Karen Anderson
Managing Director, Social Finance Institute
Karen Anderson is the Managing Director of the Social Finance Institute, a field-building platform launched in 2023 within Social Finance to advance outcomes-based approaches to social and economic mobility. She previously helped lead the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago, supporting more than 150 economists in translating research into impact. Anderson has held senior roles across government, think tanks, academia, and the private sector. She served as Senior Advisor to Results for America and Executive Director of Results for All, a global initiative focused on strengthening government effectiveness. Earlier, she was Managing Director of The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution, an economic policy initiative she helped launch in 2006. A veteran of two White Houses, Anderson was Chief of Staff at the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama and a Regional Coordinator in the Clinton Administration. She also served as Vice President of State and Local Government Relations at Citigroup. She holds an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in Economics from Agnes Scott College.
Kate Bahn
Chief Economist & Senior Vice President of Research, Institute for Women’s Policy Research
Kate Bahn is the Chief Economist and Senior Vice President at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). Prior to joining IWPR, Bahn served as the director of research of WorkRise, a research-to-action network hosted by the Urban Institute, and as a chief economist and the director of labor market policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. She was also an economist at the Center for American Progress and served as the executive vice president and secretary for the International Association for Feminist Economics. Her research areas include gender, race, and ethnicity in the labor market; care work; and monopsonistic labor markets. Bahn has testified before Congress, and her commentary has been featured on Bloomberg, Marketplace, NPR, MSNBC, AP News, and other media outlets. She received her BA from Hampshire College and her PhD in economics from the New School for Social Research.
Tom Barkin
President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Tom Barkin is the President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. He has held this position since 2018. Tom serves on the Fed’s chief monetary policy body, the Federal Open Market Committee, and is also responsible for the Richmond Fed’s bank supervision and the Federal Reserve’s technology organization. He is “on the ground” continually in the Fed’s Fifth District, which covers South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, D.C., West Virginia and Maryland. His engagement in the region has brought real attention to areas facing economic challenges. Prior to joining the Richmond Fed, Barkin was a senior partner and CFO at McKinsey & Company, a worldwide management consulting firm, where he also oversaw McKinsey’s offices in the southern United States. Tom earned his bachelor’s, MBA and law degrees from Harvard University.
Jeremy Bernard-Sasges
Analyst, Achieve Partners
Jeremy Bernard-Sasges is an Analyst at Achieve Partners where he invests in and supports portfolio company strategy across specialized services and education technology verticals. Prior to joining Achieve, Bernard-Sasges worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company in their digital practice. His work spanned technology modernization, digital growth strategies, and risk management across consumer/retail, business services, real estate, and banking clients. He graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and cum laude from Georgetown University with a BSBA in Finance.
Michael Bettersworth
Senior Vice Chancellor, Texas State Technical College
Michael Bettersworth is the Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Marketing Officer at Texas State Technical College. Bettersworth has worked at TSTC for more than two decades, starting as the Director of Technology Development in 2001. He is also the Founder of SkillsEngine, a nonprofit initiative that aligns industry, education, and individuals through advanced skills analytics. Bettersworth has both a MA and a BA from Baylor University. The former he earned in 2001 for Communication Studies, and the latter for Telecommunication in 1997. Bettersworth served as a Steering Committee Member for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a Rework America Alliance member, and an Outcomes-Based Funding Coalition Member of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Xavier de Souza Briggs
Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro
Xavier (Xav) de Souza Briggs is a senior fellow at Brookings Metro. He is also a senior advisor and co-founder of What Works Plus, a collaborative of philanthropic donors promoting equity and resilience through America’s generational investments in infrastructure and climate action, and senior advisor to Freedman Consulting, LLC, a mission-driven consulting firm focused on public-interest projects, including What Works Plus. An award-winning educator and researcher, he is also an experienced leader in philanthropy and government. Known for his wide range of interests and track record of building and reshaping fields, Briggs is an expert on economic opportunity and inclusive growth, racial equity and pluralism, housing, urban and regional development, and democratic governance in the U.S. and abroad. Briggs has testified before Congress on several of these topics. An elected member of the National Academy of Public Administration, he holds an engineering degree from Stanford University, an MPA from Harvard, and a PhD in sociology and education from Columbia University and was a visiting graduate fellow at the Federal University of Bahia in Brazil.
