The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program — Events and Interviews

In the wake of supply chain shocks, increased global competition, and fears of global conflict, policymakers over the last several years have made concerted efforts to strengthen our manufacturing and industrial base, as well as protect and advance high-tech sectors. As the country seeks to further develop and retain these strong assets, many are concerned that a large wave of retiring business owners in manufacturing and the uncer...

In this clip, ESOP Association President Jim Bonham speaks at the 2025 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum. For additional resources, visit our website: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/esop-association-president-jim-bonham-speaks-at-the-2025-employee-ownership-ideas-forum/ 

Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/aspeneop/

For other session videos, visit the Aspen Inst...

The US faces a national crisis of homelessness and housing affordability like few other times in our history. Increasing rents and housing shortages have had devastating effects on nearly every major metropolitan area in the US and many rural communities as well. This crisis has affected everyone including children, seniors, military veterans, people with disabilities, and people working full-time. In his new book, “There Is No Pla...

A depth of research shows the impacts employee ownership can have on company performance when it is combined with efforts to increase employee participation in solving company problems. Higher productivity, lower employee turnover, and greater resilience to economic downturns are all common outcomes of many employee-owned firms. However, greater employee involvement, when combined with ownership, also offers potential for other ben...

In this clip, AEI’S Alex Brill speaks at the 2025 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum. For a transcript and additional resources, visit our website: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/aeis-alex-brill-speaks-at-the-2025-employee-ownership-ideas-forum/ 

Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/aspeneop/

For other session videos, visit the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on ...

In this clip, the Aspen Institute’s Maureen Conway and Rutgers University’s Joseph Blasi give opening remarks at the 2025 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum. For a transcript and additional resources, visit our website: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/maureen-conway-and-joseph-blasi-give-opening-remarks-at-the-2025-employee-ownership-ideas-forum/ 

Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go: https://creators.spo...

This conversation took place during our March 24 event, “Advancing Innovation and Fairness in Small Business Finance,” hosted by the Responsible Business Lending Coalition and the Aspen Institute’s Business Ownership Initiative. It features a panel discussion with Cailey Locklair (Maryland Retailers Alliance), Hal Martin (Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland), Carolina Martinez (CAMEO Network), Awesta Sarkash (Small Business Majority)...

This conversation took place during our March 24 event, “Advancing Innovation and Fairness in Small Business Finance,” hosted by the Responsible Business Lending Coalition and the Aspen Institute’s Business Ownership Initiative. It features a panel discussion with Mickey Konson (Quantum Financial), Phil Goldfeder (American Fintech Council), Luz Urrutia (Accion Opportunity Fund), and moderator Jacob Haar (Community Investment Manage...

This conversation took place during our March 24 event, “Advancing Innovation and Fairness in Small Business Finance,” hosted by the Responsible Business Lending Coalition and the Aspen Institute’s Business Ownership Initiative. It features opening remarks from Joyce Klein (The Aspen Institute) and Louis Caditz-Peck (Responsible Business Lending Coalition), followed by a conversation with Michael Barr (Federal Reserve Board of Gove...

Asutosh Padhi is McKinsey & Company's Global Leader of Firm Strategy, responsible for shaping the strategic vision, accelerating the firm's pace of innovation, and evolving the partnership model as McKinsey turns 100 in 2026. He's currently an active board member of the Aspen Institute, the Brookings Institution, and the Field Museum. We had the pleasure of speaking with him as part of our series, “Back to the Future of Work: R...

A career in trucking was once considered a pathway to the middle class. Yet the quality of jobs in the industry has steeply declined in recent decades. Long-haul truckers, who might spend days or weeks away from home, have seen their salaries fall by as much as half since the deregulation of the industry a half century ago, and annual turnover hovers near 100%. Short-haul truckers are frequently misclassified as independent contrac...

Today approximately 77 million Americans, or 1 in 3 adults have a criminal record. While not everyone represented in this statistic has experienced incarceration, it serves to highlight that the barriers formerly incarcerated people face finding quality jobs are far more commonplace than we might think. Many returning citizens, who worked for little or no pay while incarcerated, will struggle to find quality jobs after release. Dis...

Ai-jen Poo is the president of theNational Domestic Workers Alliance, director ofCaring Across Generations, and a leading voice for worker rights and dignity. And we had the pleasure of speaking with her as part of our series, “Back to the Future of Work: Revisiting the Past and Shaping the Future.”

In this conversation with Economic Opportunities Program Senior FellowNatalie Foster, Ai-jen paints the picture of an economy that dome...

A key piece of the American dream is that hard work leads to economic success. Yet in recent years, many people seem to be working harder while reaping fewer rewards. Moreover, even people who are successful in economic terms often feel compelled to participate in overwork. In her new book “Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life,” author Brigid Schulte dismantles the pervasive idea that overwork guar...

Announcements of a big employer moving to town, or a large infrastructure project, can often spark excitement. Local communities see the potential for big benefits, including new and better jobs and other investment in community needs. Too often, however, these benefits do not materialize. Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), binding agreements created between community groups and organizations like real estate developers or large...

The passage of the 13th Amendment following the American Civil War abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, but it included a crucial exception: “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” This exception allowed southern governments to institute an early version of prison labor called convict leasing. Black Americans arrested for minor offenses, once imprisoned, were effectively purchase...

Today’s politicized environment poses unique challenges for worker rights advocates. With Congress often divided, and many state and local governments as well, the path to improving worker rights through legislation is narrow. Nonetheless, we have seen some remarkable progress on worker rights over the last few years through executive action. Leveraging executive action, however, is not a straightforward and easily discernible path...

Workforce intermediaries are uniquely positioned to help workers and businesses achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Employers desire a workforce development approach that will address their most critical pain points, whereas workers seek opportunities to advance their economic security. In recent years, a wave of organizations has worked to take a “both-and” approach. These pioneers have recognized that job retention and recruitm...