Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — May 2026
The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.
We hope you’ll join us at one of our upcoming events, which you can learn about below. Everyone who registers will receive a link to the recording, so please sign up even if you can’t participate live.
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May 7 — Investing in Job Quality in the South
Thursday, May 7, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. EDT on Zoom
Improving job quality takes many forms and tactics — as does the funding that supports it. Some businesses need access to capital or technical assistance to build better jobs. Workers and advocates need resources to organize, push for higher standards, and shape the policies that govern work. And the field itself needs investment to grow the knowledge, networks, and infrastructure that make progress possible.
Join the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on Thursday, May 7, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. EDT, on Zoom, to explore how philanthropic and financial capital can play a meaningful role in supporting efforts to improve job quality. Job Quality Fellows from across the South will share examples from their own communities, including where they see opportunities and challenges in investing in job quality and what they’re learning. The conversation will surface lessons about how funders and investors can show up as partners in the long-term work of building a South where good jobs are the norm, not the exception.
Our speakers include Thelma Adams Johnson (Albany Community Together), Sherra Bennett (Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation), Jennifer Epps (The LIFT Fund), Sarah Reed (Metafund Corporation), and moderator Maureen Conway (Aspen Institute). Click here to register.
This event is part of our Job Quality in Practice series. It is also the final entry in our four-part miniseries, Fixing Work in the South, which brings together Job Quality Fellows who are on the frontlines of expanding access to good jobs in communities across the American South.
May 19 — When Work Isn’t Enough: Improving Job Quality for ALICE Households
Tuesday, May 19, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT
Nearly half of American households fall into the “ALICE” category — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — earning above the poverty line, but unable to afford basic necessities like housing, child care, food, and transportation in their communities. These working families form the backbone of our economy, yet despite being employed, they face impossible tradeoffs and chronic financial instability.
This conversation explores how we can transform job quality for ALICE households through approaches to wages, benefits, scheduling, and advancement opportunities, and that enable working families to achieve economic security. Join the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and UNITED for ALICE on Tuesday, May 19, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom, to examine the current data on ALICE households and what we’re learning about ALICE at WORK, an innovative approach to working with businesses to improve job quality.
This conversation features opening remarks from Stephanie Hoopes (United For ALICE), followed by panel discussions with Sherra Bennett (Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation), Cary Esperanza Dawson (United For ALICE at Work), Elizabeth McDowell (Hamilton County Schools), Allison Pepin (United For ALICE at Work), Jessica Pilcher (United Way of Greater Chattanooga), Lynn White Sohn (UR Medicine Thompson Health), and moderator Matt Helmer (Aspen Institute). Click here to register.
This event is part of our Job Quality in Practice series.
June 2-3 — Employee Ownership Ideas Forum
Tuesday and Wednesday, June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online
The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University are pleased to announce the fourth annual Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, taking place on June 2-3 in Washington DC and online.
The Forum will convene participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around a shared and bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership to provide more workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America’s prosperity and future. The Forum will highlight innovative policies and practices, feature the firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and foster dialogue and engagement that drives concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership. Click here to register.
External Events and Speaking Engagements
EOP staff are frequently called upon to lend their expertise to a variety of critical conversations and settings. To invite one of our experts to speak at an event, send us an email at [email protected].
In Case You Missed It
We are pleased to share recordings and resources from these recent conversations.
About the Upcoming Events Newsletter
The Economic Opportunities Program’s Upcoming Events newsletter is a snapshot of public events and other opportunities to hear from our staff. Click here to subscribe.
About the Economic Opportunities Program
The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.
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