Kristen Broady
Director of the Economic Mobility Project, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Kristen Broady is a senior economist, economic advisor, and director of the Economic Mobility Project at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Broady is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where prior to joining the Chicago Fed, she served as a fellow, performing research and analysis on areas including the impact of automation on the labor market, the racial wealth gap, returns to higher education investment, and the disparate economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Broady is an adjunct professor of economics at Spelman College and has served on the faculties of higher education institutions including the University of Chicago, Dillard University, and Howard University, and as a visiting faculty member at Jiangsu Normal University in Xuzhou, China. She served as a consultant for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; a senior research fellow for the Center for Global Policy Solutions; a consultant for the City of East Point, Georgia; and as an HBCU consultant for season two of The Quad on Black Entertainment Television (BET). Broady earned a BA in criminal justice at Alcorn State University and an MBA and PhD in business administration with a major in economics at Jackson State University.
Claire Casey
President, AARP Foundation
As president of AARP Foundation, Claire Casey guides the strategic direction of the nation’s leading organization committed to reducing poverty for and with older adults. In 2024, the Foundation worked with 1.1 million older adults with low income, who earned more than $1 billion in income, benefits and tax refunds, and it fought for their rights all the way to the Supreme Court. Under her leadership, the Foundation is investing in technology and research to advance effective, scalable solutions to create economic opportunity for older adults, and it’s embracing volunteerism to drive social change. Casey joined the Foundation from the Economist Group, where she led their global public policy consulting business. She has more than two decades experience leading organizations through transformation and growth. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
John Colborn
Executive Director, Apprenticeships for America
John Col
born is the Executive Director of Apprenticeships for America, a membership and advocacy organization working to expand apprenticeship in the United States. He has served as an employer sponsor and developer of apprenticeship programs in information technology, manufacturing, healthcare, and social services. Colborn has amassed over 30 years of experience with community-based and national nonprofits, including serving as an education, workforce, and human services practitioner, Director of the Aspen Institute Skills for America’s Future program, Vice President Operations at the Ford Foundation, and program manager at the Philadelphia-based Reinvestment Fund. Colborn holds a BA from Oberlin College and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Tara Colton
Chief Economic Security Officer, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
Tara Colton is Chief Economic Security Officer at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA). In this role, she leads initiatives to create a stronger, fairer New Jersey, where all residents can build economic security and well-being. Since joining the NJEDA in 2020, Colton has spearheaded the design and expansion of the New Jersey Pay it Forward Program, which blends over $24 million in public and private funds in an outcomes-based financing model designed to address critical workforce shortages by removing financial barriers to high-quality training programs. Colton also oversees over $300 million in EDA’s growing portfolio of programs to alleviate food insecurity and eliminate food deserts and more than $140 million in grants to strengthen New Jersey’s vital child care sector. Colton has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the public and nonprofit sectors, focused on developing and implementing innovative programs and services for workers, families, students, and businesses. Prior to joining the NJEDA, Colton was Executive Director of Seedco, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing economic opportunity for people, businesses and communities in need. She has held leadership positions in the New York City Mayor’s Office and NYC Department of Education, and at the nonprofits FEGS Health & Human Services and the Center for an Urban Future. Colton received a BA in Government from Wesleyan University and a MPA from Baruch College’s School of Public and International Affairs.
Julianne Dunn
Senior Program Officer, Rural LISC
Julianne Dunn is the Senior Program Officer on the Workforce + Financial Prosperity team at Rural LISC. Her portfolio includes Financial Opportunity Centers, small business, and rural Safety & Justice programs. Since joining Rural LISC she has also managed the Rural Works program, a workforce development initiative that leverages the momentum of rural communities to reimagine and redevelop the workforce ecosystems that impact their communities. Dunn has a BA in political science from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, an MPH from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Public Health, and an MPP from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. She currently lives in Kansas City, Kansas.
Jake Edwards
Vice President of Impact Investments, Social Finance
Jake Edwards is a Vice President, Impact Investments at Social Finance, where he leads a portfolio of economic mobility initiatives that use innovative financing models to increase access to effective programs, shift risk away from learners, and pair high-quality training with critical wrap-around supports. His work includes oversight of the Google Career Certificate Fund and several Pay It Forward Funds. Since joining the organization in February 2014, he has worked with the advisory services and impact investment teams to test and implement projects across multiple jurisdictions and issue areas, from child welfare to housing and homelessness. Prior to joining Social Finance, Edwards was a policy analyst with the Massachusetts House Committee on Ways and Means. Edwards graduated cum laude from Middlebury College, with a dual major in Economics and History.
