Elevating Job Quality

Job Quality and Cultural Context

Lauren Starks, Director of Good Companies/Good Jobs at the Economic Opportunities Program, sat down with two Shared Success grantees—Felicia Ravelomanantsoa, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer at African Development Center (ADC), and Elaine Neigel, Business Loan Officer at Four Bands Community Fund—to discuss how job quality work needs to be connected to the unique challenges, assets, and strategies of the local community. Listen to the full episode here. 

Job Quality as a Part of CDFI’s Mission

Maureen Conway, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, sat down with executives from two leading CDFIs and Shared Success grantees: Amanda Blondeau, the Chief Strategy Officer of Northern Initiatives (founded in the face of declining resource extraction in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula), and Robert Boyle, CEO of Justine PETERSEN (founded to serve the greater St. Louis region).  Listen to the full episode here.

How to Talk About Job Quality with Small Businesses

Lauren Starks, Director of Good Companies/Good Jobs at the Economic Opportunities Program, sat down with three Shared Success grantees—Tabin Tangila Mesu Kamba, Program Developer, Workforce Solutions at Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Dionne McGee, Consultant at Institute Capital, and Israel Flores, Business Services Director at Northern Initiatives—to discuss how their CDFIs advise small businesses on how investing in employees can allow for increased productivity and innovation, as well as business stabilization or growth.  Listen to the full episode here. 

How Investors Are Prioritizing Job Quality in Small Business Lending

Maureen Conway, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, sat down with two Shared Success grantees that are integrating job quality into their portfolios as investors: Viola Mai, Development Director at ICA Fund, and Robert Anderson, Business Navigation Director at Colorado Enterprise Fund. Listen to the full episode here. 

Challenges and Opportunities for Job Quality in the Childcare Sector

Maureen Conway, Executive Director of the Economic Opportunities Program, sat down with two Shared Success grantees—Jataune Hall, Director of Special Projects and Partnerships at Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, and Lamont Jackson, Director of Technical Assistance, Black Business Investment Fund—to learn more about the challenges of and opportunities for small business childcare providers. Listen to the full episode here.

The Importance of Partnerships in Implementing a Job Quality Strategy

Lauren Starks, Director of Good Companies/Good Jobs at the Economic Opportunities Program, sat down with two Shared Success grantees—Andrea Levy, Senior Program Manager at California Farmlink, and  Janet Brugger, Business Navigator, Colorado Enterprise Fund—to discuss how they’ve worked with various public and private partners to recruit small businesses and provide technical assistance with an eye toward providing quality jobs. Listen to the full episode here.