Opportunity in America

Opportunity in America, an event series hosted by the Economic Opportunities Program, considers the changing landscape of economic opportunity in the US and implications for individuals, families, and communities across the country.

Opportunity in America, an event series hosted by the Economic Opportunities Program, considers the changing landscape of economic opportunity in the US and implications for individuals, families, and communities across the country.

The series highlights the ways in which issues of race, gender, and place exacerbate our economic divides, and ideas and innovations with potential to address these challenges and broaden access to quality opportunity.

Is America living up to our aspirations to be a real “land of opportunity?” Even as the economy’s expansion continues, mobility is in decline while inequality reaches alarming heights. How should we define opportunity in the era ahead? How can we ensure that everyone has equitable access to it? Opportunity in America explores the changing nature of opportunity, who is and isn’t included, and concrete ideas for expanding access to quality economic opportunities.

Opportunity in America builds on our Working in America events, which examined how the changing nature of work influenced access to opportunity in America, particularly for low- and moderate-income workers, but also broaden the lens to more intentionally include business ownership strategies as a key route to accessing economic opportunity in the US. We hope you will join us as we seek to advance strategies, policies, and ideas to ensure all have a fair shot to pursue their American Dream.

To learn about upcoming events, join our mailing list and follow us on social media.

Videos

Podcasts Videos

Backsliding on Child Protections: The Return of Child Labor in the US

November 19

Podcasts Videos

Banking on Skills: Cara Collective and BMO Bank Partner for Change

BMO Bank partnered with Cara Collective, a comprehensive workforce development nonprofit, to get qualified talent through the door and on the path to economic mobility.

Videos

The Future of Equal Opportunity

A core shared value in American society, one deeply woven into our national narrative, is the belief in equal opportunity — the idea that everyone should have a fair chance to succeed based on their effort, talent, and ambition, regardless of their background.

Videos

Feeling the Heat: Workplace Safety in a Warming World

In this event — hosted by the Economic Opportunities Program on July 30, 2025 — we learn how the warming climate is affecting workers, and what policymakers, businesses, and labor are doing to keep workers safe.

Videos

Working and Homeless in America — A Book Talk with Brian Goldstone

This virtual book talk — hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on April 30, 2025 — features Goldstone in conversation with moderator Maureen Conway, a vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program.

Videos

A New Year’s Resolution to Reject Over Work — A Book Talk with Brigid Schulte

By confronting the glorification of overwork and advancing practical, people-centered policies, “Over Work” offers a roadmap toward a balanced and better life for all.

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

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Blog Posts

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In this edition of the Job Quality Newsletter, we unpack why manufacturing jobs are often seen as desirable yet don’t consistently deliver on that promise, highlight research that shows how efforts to strengthen businesses can also improve the quality of jobs they provide, and consider how government purchasing power can be used to set higher job standards across the sector.

Blog Posts
Podcasts Videos

Backsliding on Child Protections: The Return of Child Labor in the US

November 19

Close-up photo of hands typing on a laptop keyboard
Publications

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Publications

Integrating a Job Quality Practice in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs): A Q&A

This Q&A provides insights and lessons from the work of 11 CDFIs that participated in Shared Success, a job quality demonstration led by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP).