Conference Schedule
9:00 a.m. Welcome + Conference Kick-Off
Kim Janey, President & CEO of EMPath
9:30 a.m. Keynote Opener
Racial & Economic Equity
Darrick Hamilton of The New School and Lee Pelton of The Boston Foundation
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Breakouts
Breakout #1 Closing the Racial Wealth Gap
LesLeigh Ford of The Urban Institute, Juan Bonilla of United Way of Massachusetts Bay, and Sara Chaganti of The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Breakout #2 From our Doors to Yours: A Wealth and Housing Innovation from The Community Builders
Elizabeth González Suárez, Cydni C. Polk Blocker, Stephanie Garrett-Stearns, Theresa Mitchell, and Ish'Maelle Reinhardt all of The Community Builders, Inc.
1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Keynote
Making Housing Affordable for All
MA Housing Secretary Edward Augustus, and Jill Khadduri of Abt Global with Charles Homer of EMPath moderating.
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Breakouts
Breakout #1 Leveraging Housing as a Launchpad for Economic Mobility
Panelists Judy Geyer of Abt Associates, Sandra Reiniger and Jennifer McNabb of Medford Housing Authority, Moriah Garcia Nelson and Luttasha Taylor of COMPASS and Ruthie Liberman of EMPath will discuss various ways that economic mobility is integrated into existing public housing programs. Presenters will share their experiences innovating the delivery of the HUD Family Self-Sufficiency program, matched savings collaborations with local banks, credit repair counseling services, and economic mobility coaching.
Breakout #2 Unpacking the RCT: A Collaborative Look at Research Design and Implementation
This session will cover what a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) looks like, through the lens of four economic mobility programs at different stages of implementation. Charmaine Lujares of EMPath and members of the research team - Jonathan Tebes of The University of Notre Dame, and Laura Ruiz-Gaona of J-PAL North America - will share reflections and learnings from their work together on AMP Up: a program that provides economic coaching to eligible Boston Housing Authority and Cambridge Housing Authority residents. Panelists will motivate the value of rigorous program evaluation, highlight the types of questions research can help answer, and share practical insight into what research implementation looks like, especially for practitioners. Amanda Lee of JPAL will be moderating.
4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. Keynote
Anti-Racism and Creating a More Just World
Ibram X. Kendi, Director of BU Center for Antiracist Research and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley will discuss anti-racism and the necessary steps to create an equitable society with Kim Janey moderating.
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
"It's Basic" Film Screening
The feature-length documentary It’s Basic looks at several pilot programs launched in the US that test the effects of giving everyday people an extra $500 to $1,000 monthly, with no strings attached. Directed by Marc Levin and executive produced by Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) Founder Michael Tubbs, the film explores the power of cash, the importance of dignity, and the ongoing work of providing an income floor through the eyes of guaranteed income recipients who have witnessed firsthand the life-altering effects of financial stability.
Councillor Sumbul Siddiqui of Cambridge City Council will introduce the film before the screening. During her two terms as Mayor of Cambridge, she initiated Cambridge RISE, a guaranteed income pilot that initially provided $500 monthly to 130 single caregivers and then every family under the 250% poverty line for 18 months.
9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Keynote
Intersectional Professionals: Putting Lived Experience to Work
Anthony Barrows from the Center for Behavioral Design & Social Justice will summarize research on how lived experience impacts policy and program design, and then will facilitate a panel of Intersectional Professionals; Charles Lerner, Travis Baird, A.J. Lucky, and Luisa Peña Lyons of Bridge Forward (people with lived experience of the work they do) to share their best practices and perspectives on integrating lived expertise in the workplace.
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Breakouts
Breakout #1 Global Perspective on Economic Mobility and Coaching
Laura Cassio of the European Commission and Janet Heisey of the World Bank Group will present on global perspectives on economic mobility and coaching. Cassio’s work focuses on policy analysis linked to social inclusion and the implementation of anti-poverty schemes and Heisey helps governments and World Bank, UN, and NGO teams to design projects to alleviate poverty in the communities they serve. Nicki Ruiz de Luzuriaga of EMPath will be moderating this session.
Breakout #2 Benefits Cliff? We Can Build a Bridge for That
Keith Barnes of The Martha O'Bryan Center, Ronald G. Marlow of Action for Boston Community Development, Inc., Juan Peña of CrossPurpose, Sarah Easterly of Onondaga County Dept. of Social Services, and Neibert Richards of Episcopal Community Services
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lunch Keynote
Rural Deprivation in an Affluent Nation
Kathryn Edin of Princeton University, Luke Shaefer of the University of Michigan, Timothy Nelson of Princeton University, and Mary Coleman of EMPath
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Panel Discussion
Guaranteed Income, from Pilot to Policy
Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui of Cambridge City Council, Geeta Pradhan of Cambridge Community Foundation, Tina Alu of Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee, and Hannah Thomas of Abt Global will be speaking on this panel discussion with Matthew Aronson of BAY-CASH moderating.
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closing Keynote
What We Deserve
Using family stories and lessons learned from the guaranteed income movement, Aisha Nyandoro of Springboard to Opportunities will share how WE can create an equitable society where everyone has the agency, freedom, and financial resources to thrive.