The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program — Events and Interviews

US businesses and workers are currently at a critical crossroads. Millions of baby boomers will soon retire and sell their businesses, transitioning trillions of dollars of wealth in the process. This transition, along with the continued strength and profit growth of large corporations in the US, has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity for millions of workers to share in the profits of their labor and become business owners. Many barriers, however, stand in the way of the US realizing this opportunity, and new policy innovations are needed to address these obstacles.

In this conversation, speakers discuss the barriers and solutions, including proposed legislation, to capitalize on the growing number of business owners selling their businesses to build a future where American workers’ path to prosperity is self-determined. It features special remarks from the Honorable Chris Van Hollen (US Senator for the State of Maryland), the Honorable Dean Phillips (US Representative for the State of Minnesota), and the Honorable Blake Moore (US Representative for the State of Utah), followed by a panel discussion with Regina Carls (Managing Director, ESOP Advisory Group Head, JPMorgan & Chase Co), John Cochrane (Senior Manager of Policy and Programs, US Impact Investing Alliance), Bill Hayes (Founder and Managing Partner, Mosaic Capital Partners), Todd Leverette (Partner, Apis and Heritage), and moderator Jack Moriarty (Founder and Executive Director, Ownership America; Assistant Director for Policy Analysis, Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, Rutgers University). For more information about this event — including video, audio, transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources — visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/owning-the-future-creating-the-next-generation-of-employee-owners/

This discussion was held on June 14, 2023, as part of the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, co-hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. This two-day convening brought together leading policymakers, practitioners, experts, and the media for a robust discussion on how we can grow employee ownership for the shared benefit of American workers and businesses. Learn more: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/employee-ownership-ideas-forum/

Employee ownership empowers workers to have greater freedom over their economic future and provides them with a greater return on their hard work. By giving workers a stake in the business, workers in employee-owned firms become more invested in the business’s success, which in turn helps drive productivity, innovation, and profitability. In this conversation, speakers highlight the benefits of employee ownership and the experiences and important contributions of employee-owned businesses to workers and the US economy.

This discussion features special remarks from the Honorable Ben Cardin (US Senator for the State of Maryland) and the Honorable Chrissy Houlahan (US Representative for the State of Pennsylvania). It begins with opening remarks from Maureen Conway (Vice President, The Aspen Institute; Executive Director, Economic Opportunities Program), Joseph Blasi (J. Robert Beyster Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University; Director, Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing), and Elliot Gerson (Executive Vice President, The Aspen Institute). We conclude with a panel discussion featuring Joseph Blasi, Heather Braimbridge-Cox (President and CEO, Windings, Inc.), Jen Briggs (Founding Partner, GRITT Business Coaching; Member, Colorado Employee Ownership Commission), Alex Brill (Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute), and moderator Zach Warmbrodt (Financial Services Editor, Politico). For more information about this event — including video, audio, transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources — visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/growing-economic-freedom-and-prosperity-the-case-for-employee-ownership/

This discussion was held on June 14, 2023, as part of the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, co-hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. This two-day convening brought together leading policymakers, practitioners, experts, and the media for a robust discussion on how we can grow employee ownership for the shared benefit of American workers and businesses. Learn more: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/employee-ownership-ideas-forum/

How do we break down the divides of race, place and gender and create more equitable access to economic opportunity? How do we invest in under resourced communities? How can we support entrepreneurs of color? How do we include the voices of working people? This clip features Joyce Klein (The Aspen Institute), Gayatri Agnew (Walmart.org), Betsy Biemann (Coastal Enterprises Inc.), Gary Cunningham (Prosperity Now), and Tracy Jan (The Washington Post).

Is America living up to our aspirations to be a real “land of opportunity?” Even as the economy’s now decade-long 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?

This afternoon of discussion with distinguished and diverse panels explores the changing nature of opportunity, who is and isn’t included, and concrete ideas for expanding access to quality economic opportunities.

This event also launches our new conversation series, Opportunity in America, which 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.

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 broadens the lens to more intentionally include business ownership strategies as a key route to accessing economic opportunity in the US. We hope you will continue to join us as we seek to advance strategies, policies, and ideas to ensure all have a fair shot to pursue their American Dream.

What does the national picture look like, how do we measure opportunity, what are the policy ideas, how do they play out in communities? This clip features Maureen Conway (The Aspen Institute), Dan Porterfield (The Aspen Institute), Aparna Mathur (American Enterprise Institute), Paul Osterman (MIT Sloan School of Management), and Michelle De La Isla (Mayor, City of Topeka).

Is America living up to our aspirations to be a real “land of opportunity?” Even as the economy’s now decade-long 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?

This afternoon of discussion with distinguished and diverse panels explores the changing nature of opportunity, who is and isn’t included, and concrete ideas for expanding access to quality economic opportunities.

This event also launches our new conversation series, Opportunity in America, which 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.

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 broadens the lens to more intentionally include business ownership strategies as a key route to accessing economic opportunity in the US. We hope you will continue to join us as we seek to advance strategies, policies, and ideas to ensure all have a fair shot to pursue their American Dream.

Stagnant wages, the rising cost of living expenses, and other factors have led to a shrinking middle class and growing income and wealth inequality in recent decades. Workers in employee-owned businesses, however, have often fared better than their peers on a range of measures related to economic well-being.

In this conversation, speakers discuss the latest research on wealth inequality and the potential of employee ownership to help rebuild the middle class. It features opening remarks from Richard Freeman (Herbert Ascherman Chair in Economics, Harvard University), Doug Kruse (Distinguished Professor, School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University), and Fidan Kurtulus (Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst), followed by a panel discussion with Veronica Ortiz (Business Systems Analyst Manager, Worker-Owner, Web Industries), Stephen Smith (Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Amsted Industries Incorporated), Steve Storkan (Executive Director, Employee Ownership Expansion Network), Tomás Durán (President, Concerned Capital), and moderator Abha Bhattarai (Economics Correspondent, The Washington Post). For more information about this event — including video, audio, transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources — visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/rebuilding-the-middle-class-through-employee-ownership/

This discussion was held on June 15, 2023, as part of the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, co-hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. This two-day convening brought together leading policymakers, practitioners, experts, and the media for a robust discussion on how we can grow employee ownership for the shared benefit of American workers and businesses. Learn more: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/employee-ownership-ideas-forum/