Janey joins 19 other leaders across the U.S. who are transforming systems so that all children and families can thrive

Boston, MA – Today, Kim Janey, President & CEO of Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) and former Mayor of Boston, was announced as one of the Aspen Institute’s 2023 Ascend Fellows, a prestigious fellowship that brings together leaders across the U.S. who are transforming systems so that all children and families can thrive.

“I am incredibly honored to be selected for such a highly regarded fellowship that has a long history of spurring meaningful change not only in our communities but also our systems,” said Janey. “I look forward to collaborating with my fellow cohort members and digging in as we work towards a more equitable and just world that ensures all families can prosper.”

Janey joins the Fellowship with 19 other leaders across the country working across systems and sectors. Each Ascend Fellow has a big idea about how to advance the prosperity and well-being of all children and families. Janey will focus on building a roadmap to help families cross the economic divide and climb the economic ladder. Other Fellows will be tackling issues such as advancing equitable health and housing solutions, as well as ensuring access to early education and food security.

In addition to her perspective as leader of EMPath, Janey will also bring a systems-level perspective as the first woman and first Black Mayor of Boston, where one of her proudest accomplishments was her housing agenda which quadrupled down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, provided rental assistance to tenants and made historic investments in housing in the City’s budget. She also brings her own lived experience having faced housing insecurity as a child and receiving life-changing assistance from EMPath, the organization she now leads, as a young mom.

EMPath has a long history of transforming people's lives by helping them move out of poverty and provides other institutions with the tools to systematically do the same. Gearing up to celebrate its 200-year anniversary next year, the organization offers a unique combination of direct services, including leading several housing-based and other economic mobility programs in the Greater Boston area; a global learning network of human services organizations; and research and advocacy for what works in disrupting poverty.

EMPath is best known for its Mobility Mentoring^® model, a research-backed coaching method for helping people in poverty climb the economic ladder. Since its launch nearly 15 years ago, the model has helped families with low incomes to double and even triple their incomes, unlocking opportunities to access stable housing, get advanced degrees and good jobs, save money, and more. Early childhood organizations that are part of EMPath’s global learning network – the Economic Mobility Exchange^TM – have seen success integrating Mobility Mentoring into their programs to effectively build skills and help parents to meaningfully get ahead.

As part of the Fellowship, Janey will gather together in person with the rest of the cohort of leaders four times over the next 18 months for Fellows Forums, which provide the space for leaders to inspire each other, strategize, and refuel. Each Fellows Forum has a distinct focus:

• Forum I: Leadership & Values
• Forum II: Identity, Narrative, & Perspective
• Forum III: Courage & Integrity
• Forum IV: Purpose & Legacy

With Ascend and their cohort, Ascend Fellows will develop an action plan that aligns with their organizational goals and individual leadership journeys to advance the north star of intergenerational economic mobility and well-being for children and families.

For the full list of Ascend Fellows, see here.

###

Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) is a nearly 200-year-old organization that dramatically improves the lives of people living in poverty. Because creating economic opportunity is multifaceted, EMPath's approach is too. EMPath offers a unique combination of direct services; a learning network of human services organizations; and research and advocacy for what works. This “virtuous circle” allows each part of the organization’s work to inform what it knows, does, and shares with others to seed systemic change. To learn more, visit empathways.org.