AGENDA – Thursday, May 20
2:00 – 3:00 pm Opening Plenary Panel
3:00 – 3:15 pm Break and Visit with Sponsors and Exhibitors
3:15 – 3:45 pm Structured Networking -
"Chose Your Topic" or "Meet and Greet"
3:45 – 4:00 pm Break and Visit with Sponsors and Exhibitors
4:00 – 5:00 pm Concurrent Sessions
Opening Plenary: Championing Work and the Workforce: Philanthropy's Role in Shaping a Better Future
Panelists discussed the future of work in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic recovery, and the continued fight for social justice.
Panelists:
Maria Flynn
President and CEO
Jobs for the Future (JFF)
Maria Flynn is president and CEO of JFF, a national nonprofit that drives transformation in the American workforce and education systems. Maria’s commitment to JFF’s vision of economic advancement for all and her leadership in workforce policy have made her a national authority on the future of work, the role of technology in the labor market, career pathways for underserved individuals, and employer engagement.
Sarita Gupta
Director, Future of Work(ers) Program
Ford Foundation
Sarita Gupta leads the team that oversees Ford’s efforts to actively shape a future of work that puts workers and their well-being at the center. A nationally recognized expert on the economic, labor, and political issues affecting working people, Sarita has over 20 years of experience working to expand people’s ability to come together to improve their workplaces, their communities, and their lives by creating solutions to the problems they face.
Kathy Krepcio , Executive Director and Senior Researcher
John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Kathy Krepcio, Executive Director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, is responsible for the day-to-day operations, research, and administrative activities of the Center. During her over 30-year career in higher education, government, and the nonprofit sector, she worked in New Jersey state government for 18 years serving as chief of staff of the state’s Office of Information Technology and as director for policy and planning for the Department of Human Services.
Moderator:
Danielle Goonan
Managing Director, Economic Policy, U.S. Equity and Economic Opportunity Initiative
The Rockefeller Foundation
For a decade, Danielle Goonan's work has focused on increasing pathways to opportunity for all Americans, improving the systems that serve them, and getting resources to communities that need them most. Currently, Danielle is a member of The Rockefeller Foundation's Equity and Economic Opportunity team, overseeing investments that promote economic policies that benefit working people in the United States.
DAY 2 CONCURRENT SESSIONS
The Biden-Harris Administration’s Plans for the Future of Work
Attendees learned about how the Biden-Harris Administration is preparing for the future of work, and heard recommendations from speakers on how philanthropy can advocate for a more equitable economic recovery. Speakers discussed federal policy priorities and opportunities for alignment with the social sector to support New Jersey workers.
Presenters:
Jane Cohen, Executive Director, Governor's Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy
Dr. Merodie A. Hancock, President, Thomas Edison State University
Andre Oliver, Initiative Director, The James Irvine Foundation
Moderator: Monique Baptiste, Vice President, Workforce Strategies, Global Philanthropy, JP Morgan Chase & Co.
The Case for Guaranteed Income: Building Economic Security
As the pandemic continues with mass unemployment, many are rethinking how guaranteed income programs can help ensure basic needs are met and address growing income inequality. Speakers discussed the challenges and early successes of these programs, and how it could benefit employees, entrepreneurs, business, and all those who are undervalued, underpaid, and underrepresented in our workforce.
Presenters:
Rachel Black, Associate Director, Financial Security Program, Aspen Institute
Hawwa Muhammad, Project Manager, Guaranteed Income Pilot, City of Newark
Stephen Nuñez, Lead Researcher on Guaranteed Income, Jain Family Institute
Sukhi Samra, Director, Mayors for Guaranteed Income; Director, Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration
Moderator: Irene Cooper-Basch, Co-Executive Officer & Secretary of the Board, Victoria Foundation
Philanthropy’s Role in Building Worker Power
Activists and sector leaders explained how philanthropy and nonprofit partners can support more effective workforce programs and stronger worker protections, while addressing underlying power imbalances. To achieve equitable economic growth, we must center worker power and community voice.
Presenters:
Dr. Janice Fine, Professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations, School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University; Research and Strategy Director, Center for Innovation in Worker Organization
Adrian Haro, CEO, The Workers Lab
Diana Mejia, co-founder, Wind of the Spirit
Moderator: Manisha Vaze, Director, Funders for a Just Economy, Neighborhood Funders Group
