Economic Opportunities Program

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity.

We collaborate with national and local leaders across the United States – nonprofit leaders, policymakers, labor leaders, business leaders, educators, academics, and more – and we actively seek input and ideas from individuals and communities affected by proposed approaches to address economic opportunity challenges. Through our leadership and fellowship programs; applied research and evaluation; data and analysis; and dialogue with diverse stakeholders, we work at both local and national levels to build understanding and galvanize action to address the challenge of economic opportunity in America.

Events

Economic Opportunity
Economic Opportunity

Employee Ownership Ideas Forum 2026

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Blog Posts

Blog Posts Of Interest

National Job Quality Practitioner Survey

If your org is improving #JobQuality, add your voice to this survey from The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program.

Blog Posts

Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — October & November 2025

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.

Blog Posts

Announcing the Job Quality Fellowship Class of 2025-26

The Fellows are leaders from differing lines of work who are working to expand the availability of quality jobs in the US South.

Blog Posts

Will the Return of Manufacturing Mean the Return of Good Jobs?  

When commentators and policymakers talk about economic opportunity, they often point to the manufacturing sector as an area of promise — one where workers without four-year degrees can enjoy stable, middle-class jobs with good benefits and a secure retirement. At

Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — September 2025

We are pleased to present a selection of our work from the past month.

Blog Posts

Worker Power & Agency

No matter how the technology evolves, workers will have a seat at the table in its development and deployment. 

Blog Posts
Blog Posts

Building Better Jobs: How Small Businesses Can Lead the Way to Economic Opportunity

Through Shared Success, participating businesses demonstrated that improvements in job quality and overall benefits are both possible and effective.

Publications

Publications

Employer-Friendly Practices: Bridging Higher Ed Practices and Employer Realities

This paper is the first in a series. It elevates the specific issues that employers indicate are key enablers or inhibitors in their relationships and partnerships with colleges and universities.

Publications

Building Bridges: Lessons from the ECCP Initiative

This brief highlights the key behaviors and strategies for successful partnerships between community colleges and employers.

Publications

Investing in People Is an Investment in the Business: Talent Development Leads to Strong Business Outcomes

This case study shares Marlin Steel’s story over the past decade and illustrates a compelling model for how intentional investment in talent fosters competitive businesses and personal growth.

Publications

Bridging Small Business Support & Employment Law Compliance: A Toolkit for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)

This toolkit provides practical insights that community development financial institutions (CDFIs) can use to expand their impact and support small business job quality and growth.

Publications

Creating Good Jobs Module (one pager)

Publications

Developing your Employee Handbook

Videos

Videos

Banking on Skills: Cara Collective and BMO Bank Partner for Change

BMO Bank partnered with Cara Collective, a comprehensive workforce development nonprofit, to get qualified talent through the door and on the path to economic mobility.

Videos

The Future of Equal Opportunity

A core shared value in American society, one deeply woven into our national narrative, is the belief in equal opportunity — the idea that everyone should have a fair chance to succeed based on their effort, talent, and ambition, regardless of their background.

Videos

Feeling the Heat: Workplace Safety in a Warming World

In this event — hosted by the Economic Opportunities Program on July 30, 2025 — we learn how the warming climate is affecting workers, and what policymakers, businesses, and labor are doing to keep workers safe.

Videos

Fixing Work: Recent Lessons from the Field

This webinar, which EOP hosted on July 22, 2025, offers fresh insights, practical lessons, and inspiration to advance job quality in your own work. It features opening remarks from the Aspen Institute’s Matt Helmer, followed by a panel discussion.

Podcasts Videos

Advising Small Businesses on Job Quality: Lessons From CDFIS

This webinar, which EOP hosted on June 26, 2025, features highlights from the guide, as well as insights from CDFI leaders about their approaches to building job quality advising into their work. It features opening remarks from the Aspen Institute’s Maureen Conway and Bryn Morgan, followed by a panel discussion with Amanda Blondeau (Northern Initiatives), Cynthia Murphy (Coastal Enterprises, Inc.), and Delphine Ntegeye (African Development Center).

Videos

Announcing Our New Upskilling Playbook

UpSkill America’s new Upskilling Playbook is a strategic guide for organizations to build, scale, and integrate skills-based workforce development initiatives that drive business performance and career growth.

Our team


Maureen Conway

Vice President; Executive Director

Matt Helmer

Director of Job Quality and Worker Well-Being

Joyce Klein

Senior Director

Haley Glover

Senior Director

Colleen Cunningham

Director of Grants Management and Publications

Merrit Stüven

Associate Director

Chelsea Miller

Associate Director

Tony Mastria

Associate Director of Communications

Natalie Foster

Senior Fellow

Louis Caditz-Peck

Senior Fellow

Dee Wallace

Senior Fellow

Leila Brown

Senior Project Manager

Bryn Morgan

Senior Research Associate

Amanda Fins

Senior Research Associate

Frances Almodovar

Communications Associate

Nora Heffernan

Digital Communications Associate

Maxwell Johnson

Research Associate

Maya Smith

Research Associate

Chris Huyck Trout

Senior Advisor and Consultant

Sinin Young

Grants Management Associate

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