Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — July 2026

<div class="header alignfull header--article has-background has-tonal-black-background-color"> <div class="header__layout"> <div class="header__content"> <div class="header__metadata"><div class="header__metas"><div class="header__meta header__meta--taxonomy header__meta--tax-category"> Blog Posts</div></div></div> <h1 class="header__title">Archives</h1> <div class="header__metadata"><div class="header__metas"><div class="favorite-block"> <button class="favorite" data-id="281507" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" /></svg></button></div> <div class="header__meta header__meta--date"> July 31, 2026</div> <div class="header__meta header__meta--taxonomy header__meta--tax-program_tax"> Economic Opportunities Program</div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull is-style-contour-lines is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)"> <p class="has-medium-variant wp-block-paragraph">The Aspen Institute <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/">Economic Opportunities Program</a> (EOP) advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.</p> <p class="has-medium-variant wp-block-paragraph">We are pleased to present a selection of our work from the past month. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">If a colleague shared this newsletter with you, consider <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/connect/">subscribing to our mailing list</a> or <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/connect/">connecting on social media</a>. To learn more about our work, visit <a href="http://aspeninstitute.org/eop">aspeninstitute.org/eop</a>.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-publications" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">Publications</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li class=""><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/from-crisis-to-continuity-optimizing-cdfi-capital-and-partnerships-for-natural-disaster-response/">From Crisis to Continuity: Optimizing CDFI Capital and Partnerships for Natural Disaster Response</a> by Joyce Klein, Business Ownership Initiative</li> </ul> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/publications/">Click here</a> to view more publications.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-commentary" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">Commentary</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li class=""><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/what-will-we-make-of-it/">What Will We Make of It? </a>by Chris Huyck Trout, UpSkill America</li> <li class=""><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/people-at-the-center-how-we-think-about-designing-systems-change-for-impact/">People at the Center &#8211; How We Think About Designing Systems Change for Impact</a> by Chelsea Miller, UpSkill America&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/blog-posts/">Click here</a> to view more commentary.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-videos" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">Videos</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://air.org/event/unlocking-scale-how-smarter-place-based-strategies-can-future-proof-youth-opportunity">Unlocking Scale: How Smarter Place-Based Strategies Can Future-Proof Youth Opportunity</a>, featuring UpSkill America Director of Research Annelies Goger in conversation with Samia Amin (AIR), Cory Trimm (Nava PBC), Tamara Johnson (Per Scholas), Rachel Korberg (Intermediary Ed), and moderator Stephanie Veck (AIR). Hosted on June 25 by UpSkill America in partnership with the American Institutes for Research.&nbsp;</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/videos/">Click here</a> to view more videos. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AspenEOP">Click here</a> to subscribe.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-in-the-news" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">In the News</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.kiiitv.com/article/news/local/new-tamu-cc-corpus-christi-medical-center-program-pays-nursing-students-clinical-training/503-4580704d-1f4a-45cc-9f33-e5ed3d8fb8ef">New Tamu-Cc, Corpus Christi Medical Center Program Pays Nursing Students During Clinical Training</a>. Writing for KIII, Natalia Osuna spotlights Texas A&amp;M University-Corpus Christi’s paid clinical training model for nursing students. The effort builds on the university’s participation in UpSkill America’s <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/news/trellis-foundation-upskill-america-cohort/">Streamlining Success in Nursing Programs in Texas</a>, developed in collaboration with the Trellis Foundation.&nbsp;</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://jobsthat.work/p/employers-are-looking-for-validation-is-it-easier-to-find-than-we-think?utm_source=jobsthat.work&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=employers-are-looking-for-validation-is-it-easier-to-find-than-we-think&amp;_bhlid=81249b0d8e98d4f6a679f0d86fb097249717e435">Employers are looking for validation. Is it easier to find than we think?</a> In this blog for Jobs that Work, Nick Beadle explores how employers assess job candidates’ skills and what stands in the way of skills-first hiring. Throughout the piece, he draws on findings from UpSkill America’s <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/the-case-for-validated-skills-what-employers-want-and-need/">The Case for Validated Skills: What Employers Want and Need</a> to examine what employers say they need to build confidence in workers’ skills.&nbsp;</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-newsletters" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">Newsletters</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li class=""><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/resource-roundup-the-american-dream-at-250-and-the-future-of-labor/">Resource Roundup: The American Dream at 250 and the Future of Labor</a> by Maxwell Johnson</li> <li class=""><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/upcoming-events-from-the-economic-opportunities-program-july-2026/">Upcoming Events — July 2026</a></li> <li class=""><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/economic-opportunities-program-monthly-digest-june-2026/">Monthly Digest — June 2026</a></li> </ul> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/newsletters/">Click here</a> to view more newsletters. <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/connect/">Click here</a> to subscribe.