The Aspen Institute

On October 17, 2017, the Aspen Financial Security Program hosted a Finance Forward event with St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones and a distinguished panel of experts from multiple sectors who shared their understanding of income volatility and discussed practical, innovative, private, and public solutions in St. Louis and beyond.

FinanceForward is a new multi-city event series produced as part of Aspen EPIC that, for the first time, will bring together U.S mayors, businesses, community advocates, and nonprofit leaders to identify and advance innovative, actionable solutions to income volatility. A growing body of research shows that month-to-month income fluctuates wildly for low-and moderate-wage workers. This unpredictable income significantly impacts the financial lives of these individuals – making it hard for them to meet monthly expenses, save, pay down debt, qualify for a loan, or handle a major unexpected expense.

The financial insecurity that results from income volatility can take a devastating toll on familiesand their communities, with painful impacts that span everything from credit and health care access to education, housing, and public utilities.

The series aims to start a national dialogue that will shine a light on income volatility across a geographically and industrially diverse range of U.S. cities, with a goal of identifying innovative, practical solutions that can inspire action in communities across the country.

See below for a list of speakers and panelists, as well as photos from the event.

Speakers:

• Tishaura O. Jones, Treasurer, City of St. Louis, @Tishaura
• Clint Key, Research Officer, Pew Charitable Trusts, @clintkey
• Stephen Roll, Research Assistant Professor, Washington University in St. Louis, @BrownSchool
• Joanna Smith-Ramani, Program Director, Aspen Institute Expanding Prosperity Impact Collaborative (EPIC), @Aspen_FSP

Panelists:

• Pier Yvette Alsup, Chief Community Engagement and Social Responsibility Officer, Anheuser-Busch Employee’s Credit Union, @AnheuserBusch
• Jotaka L. Eaddy, Vice President of Policy, Strategic Engagement & Impact, LendUp, @JotakaEaddy
• Galen Gondolfi, Chief Communications Officer, Justine PETERSE, @justinepetersen
• Ida Rademacher, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Financial Security Program (FSP), @IdaRademacher

Guests tweeted snippets of the conversation from our Finance Forward event in St. Louis using #FinanceForward. Check out some of the tweets below.