Economic Opportunity

Modernizing EBT Security Is Long Overdue. Policymakers Can’t Just Mandate It; They Need to Pay for It.

USDA’s proposed rule is an important step toward protecting SNAP users and taxpayers from theft. But federal requirements alone won’t solve a problem that has long been constrained by funding.

October 26, 2026
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Could Sovereign Wealth Funds Improve U.S. Households’ Financial Security?

Sovereign wealth funds are a systemic and potentially scalable solutions to support Americans’ financial security in the face of rising wealth inequality and a declining labor share of income.

October 22, 2026

The State of Scam Prevention 2026: From Momentum to Measurable Impact

With scams costing U.S. households billions, cross-sector action is critical. Join Aspen FSP on December 2 for the first annual State of Scam Prevention to review recent progress and shape actionable priorities for 2027.

Wed Dec 2, 2026, 1:30pm – 3:30pm EST

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.

October 22, 2026

Aspen Institute Announces Pittsburgh as Inaugural Host for Aspen Ideas Encore

New convening will bring the spirit and breadth of the Aspen Ideas Festival to Pittsburgh in September 2027, with critical seed funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and support from business, civic, and nonprofit leaders throughout the region.

October 21, 2026

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.

October 15, 2026

Metrics that Matter: Financial Tools for Evaluating CDFI Mergers and Acquisitions

Join the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program’s Business Ownership Initiative on November 10, 2026 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern for a conversation: “Metrics that Matter: Financial Tools for Evaluating Mergers and Acquisitions”.

Tue Nov 10, 2026, 2:00pm EST

Gouged — A Book Talk with Lindsay Owens

In her new book, “Gouged: The End of a Fair Price–and What That Means for Your Wallet,” Lindsay Owens, president and CEO of Groundwork Collaborative, a leading economic think tank and corporate watchdog, takes us into the corporate boardrooms where these pricing strategies are engineered. Drawing on corporate financial disclosures, earnings call transcripts, patent filings, and original economic analysis across industries from technology to health insurance, Owens traces the rise of a new approach to pricing designed to capture as much as consumers are willing to spend.

Tue Dec 8, 2026, 2:00pm – 3:00pm EST

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

Insights from Focus Groups with Employee Owners

October 14, 2026