Kirstin Hill
President and COO, Social Finance
Kirstin Hill is President and COO of Social Finance, where she leads day-to-day operations and oversees the organization’s impact investing and advisory work. She brings 25 years of experience from Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, most recently serving as COO of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. There, she led growth strategy, digital transformation, and client service for over one million clients and $3 trillion in assets, delivering record satisfaction and over $16B in revenue. Her leadership helped drive innovation through AI, mobile platforms, and digital onboarding. Hill previously led the Personal Retirement Solutions business and held roles in global markets across New York, London, Hong Kong, and Australia. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, she championed efforts to support diverse talent and better serve women and underrepresented investors. Hill is a Harvard College graduate and lives in Boston with her husband and two daughters.
Shanika Hope
Director for Americas & Knowledge, Skills, and Learning, Google.org
Shan
ika Hope is the Director for Americas & Knowledge, Skills, and Learning for Google.org. In this capacity, she oversees a global philanthropic portfolio exceeding $200 million annually, focused on deploying technology and AI-enabled learning solutions to foster economic opportunity and social mobility for millions worldwide. Recognized by Essence Magazine as “The Great Equalizer” for her impactful work in broadening STEM access, Hope is a passionate advocate for pathways in computing. With nearly three decades of education experience, including roles as an educator, principal, district superintendent, and education product leader, Hope possesses a profound understanding of educational systems, instructional design, and emerging edtech. Her career spans from K-12 education to Fortune 500 companies, including Amazon, McGraw Hill, and Discovery Education. Possessing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Education Leadership, Hope’s scholarly interests extend to rigorous philanthropic evaluation and the application of frameworks like Social Return on Investment (SROI) to ensure measurable, systemic change. Her work underscores a commitment to fostering a new generation of tech innovators through scalable solutions and strategic partnerships that drive impactful and sustainable social good.
Larry Katz
Elisabeth Allison Professor of Economics, Harvard University
Lawrence F. Katz is the Elisabeth Allison Professor of Economics at Harvard University and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His work focuses on labor economics and social policy. He co-authored The Race between Education and Technology with Claudia Goldin, exploring U.S. economic inequality and the interplay between education and technological change. Katz leads the long-term evaluation of the Moving to Opportunity program, a major study on neighborhood effects on low-income families. His research spans wage inequality, education, globalization, immigration, unemployment, and the social impacts of the birth control pill. He has served as editor of the Quarterly Journal of Economics since 1991 and was Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor (1993–94). Katz is President of the American Economic Association and a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. He earned his PhD from MIT and his BA from UC Berkeley.
Sarah Miller
Principal Adviser on Community & Economic Development, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Sarah Miller serves as a director and principal adviser for Community and Economic Development and co-leads the Atlanta Fed’s Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity. Her work focuses on research and community engagement on worker experiences in the labor market and their perspectives on employment stability and mobility. She has over 15 years of experience in workforce development, economic development, and education. Previously, she spent 10 years at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, a national nonprofit where she helped develop and grow workforce and economic development area of service. Through her current and prior roles, she has conducted research and provided direct technical assistance on education alignment to business needs, occupational and career pathways, and workforce strategies supporting long-term economic mobility and resilience for a community and the workers and learners within it. Miller started her career focused on K–12 education as a high school social science teacher before moving into the private and nonprofit sectors. She earned her BS in education from Bowling Green State University.
Amelia Nickerson
CEO, First Step Staffing
Amelia Nickerson joined First Step Staffing in January 2018 and was appointed as CEO in May 2020. Nickerson has more than fifteen years of experience as a fundraiser, volunteer, and board member for nonprofits across the Southeast. She previously served as the Vice President of Development and Community Relations at First Step, managing fundraising and community relations for all of First Step’s current markets, as well as assisting with recent expansion opportunities. Nickerson serves on the Worksource Fulton Board and is Chair of Strategic Partnerships Committee. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta Exchange for Workforce Development and Partners for HOME. She is a member of YPO, and she and her daughter are members of the National Charity League. Originally from Savannah, Nickerson currently lives in Roswell, GA with her husband, Sean, and three children.
Eduardo Porter
Columnist and Editorial Board Member, The Washington Post
Eduardo Porter is a journalist at The Washington Post, following a year as a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion and nearly 20 years at The New York Times, where he served on the editorial board and wrote the Economic Scene column. He began his journalism career in 1991 with Notimex in Mexico City, later reporting from Tokyo and London, and editing América Economía in Brazil. In 2000, he joined The Wall Street Journal to cover the Hispanic population in Los Angeles. Porter holds a degree in physics from UNAM in Mexico City and a master’s in quantum fields and fundamental forces from Imperial College London. He is the author of American Poison, examining racial hostility in America, and The Price of Everything, exploring the economics behind human behavior. Born in Phoenix and raised in the U.S., Mexico, and Belgium, he now lives in Brooklyn.
