The Aspen Institute

How would America be different if everyone combined high-quality, tech-forward income streams along with wages?

Generating wealth is impossible without financial stability. Yet vital government programs that should support people’s income and financial resilience are often hampered by ineffective design and delivery. During this event, public benefits leaders will discuss how the end of the public health emergency is creating challenges for our benefits infrastructure and the opportunity to fundamentally transform these systems to create real onramps to wealth building.

Speakers 

Wole Coaxum, Founder and CEO, MoCaFi

The phrase “the end depends upon the beginning” is important to Wole. He began his finance career as a summer intern at J.P. Morgan, leading him to Commercial Credit, Citigroup, Willis Group, and back to J.P. Morgan Chase. This path led him to create MoCaFi, a financial technology company focused on financial inclusion, working to bring responsible financial products to historically marginalized communities. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Wole journeyed to the tri-state area via Williams College and New York University. Once he got to New York City, he discovered the joys of public transportation, the benefits of milder winters, and the magic of food delivery. This is an area he loves and calls home. His family – wife, Kim, and two daughters, Quinn and Avery, have a bustling and vibrant household. Creating an engaged, balanced life is essential in Wole’s life. To the core, he believes that service to others is the barometer of a well-lived life, and he tries to deliver against that promise every day.

Ginny Hunt, Former Senior Advisor for Policy Implementation and Delivery, White House

Ginny Hunt served as a Senior Advisor for Policy Implementation and Delivery at the White House, where she co-founded the Facing Financial Shocks Initiative to align federal, state and cross-sector leaders around actions to build financial resilience centered in lived experience. Previously, Ginny served as the US Digital Service Founding Director for Product, Policy and Procurement. Ginny was the Vice President and Managing Director for the Justice and Opportunity Initiative at CZI and a Principal at Google, where she co-founded the public sector engineering team that launched products used by nearly a billion people. She co-founded the Tech Executive Leadership Initiative and served as a Residential Teaching Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She regularly advises leaders, entrepreneurs and mission-driven organizations on cross-sector strategies to advance inclusive economic security.

Jennifer Pahlka, Author, Recoding America

Jennifer Pahlka is the author of Recoding America: Why Government is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better. She founded Code for America in 2010 and led the organization for ten years. In 2013, she took a leave of absence to serve as U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer under President Obama and helped found the United States Digital Service. She served on the Defense Innovation Board under Presidents Obama and Trump. At the start of the pandemic, she also co-founded United States Digital Response, which helps government meet the needs of the public with volunteer tech support. She received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and was named by Wired as one of the 25 people who has most shaped the past 25 years. Jennifer is a graduate of Yale University.

Joanna Smith Ramani, Co-Executive Director, Aspen Institute Financial Security Program

Joanna Smith Ramani is Co-Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, a leading national voice on Americans’ financial security. Working with the team, she is building a diverse cross-sector community of leaders (Joanna calls her “quirky Thanksgiving table”) who, together, are using their shared accumulated wisdom and humanity to deeply investigate and solve the most critical financial challenges facing U.S. households.  

Joanna has more than 20 years of experience across community, personal finance, and asset development. Prior to joining Aspen FSP as the Director of its Expanding Prosperity Impact Collaborative (EPIC), Joanna served as Senior Innovation Director at Commonwealth. 

Joanna holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University. She serves on the Board of the CASH Campaign of Maryland and A Wider Circle, and was selected to the 2017-2018 class of Leadership Montgomery.

Explore the Future of Wealth Discussion Series