The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University will co-host the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum on April 9-10, 2024
Policymakers, researchers, employee-owned companies, experts and the media will convene for the 2nd Annual Employee Ownership Ideas Forum on Tuesday, April 9th and Wednesday, April 10th to explore how the U.S. can grow employee share ownership. This year’s forum, “Employee Ownership on the Ground,” will bring innovative employee share ownership initiatives from around the country to DC to highlight how this bipartisan approach to improving jobs, wealth creation, and business performance is helping create more equitable economies in states, cities, and rural communities.
The two-day forum will bring together members of Congress and their staff, government officials, practitioners, media, researchers, think tanks, philanthropy, investors, and the leaders of employee-owned companies to learn about and discuss the latest in policy, research, finance, and practice.
You can view the entire agenda and list of speakers here.
Speakers include:
- The Honorable Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Senator for the State of Maryland
- The Honorable Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator for the State of Vermont
- The Honorable Mike Padden, State Senator, District 4, Washington
- The Honorable Naquetta Ricks, State Representative, District 40, Colorado House of Representatives
- Jonathan Holloway, President, Rutgers University
- Alex Jacquez, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Development and Industrial Strategy, National Economic Council, The White House
- Dan Porterfield, President, Aspen Institute
- Michael Williams, Chief Financial Officer, Black & Veatch
- Maureen Conway, Vice President and Executive Director Economic Opportunities Program, Aspen Institute
- Joseph Blasi, Director, The Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing
- James Bonham, CEO/President, The ESOP Association
- Margot Brandenburg, Senior Program Officer, The Ford Foundation
- David Brown, Director of Policy, Office of the Administrator, US Small Business Administration
- Daniel Goldstein, Chief Executive Officer, Go ESOP LLC, Executive Fellow, Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing
- Lisa Gomez, Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of Labor
- Jeff Guo, Co-Host and Reporter for Planet Money, NPR
- Jim Sorenson, Founder, Sorenson Impact Group
- Corey Rosen, Founder and Senior Staff Member, National Center for Employee Ownership, Faculty Fellow and Member, Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing
- Mary Josephs, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Verit Advisors Contributor, Forbes
- Phil Reeves, Founding Partner, Apis & Heritage Capital Partners
- Chris Griswold, Policy Director, American Compass
- Wilma Liebman, Former National Labor Relations Board Chair Senior Fellow, Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing
- Bob Patricelli, Senior Advisor, InTandem Capital Partners
- Zach Warmbrodt, Financial Services Editor, Politico
- Sarah Keh, Vice President, Inclusive Solutions, Prudential Financial
Find out more and sign up for virtual attendance. To see the agendas and speakers for each day, click here.
Members of the media interested in attending the summit in person, please email Matt Helmer at matt.helmer@aspeninstitute.org. If you are interested in conducting interviews, contact Lizette Olmos Godfrey at lizette.olmosgodfrey@aspeninstitute.org.
The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP) 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. Learn more at as.pn/eop.
SMLR’s Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing conducts empirical research, analyzes policy, and sponsors the leading global fellowship program and academic conferences in the field. The Institute also manages a program to help college professors teach about these subjects (The Curriculum Library for Employee Ownership) and a technical assistance center (The NJ/NY Center for Employee Ownership). The Institute recently launched a Coursera program with short, engaging videos introducing employee ownership and a free, online program, sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to help retiring business owners sell to their employees.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