Ashley Putnam
Director of the Economic Growth & Mobility Project, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Ashley Putnam is the director of the Economic Growth & Mobility Project (EGMP), a strategic initiative of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia dedicated to promoting equal access to economic opportunity. EGMP is a multilevel effort to bring about entrepreneurial solutions to achieve inclusive economic growth and create pathways out of poverty in communities across the Third District and the nation. Before joining the Bank, Putnam served as the economic development adviser for the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development in New York City, where she facilitated the coordination between economic and workforce development. In previous roles, Putnam founded and directed a fellowship program connecting young people to policy research and service on issues of urban poverty. She also served at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, America Works of New York, and the Women’s City Club of New York. Putnam has a MPA from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and a BA from Barnard College.
Cecilia Elena Rouse
President, The Brookings Institution
Cecilia Elena Rouse is president of the Brookings Institution and a renowned labor economist focused on the economics of education. From 2021 to 2023, she served as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, becoming the first Black American to hold the role in its 75-year history. She previously served in the White House under Presidents Obama and Clinton. Rouse is on leave from Princeton University, where she has been a faculty member since 1992 and served as dean of the School of Public and International Affairs. She is the Katzman-Ernst Professor in Economics and Education and the founding director of the Princeton Education Research Section. Rouse is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. She has served on numerous editorial boards and nonprofit boards, including the Council on Foreign Relations and MDRC. Rouse earned her AB and PhD in economics from Harvard University.
David Socolow
Head of Policy, Social Finance Institute
David J. Socolow is Head of Policy at the Social Finance Institute, where he leads initiatives in collaboration with policymakers, researchers, and peer learning communities to build knowledge about outcomes-based policies and practices that expand social and economic mobility. Before joining in 2024, he spent over 30 years in government and the private sector championing education and workforce success. He most recently led New Jersey’s Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, where he created the state’s tuition-free college program and expanded career pathways and financing options for jobseekers. David previously served as New Jersey’s Labor Commissioner, as the state’s Unemployment Insurance Director, and in senior roles on Capitol Hill and at the U.S. Department of Labor, Pinnacle Foods, Inc., and CLASP. He holds a BA from Harvard College and an MPA from Rutgers University.
Margaret Spellings
President and CEO, Bipartisan Policy Center
A nationally recognized leader in public policy, Margaret Spellings serves as President and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center. Spellings most recently served as President and CEO of Texas 2036, a bipartisan think tank. Her extensive leadership experience in state and federal government includes service as U.S. Secretary of Education, White House Chief Domestic Policy Advisor, Senior Policy Advisor to then-Governor George W. Bush, President of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and President of the 17-institution University of North Carolina System.
Randall Stamper
Associate Vice Chancellor for Career Education and Workforce Programs, Virginia Community College System
Randy Stamper is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Grants and Workforce Programs at the Virginia Community College System. He oversees strategic planning and administration for initiatives including Perkins funding, noncredit workforce training, and economic development. He played a key role in launching FastForwardVA, transforming workforce development across Virginia. Over the past decade, Stamper has helped secure over $80 million in funding to support training and career coaching for underserved and low-skilled adults. He serves on numerous state and national boards, including the Governor’s Career Pathways Work Group and the National Skills Coalition’s leadership council. Stamper began his career at The Literacy Institute at VCU and later led Virginia’s adult education programs at the Department of Education, where he developed the award-winning PluggedInVA program. He holds degrees in English literature from Ball State University and Virginia Commonwealth University and lives in Richmond with his wife, Caroline, and their two dogs, Satchel and Harper.
Jeannie Virden
Chief People Officer, Central Health
Jeannie Virden currently serves as the Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer for Central Health, which includes CommUnityCare Health Centers and Sendero Health Plans. Her mission-driven approach to Human Resources focuses on designing and executing talent acquisition, management, development, and total rewards strategies that authentically reflect the organization’s culture and values. Dedicated to the people who drive organizational success, she strives to elevate the team member experience and advance workforce excellence. Before assuming her current role, Virden served as the Vice President of Human Resources at CommUnityCare Health Centers, Central Health’s network of primary care clinics. She brings over fifteen years of healthcare specific experience and holds a Master of Science in Human Resources Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Her professional affiliations include membership in the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), and Association for Advancing Physician & Provider Recruitment (AAPPR). Additionally, she holds certifications as a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and a Certified Physician/Provider Recruitment Professional (CPRP).