The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity.

We collaborate with national and local leaders across the United States – nonprofit leaders, policymakers, labor leaders, business leaders, educators, academics, and more – and we actively seek input and ideas from individuals and communities affected by proposed approaches to address economic opportunity challenges. Through our leadership and fellowship programs; applied research and evaluation; data and analysis; and dialogue with diverse stakeholders, we work at both local and national levels to build understanding and galvanize action to address the challenge of economic opportunity in America.

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Bridges to Success: Promising Strategies for Microenterprise Growth in the United States
Publications

Bridges to Success: Promising Strategies for Microenterprise Growth in the United States

This literature review summarizes what is known about the factors that influence business growth (both those that constrain and support it) and identifies successful strategies to support growth. Included is an extensive bibliography, useful to those who want to conduct further research.

Opening Opportunities, Building Ownership: Fulfilling the Promise of Microenterprise in the United States
Publications

Opening Opportunities, Building Ownership: Fulfilling the Promise of Microenterprise in the United States

Opening Opportunities, Building Ownership: Fulfilling the Promise of Microenterprise in the United States – an in-depth evaluation of the US microenterprise field at the 20 year mark in its history.

Opening Opportunities, Building Ownership: Fulfilling the Promise of Microenterprise in the US
Publications

Opening Opportunities, Building Ownership: Fulfilling the Promise of Microenterprise in the US

This publication takes a comprehensive look at the now 20-year-old microenterprise field — its accomplishments, weaknesses and future potential.

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Publications

Building Communications Capacity: Sector Programs Share Their Experiences

This edition of Update examines the experiences of six sectoral employment development programs as they tackled specific communications challenges and attempted to build their overall communications capacity.

Enhancing Economic Opportunity through Entrepreneurship
Publications

Enhancing Economic Opportunity through Entrepreneurship

The Ms. Foundation established CFWED in 1991 to support organizations helping low-income women start and grow microenterprise, community-based, and cooperative businesses.

Enhancing Employment Opportunities for Women: 2003 findings from the third round of the Collaborative Fund for Women’s Economic Development
Publications

Enhancing Employment Opportunities for Women: 2003 findings from the third round of the Collaborative Fund for Women’s Economic Development

Between 2001 and 2004, the Ms. Foundation provided funding and technical support to eight women-run organizations across the country that manage social purpose businesses to create jobs and promote women’s economic empowerment.

Enhancing Opportunities for Entrepreneurship
Publications

Enhancing Opportunities for Entrepreneurship

Between 2001 and 2004, the Ms. Foundation for Women, through the Collaborative Fund for Women’s Economic Development (CFWED), provided funding and technical support to nine organizations across the country that help low-income women to start and expand microenterprises.

Enhancing Employment for Low-Income Women: Lessons learned from the third round of the Collaborative Fund for Women’s Economic Development
Publications

Enhancing Employment for Low-Income Women: Lessons learned from the third round of the Collaborative Fund for Women’s Economic Development

This report provides insight into the employment outcomes and business performance of nine firms.

FIELD Forum Issue 15 – Microenterprises in the US Informal Economy: Summary Research Findings
Publications

FIELD Forum Issue 15 – Microenterprises in the US Informal Economy: Summary Research Findings

Microentrepreneurs are a strong and natural presence in this economy. Invisible to many because of their size, they are also invisible to the tax collector, municipal authorities and state regulatory bodies.

Providing Capital, Building Communities, Creating Impact: FY2002 
Publications

Providing Capital, Building Communities, Creating Impact: FY2002 

This report, a product of the CDFI Data Project (CDP), presents fiscal year 2002 data collected from 442 CDFIs.

Evaluation of the Sectoral Employment Demonstration Program
Publications

Evaluation of the Sectoral Employment Demonstration Program

This report, a collaborative effort between the Urban Institute and WSI, documents the range of projects undertaken and the outcomes achieved by the 38 Workforce Investment Boards (WIBS) participating in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Sectoral Employment Development Demonstration project.

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Publications

Building Effective Employer Relations

This publication details some of the important lessons learned from the strong relationships that have developed over time between 10 sector projects and their employer partners.

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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More from the Economic Opportunities Program

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings
Publications

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

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Podcasts Videos

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

This conversation is part of our Opportunity in America series, where we take a look at the economy, what’s working, what’s broken, and really how we fix it to make sure that everyone can succeed in today’s economy.

Resource Roundup: Wages and Affordability
Blog Posts
Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis
Publications

Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes
Podcasts Videos

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes

Economic security shouldn’t be a lottery. Yet for millions of working families, stagnant wages and precarious jobs collide with the daily grind of managing money on shaky ground — leaving stability feeling less like a plan and more like a gamble. Fixing that takes more than one lever. It takes structural reform and the tools people need to take control of their financial lives, working together.

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers
Publications

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

Insights from Focus Groups with Employee Owners