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A Hidden Workforce: Prison Labor, Human Rights, and the Legacy of Slavery (Video)
Videos

A Hidden Workforce: Prison Labor, Human Rights, and the Legacy of Slavery (Video)

In this webinar, we explore the history and conditions of work for incarcerated people and ideas for creating more humane and dignified work for those behind bars.

Seizing the Moment on Worker Rights: A Toolkit for Organizers and Practitioners
Videos

Seizing the Moment on Worker Rights: A Toolkit for Organizers and Practitioners

Workshop’s “Toolkit: An Organizer’s Guide to Executive Action” authored by Executive Director Mary Beth Maxwell, demystifies and democratizes the policy-making process by sharing lessons learned during her time in federal government.

Tapping into Worker Voice to Improve Job Quality:  Lessons from the Talent Pipeline Management Network
Videos

Tapping into Worker Voice to Improve Job Quality: Lessons from the Talent Pipeline Management Network

In this webinar, which took place on July 24, 2024, we hear from members of the Talent Pipeline Management, (TPM) network about how they have tapped into worker voice and worked with employers to drive job quality improvements.

The Workers Behind Our Groceries: A Book Talk with Benjamin Lorr (video)
Videos

The Workers Behind Our Groceries: A Book Talk with Benjamin Lorr (video)

People in the US spend more than 10% of their disposable income on food each year. About a trillion dollars of this spending goes toward purchasing food to eat at home, much of it spent at grocery stores and supermarkets.

Can the Future of Democracy Be Found Through Work?
Videos

Can the Future of Democracy Be Found Through Work?

Panel discussion at Aspen Ideas 2024. Renewed efforts to expand participation, representation and shared decision-making at work may offer a framework to rebuild faith in democracy.

The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy — A Book Talk with Natalie Foster
Videos

The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy — A Book Talk with Natalie Foster

In her first book, “The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy,” Natalie Foster asks us to imagine a new economic framework that casts aside the failures of the trickle-down approach to embrace one that builds economic security and well-being from the bottom up.

The Evolving Landscape of Organized Labor
Videos

The Evolving Landscape of Organized Labor

Employee Ownership, Strategic Sectors  and Supply Chain Resilience
Videos

Employee Ownership, Strategic Sectors and Supply Chain Resilience

Hear business leaders of employee-owned companies in manufacturing and other critical sectors talk about their work and how employee ownership strengthens it.

Bernie Sanders Talks Employee Ownership at the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum
Videos

Bernie Sanders Talks Employee Ownership at the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum

US Senator Bernie Sanders shares the reasoning behind his support for employee ownership and the steps Congress is taking to expand ownership opportunities.

Innovations in State Employee Ownership Policy
Videos

Innovations in State Employee Ownership Policy

States around the country are increasingly recognizing the benefits of employee ownership in creating and retaining good jobs and successful businesses in their communities. And in response, they are developing new legislation and policies to support the growth of employee ownership within their states by offering additional tax incentives, financial support, and other assistance and resources.

Opening Remarks — Dan Porterfield and Maureen Conway
Videos

Opening Remarks — Dan Porterfield and Maureen Conway

Aspen Institute President and CEO Dan Porterfield and Vice President Maureen Conway provide opening remarks at the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum.

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