Economic Opportunities Program Upcoming Events — January & February 2026

Happy New Year! (Is it too late to say that?) The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

We hope you’ll join us at one of our upcoming events, which you can learn about below. Everyone who registers will receive a link to the recording, so please sign up even if you can’t participate live.

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January 21 — Beyond 9 to 5: Facilitating Good Jobs for People with Unpredictable Schedules

Wednesday, January 21, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom

Since the mid-1900s, the nine-to-five work schedule has been viewed as the standard. But for millions of workers, this schedule doesn’t work. Factors like parenting, caregiving, health challenges, educational commitments, and existing employment preclude many people from being predictably and consistently available for certain jobs. As a result, they often end up in poor-quality roles with low wages, including on app-based platforms that have often been heralded for providing this flexibility. It’s time to ensure that workers in these situations don’t have to make this sacrifice. Join us on Thursday, December 4, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom to learn more. Click here to register.

February 19 — Building New Narratives on Work and Opportunity in the US South

Thursday, February 19, from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom

Narratives about work in the American South have often centered on attracting business through lower labor costs, restrictions on unionization, and deregulation. The Southern economic development model, as this approach has come to be known, promised broad growth and prosperity. That prosperity has not materialized for most. Many workers and communities in the South have been left behind, with some regions experiencing poverty rates well above the national average.

Narratives shape public perception, policy, and practice. They can also be challenged and changed. Across the South today, workers, business owners, and communities are advancing a new vision, reframing what opportunity and good work look like and who gets to share in economic success.

Join us for the first of four conversations with members of the Aspen Institute’s Job Quality Fellowship who are working in the South. We’ll examine narrative challenges around work and opportunity, highlight strategies for change, and explore how to amplify approaches rooted in worker dignity, quality jobs, and community wealth-building. Click here to register.

External Events and Speaking Engagements

EOP staff are frequently called upon to lend their expertise to a variety of critical conversations and settings. To invite one of our experts to speak at an event, please send us an email at [email protected].

January 27, Noblesville, Indiana — Indiana Work-Based Learning Conference, hosted by the Indiana Chamber. UpSkill America Senior Director Haley Glover will lead an educational session called, “Built for Impact: Creating Business Value Through Work-Based Learning.”
February 17-18, online — Century Summit, hosted by the Stanford Center on Longevity. UpSkill America Associate Director Chelsea Miller will speak about lifelong learning.
March 4, Baltimore — Small Firm Diaries, USA Early Findings Event. Small Firm Diaries, USA is a two-year study, led by the Financial Access Initiative at NYU Wagner and EA Consultants, to understand the financial lives of businesses in low-income neighborhoods, with a focus on marginalized entrepreneurs. Economic Opportunities Program Executive Director Maureen Conway will speak about the jobs dimension of this work.