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-upcoming-events" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">Upcoming Events</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li class="">August 18 — <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/the-impact-of-foundational-skills-on-workforce-success/">The Impact of Foundational Skills on Workforce Success</a> (free, online).</li> <li class="">August 26 — <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/metrics-that-matter-improving-financial-analysis-of-cdfi-small-business-lenders/">Metrics that Matter: Improving Financial Analysis of CDFI Small Business Lenders</a> (free, online).</li> <li class="">September 9 — <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/disposable-workers-a-book-talk-with-mit-sloan-professor-paul-osterman/">Disposable Workers: A Book Talk with MIT Sloan Professor Paul Osterman</a> (free, online).</li> </ul> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/events/">Click here</a> to view more events.</p> </div> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-wash-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)"> <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant" id="h-about-the-monthly-digest">About the Monthly Digest</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Economic Opportunities Program&#8217;s <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/series/monthly-digest/">Monthly Digest</a> newsletter is a recap of public activities from the past month, including new publications, commentary, videos, podcasts, news clips, and more. <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/connect/">Click here to subscribe.</a></p> </div> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-light-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)"> <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant" id="h-about-the-economic-opportunities-program">About the Economic Opportunities Program</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Aspen Institute <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/">Economic Opportunities Program</a> advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.</p> </div> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)"> <div class="wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-left has-h4-variant" id="h-join-our-mailing-list">Join Our Mailing List</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">To receive occasional emails about our work — including new publications, commentary, events, fellowships, and more — join our mailing list.</p> <div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-00f60e24 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex"> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" 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has-grid-spacing-small"><div class="card-slider__nav"> <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant" id="h-more-from-the-economic-opportunities-program">More from the Economic Opportunities Program</h2> <button type="button" class="card-slider__go card-slider__go--back" aria-label="Previous"> <svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-arrow-left" role="img" focusable="false" height="0" width="0"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-arrow-left"/></svg> </button> <button type="button" class="card-slider__go card-slider__go--forward" aria-label="Next"> <svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-arrow-right" role="img" focusable="false" height="0" width="0"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-arrow-right"/></svg> </button> </div> <div class="card-slider__content"><div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/upcoming-events-from-the-economic-opportunities-program-august-2026/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="773" height="771" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Upcoming-Events.png" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — August 2026" style="object-position: 50% 50%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/upcoming-events-from-the-economic-opportunities-program-august-2026/">Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — August 2026</a></h2><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="282102" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>August 3, 2026</time></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/economic-opportunities-program-monthly-digest-july-2026/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GettyImages-1336123884-1500x1500.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — July 2026" style="object-position: 50% 50%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/economic-opportunities-program-monthly-digest-july-2026/">Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — July 2026</a></h2><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="281507" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>July 31, 2026</time></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/resource-roundup-the-american-dream-at-250-and-the-future-of-labor/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GettyImages-2230459428-1500x1000.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="Resource Roundup: The American Dream at 250 and the Future of Labor" style="object-position: 50% 50%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/resource-roundup-the-american-dream-at-250-and-the-future-of-labor/">Resource Roundup: The American Dream at 250 and the Future of Labor</a></h2><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="280498" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>July 30, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/maxwell-johnson/">Maxwell Johnson</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/ai-decisions-are-workforce-decisions/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GettyImages-503870858-1500x1001.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="AI Decisions are Workforce Decisions" style="object-position:38% 19%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/ai-decisions-are-workforce-decisions/">AI Decisions are Workforce Decisions</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">Back to where we started, AI is not creating one future. It is opening up several. Which one gets created may depend on whether the people closest to the work bring their voice, and name what no one else is naming.