Reflecting on a year of purpose-driven initiatives, EOP’s 2023 highlights showcase a commitment to enhancing job quality, empowering entrepreneurs, and amplifying equity. From championing employee ownership to fostering collaborative strategies for shared success, we strove to light a path toward a more inclusive and prosperous economic future. As anticipation builds for what is to come in 2024, we look forward to deeper discussions and further progress, and embracing the collaborative spirit that guides us on the path forward.
Employee Ownership Ideas Forum
The inaugural Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, hosted in June 2023 by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, was a testament to collaborative endeavors in this sector. The diverse assembly – philanthropists, investors, researchers, practitioners, business leaders, and workers from employee-owned companies, as well as bipartisan policy makers – gathered to champion employee ownership’s potential. From improving job quality to promoting equity to enhancing business competitiveness, the Forum highlighted the potential of employee ownership to address today’s critical economic challenges. Click here to view sessions from this event.
As we approach this year’s Forum, we look forward to exploring some new themes and building on the excitement of last year. Registration will be open soon. Join our mailing list to be notified when spots are available.
Shared Success
We continued to embrace the power of collaboration and purpose through our Shared Success initiative, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in partnership with U.S. Bank. With a vision to foster thriving communities, this pioneering effort unites 10 CDFI grantees in building a job quality practice while bolstering small business prosperity. Representatives gathered in November 2023 to reflect on their work and cultivate strategies that empower entrepreneurs, build resilient economies, and amplify equity. Check out my reflection on the gathering here: Shared Success: CDFIs Advancing Job Quality in Small Business.
Aspen Business Roundtable on Organized Labor
The Aspen Business Roundtable on Organized Labor is a private network of CEOs, founders, investors, and other business leaders reinventing corporate America’s relationship with organized labor and worker power. In partnership with MIT’s Institute for Work and Employment Research, EOP has convened off-the-record conversations with 45 members from a wide variety of industries and begun to share insights publicly, from articles in Harvard Business Review to a public event featuring AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and a panel including a policy maker, senior executive, investor, and worker representative.
In partnership with next-generation media and insights company Charter, the Roundtable will kick off 2024 with the publication of a comprehensive guide for business leaders that articulates a business case for investing in worker empowerment for fairer, more collaborative, and effective workplaces, with case studies from Microsoft, Honeycomb, AT&T, Kaiser Permanente, and more. Visit our website and stay tuned to our mailing list for more information.
Workforce Leadership Academies
EOP’s Workforce Leadership Academies aim to foster collaboration among local workforce leaders, breaking down silos for effective strategies that address both worker and business needs. Our new Workforce Leadership Café event series shares insights from this work, engaging local leaders in reflective conversations on the systemic challenges workforce leaders face and ideas for addressing these challenges to build a workforce development ecosystem that contributes to a vibrant, equitable, and resilient economic opportunity landscape. RSVP now to join us at an upcoming discussion.
UpSkill America
In 2023, UpSkill America focused on advancing knowledge in employer-driven education, training, and development strategies that result in better jobs and opportunities for front-line workers. We released case studies from well-known companies, including PepsiCo and Intuit, as well as issue briefs on topics like learn-and-work models and education benefits programs. UpSkill is also working to advance understanding and uptake of skills-based talent strategies, especially those supported by portable, verified competency and employment data. Learning and Employment Records (LERs) are a vehicle for sharing that data across employers, education providers, and public systems. Check out our series focusing on employer use cases and the benefits of LERs here.
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