market gaps. Carpenter is a senior research analyst and Grochulski is a senior economist, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_06_10_cdfi_market_failures