</div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="280110" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>July 30, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chris-huyck-trout/">Chris Huyck Trout</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/the-necessity-of-employee-centered-strategies-a-book-talk-with-steve-dawson-and-jerry-rubin/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Event_07.29.2026-BookTalk-1.png" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="The Necessity of Employee-Centered Strategies: A Book Talk with Steve Dawson and Jerry Rubin" style="object-position: 52% 37%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Podcasts</span> <span>Videos</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/the-necessity-of-employee-centered-strategies-a-book-talk-with-steve-dawson-and-jerry-rubin/">The Necessity of Employee-Centered Strategies: A Book Talk with Steve Dawson and Jerry Rubin</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">This is the final event in our Job Quality in Practice series. In this conversation, hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on May 7, 2026, we hear from the Institute’s Job Quality Fellows who are embedding job quality into their work across a range of contexts and strategies — from employee ownership models that give workers a direct financial stake in their company&#8217;s success, to apprenticeship programs that create structured pathways to higher-wage careers, to worker advisory committees that bring employee voice into business decision-making.</div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="280106" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>July 30, 2026</time></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/from-crisis-to-continuity-optimizing-cdfi-capital-and-partnerships-for-natural-disaster-response/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/EOP-BOI-From-Crisis-to-Continuity_website-tile-1.png" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="From Crisis to Continuity: Optimizing CDFI Capital and Partnerships for Natural Disaster Response" style="object-position: 78% 29%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Publications</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/from-crisis-to-continuity-optimizing-cdfi-capital-and-partnerships-for-natural-disaster-response/">From Crisis to Continuity: Optimizing CDFI Capital and Partnerships for Natural Disaster Response</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">Traditional emergency aid through SBA or FEMA takes time, and lower-income communities often face significant approval hurdles. Speed is essential to business survival.</div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="271707" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>July 28, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/joyce-klein/">Joyce Klein</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/people-at-the-center-how-we-think-about-designing-systems-change-for-impact/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GettyImages-2133993642-1500x1000.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="People at the Center – How We Think About Designing Systems Change for Impact" style="object-position:56% 42%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/people-at-the-center-how-we-think-about-designing-systems-change-for-impact/">People at the Center &#8211; How We Think About Designing Systems Change for Impact</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">Putting people at the center of the systems we are building means accepting that career paths are rarely linear. It requires us to build infrastructure that accommodates life transitions, recognizes informal learning, and values a worker&#8217;s agency over their own data. </div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="269588" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>July 21, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chelsea-miller/">Chelsea Miller</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/what-will-we-make-of-it/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1125" height="1500" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2636-1125x1500.jpeg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="What Will We Make of It?" style="object-position: 50% 50%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/what-will-we-make-of-it/">What Will We Make of It?</a></h2><div class="dyn-card__excerpt">We’re not training Fellows to win some abstract corporate game. We’re equipping them with the tools they need to navigate complex systems skillfully and make an impact for the workforce they serve.</div><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="263066" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>July 14, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/chris-huyck-trout/">Chris Huyck Trout</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant" id="h-about-this-post">About This Post</h2> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-people-authors">People/Authors</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-series">Series</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/series/monthly-digest/">Monthly Digest</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-programs">Programs</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/">Economic Opportunities Program</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-tags">Tags</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/tag/cdfi/">CDFI</a></li><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/tag/cdfis/">CDFIs</a></li><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/tag/natural-disasters/">natural disasters</a></li><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/tag/small-business/">small business</a></li><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/tag/small-business-lending/">Small business lending</a></li><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/tag/upskilling/">Upskilling</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-topics">Topics</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/topic/economic-opportunity/">Economic Opportunity</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-impact-areas">Impact Areas</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/impact-area/economic-opportunity/">Economic Opportunity</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant" id="h-content-categories">Content Categories</h3> <div class="post-taxonomies"> <div class="post-taxonomies__layout"> <ul class="post-taxonomy"><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/category/blog-posts/">Blog Posts</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/economic-opportunities-program-monthly-digest-july-2026/">Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — July 2026</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org">Aspen Institute</a>.</p>