Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — August 2026

<div class="header alignfull header--article has-background has-blue-diagonal-gradient-background"> <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="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" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" /></svg></button></div> <div class="header__meta header__meta--date"> August 3, 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> 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 hope you’ll join us at one of our <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/events/">upcoming events</a>, 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.</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>.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h4 id="h-august-18-the-impact-of-foundational-skills-on-workforce-success" class="wp-block-heading">August 18 — The Impact of Foundational Skills on Workforce Success</h4> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Tuesday, August 18, from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT, on Zoom</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Foundational skills — including literacy, math, digital fluency, and English language proficiency — are critical elements for a thriving workforce. Yet, gaps in these essential skills stall&nbsp; employee growth and corporate goals alike.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Join<a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/upskill-america/"> UpSkill America</a> and<a href="https://www.luminafoundation.org/"> Lumina Foundation</a> for an exclusive look into how innovative employers are turning this challenge into an opportunity. Drawing on early insights from our forthcoming national landscape analysis, this conversation will explore the practical impact of foundational skill gaps and highlight the cutting-edge solutions leading companies are deploying to bridge them. <a href="https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/webinar/register/6417857730119/WN_kEOqfZIFRWWL_L_9aXyaYw">Click here to register.</a></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" href="https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/webinar/register/6417857730119/WN_kEOqfZIFRWWL_L_9aXyaYw">RSVP<span class="wp-block-button__effect"></span></a></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-august-26-metrics-that-matter-improving-financial-analysis-of-cdfi-small-business-lenders" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">August 26 — Metrics that Matter: Improving Financial Analysis of CDFI Small Business Lenders</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Wednesday, August 26, from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT, on Zoom</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">CDFI boards, leadership teams, investors, and regulators have long relied on a familiar set of financial metrics to assess organizational performance. While measures such as delinquency, loan loss rates, self-sufficiency, and net asset ratios remain important, they often provide an incomplete picture of how effectively a CDFI small business lender is deploying capital, managing risk, serving its target market, and positioning itself for long-term sustainability. In the present moment, navigating the most effective strategies and solutions is more important than ever.&nbsp;</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This session will explore an emerging framework developed by the Aspen Institute’s Business Ownership Initiative that seeks to move beyond compliance-oriented reporting toward a more integrated view of organizational performance. Participants will examine how decisions related to risk, pricing, capitalization, deployment, and operating costs influence both mission outcomes and financial strength and discuss what metrics may better support real-time decision-making for leadership teams, boards, funders, and investors. <a href="https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/webinar/register/1117857730179/WN_GrvYjublSAyqYhR0vi6Jsg">Click here to register.</a></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" href="https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/webinar/register/1117857730179/WN_GrvYjublSAyqYhR0vi6Jsg">RSVP<span class="wp-block-button__effect"></span></a></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-september-9-disposable-workers-a-book-talk-with-mit-sloan-professor-paul-osterman" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">September 9 — Disposable Workers: A Book Talk with MIT Sloan Professor Paul Osterman</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Wednesday, September 9, from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT, on Zoom</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">For decades, economists and policymakers have debated how to help workers get better jobs. But what if the more fundamental problem is that employers have systematically redesigned work itself to make a third of the workforce expendable? In his forthcoming book, “<a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674300248">Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment</a>,” MIT Sloan Professor Emeritus Paul Osterman examines this idea and what it would take to reverse it.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Osterman documents the rise of contract workers, freelancers, and what he calls “marginal workers” — W-2 employees who are cut off from training, advancement, and any real stake in the organizations they work for. Together, these three groups now make up more than a third of the American workforce. Osterman argues that this trend is neither an accident nor an inevitable byproduct of technological change. It is the result of deliberate choices employers have made about how to structure work and manage labor costs. Osterman traces both the logic behind those choices and their consequences for worker well-being, economic mobility, and the broader social contract.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Join us on Wednesday, September 9, from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom, for a conversation about what drove this transformation, who bears its costs, and what it would take to reverse it.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Our speakers include Osterman and moderator Maureen Conway, a vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Economic Opportunities Program. <a href="https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/webinar/register/2817857730232/WN_hG-S72R0Rhum4hcFmz-Hmg">Click here to register.</a></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/webinar/register/2817857730232/WN_hG-S72R0Rhum4hcFmz-Hmg">RSVP</a></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" href="https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/webinar/register/2817857730232/WN_hG-S72R0Rhum4hcFmz-Hmg">RSVP<span class="wp-block-button__effect"></span></a></div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-external-events-and-speaking-engagements" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">External Events and Speaking Engagements</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">EOP staff are frequently called upon to lend their expertise to a variety of critical conversations and settings. To invite <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/">one of our experts</a> to speak at an event, send us an email at <a href="mailto:eop.program@aspeninstitute.org">eop.program@aspeninstitute.org</a>.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">August 25, McLean VA — <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/event/172986/2026/maximizing-the-value-of-internships-designing-for-impact-and-success">Maximizing the Value of Internships: Designing for Impact and Success</a>, hosted by the Washington Business Journal and Strada Education Foundation. UpSkill America Senior Director <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/haley-glover/">Haley Glover</a> will join panelists from Micron Technology, Inova, and DAVIS Construction to discuss “how organizations across industries are designing programs that strengthen talent pipelines, improve retention, and deliver measurable ROI.”</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h2 id="h-in-case-you-missed-it" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">In Case You Missed It</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">We are pleased to share recordings and resources from these recent events.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">May 19 — <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/when-work-isnt-enough-improving-job-quality-for-alice-households/">When Work Isn’t Enough: Improving Job Quality for ALICE Households</a>, presented in partnership with <a href="https://www.unitedforalice.org/">United for ALICE</a>.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">July 29 — <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/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>.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">June 2-3 — <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/employee-ownership-ideas-forum-2026/">Employee Ownership Ideas Forum 2026: Owning America’s Future</a>, presented in partnership with the <a href="https://smlr.rutgers.edu/faculty-research-engagement/institute-study-employee-ownership-and-profit-sharing">Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing</a>.</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-upcoming-events-newsletter">About the Upcoming Events Newsletter</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Economic Opportunities Program&#8217;s <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/series/upcoming-events/">Upcoming Events</a> newsletter is a snapshot of public events and other opportunities to hear from our staff. <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 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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/upcoming-events/">Upcoming Events</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/events/">events</a></li><li class="post-taxonomy__term"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/tag/upcoming-events/">upcoming events</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/upcoming-events-from-the-economic-opportunities-program-august-2026/">Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — August 2026</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org">Aspen Institute</a>.</p>