Wednesday, October 19, 2022
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Registration, Check-In, and Opening Lunch
Welcome to the Disrupting Poverty Conference! Enjoy our opening lunch and get to other attendees with
lightly structured networking.
12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Welcome to Disrupting Poverty Conference, 2022: What Works!
Opening Kickoff from EMPath CEO Kim Janey
Logistics and a conference overview will be shared with all guests.
1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. What works: Lessons From a Historic Decline in Child Poverty
Presented by Dana Thomson and Renee Ryberg from Child Trends, Moderated by Ashley Winning of EMPath
Dana Thomson and Renee Ryberg will share lessons learned from their examination of the economic, demographic, and policy factors underlying the historic 59 percent decline in child poverty from 1993 to 2019. They will discuss whether the decline was experienced equally by children in immigrant and non-immigrant families, across children of different races and ethnicities, and for children with different family structures; and whether the social safety net was equally effective in reducing poverty across these subgroups of children. They will close with recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to continue making progress in reducing child poverty while addressing persistent disparities in who experiences child poverty.
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Social Capital and Economic Mobility
Presented by Raj Chetty of Opportunity Insights, in conversation with Dolores Acevedo Garcia of Brandeis University
Famed economist and innovator Raj Chetty shares his recent work and research findings on social capital and economic mobility.
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. New Innovations in Workforce Development
Presented by Tim Probst and Jennifer James, Moderated by Ron Marlow
In this conversation, Ron Marlow, ABCD's Director of Workforce Development and Alternative Education moderates a conversation on how we can build upon the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to make systems that promote economic mobility. Marlow will be joined by Tim Probst, Co-chair of Washington State’s Poverty Reduction Workgroup and Grants Director at Washington State Employment Security Department, and Jennifer James, Massachusetts Undersecretary of Workforce Development to hear about their successes and innovations in this area.
Thursday, October 20, 2022
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Conference Breakfast and Welcome
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Promoting Economic Mobility in Early Childhood
A Fireside Chat with Jack Shonkoff of the Harvard Center on the Developing Child and Aaliyah Samuel of CASEL, Moderated by Nicki Ruiz de Luzuriaga of EMPath
The field of early childhood has progressed so much in the past 20 years as we have come to understand the great importance of brain development during this time. Shonkoff and Samuel will discuss new developments in the field, with a focus on the importance of parent economic stability and mobility.
10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. 60-Minute Breakouts
Promoting Economic Mobility of Parents in Early Childhood Systems: Two Gen Approaches
Presented by Marlo Nash of Children’s Home Society of America and Marjorie Sims of Aspen Ascend
Marlo and Marjorie will continue the conversation from the previous session, discussing specific programmatic and systemic changes that can really make a difference in early childhood.
Shifting the Narrative
Presented by Jeremy Barofsky of ideas42, Toneva Munroe of Voices Advocacy Council, and Keetie Roelen - host of “Poverty Unpacked: Discussing the Hidden Sides of Poverty”, Moderated by Greg Kaufmann of End Poverty in California (EPIC)
Panelists will discuss why it is so important to shift negative narratives around poverty, and how to actually make a change.
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Learn
With optional structured small group discussions
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Just Give People Money!
Presented by Joe Jones of Center for Urban Families, Melody Valdes of USES, and Lourdes Alvarez of the City of Chelsea,
This panel will discuss how guaranteed income programs can be created, operate sustainably, and perform well for program recipients.
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 60-Minute Breakouts
Social Determinants of Health
Presented by Michael Curry and Gabe McGauhey
Michael will share some perspective on how community health centers disrupt poverty, and then he and Gabe will have a fireside chat about healthcare systems more broadly.
Disrupting Poverty by Improving Job Quality and Increasing Access to Benefits
Presented by Daniel Schneider of Harvard and Pam Joshi of Brandeis
The moderated fireside chat will cover: 1) What does job quality look like for workers in the lowest-wage sectors (employer benefits, whether wages cover basic needs, unpredictable schedules, gig work, other employer practices) 2) What are the implications of poor job quality for job placement and workforce development activities in human services 3) What are working families' needs for income and other support policies and 4) What employer and policy solutions can help.
3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Exclusive Screening: Raising the Floor
Directed by Sabrina Aviles, Produced by Aviles and Jenny Alexander, Executive Producer James Rutenbeck, conversation moderated by Nicki Ruiz de Luzuriaga
As the global pandemic sent Chelsea, Massachusetts spiraling into chaos, the city became a COVID hot spot, and the governor was forced to call in the National Guard to distribute food boxes throughout the city.
City leaders, overwhelmed by the high costs of feeding a city and humbled by their own lack of expertise to do so efficiently, came together in a desperate moment with a simple but inspired idea: give people money and let them spend it however they see fit. It was the beginning of CHELSEA EATS, the largest basic income pilot in American history: one that gave 2000 individuals and families direct payments of up to $400 a month with no strings attached.
RAISING THE FLOOR is the moving narrative of a majority Latinx community coming together to feed neighbors and strangers during an unprecedented public health crisis. It is the inspiring story of a group of local leaders whose sense of helplessness and concern led to bold policy innovation. The research findings from the Chelsea pilot offer lessons that resonate beyond one Massachusetts city and make a compelling case for reconsidering public policies around poverty and inequality in post-pandemic America.
Friday, October 21, 2022
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Conference Breakfast
9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Neighborhoods, Housing, and Economic Mobility
Presented by Solomon Greene of HUD
Solomon will discuss the challenges of unequal access to opportunities and how, through evidence-based and community-driven housing and urban development policies, we can strengthen communities and ensure that every neighborhood is a launch pad for upward economic mobility.
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 60-Minute Breakouts
What Works. Using Housing as a Platform for Economic Mobility
Presented by Kate Bennett of Boston Housing Authority, Emilio Dorcely of Urban Edge, and James Anderson of Fannie Mae
Bennett, Dorcely, and Anderson will discuss the promises and pitfalls of using housing as a platform for economic mobility, as well as innovative partnerships, programs, or policies in housing that can boost economic mobility, asset building, and more.
A New View on Behavioral Design and Social Policy
Presented by Anthony Barrows of the Center for Behavioral Design and Social Justice at Project Evident
Behavioral Design (AKA applied behavioral science) has been championed as a low-cost, high-value approach to make evidence-based improvements in the public and non-profit sheres, but as its application has spread over the last 20 years, the reviews on its impact are mixed. This session will offer a brief review of where Behavioral Design has succeeded, and where it hasn't lived up to the hype. We will consider the future of Behavioral Design by posing questions such as: Is nudging enough? Does behavioral design have anything to say about systems change? How might behavioral strategies mesh effectively with growing calls for community voice and constituent engagement? We will conclude with a vision for how new approaches to applied behavioral science might lead to different outcomes by focusing on structural change and constituent voice.
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Sustainability and Equity In Human Services
Featuring David Jackson of the Atlanta Federal Reserve; Bridget Quinn of Massachusetts AFL-CIO; Dr. Jackie Martin of the NYC Administration for Children’s Services; and Kim Janey of EMPath
Panelists will discuss issues around equity and sustainability in the human services sector, and discuss actionable steps we can take to decrease inequity and promote economic stability for human services staff.
12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Conference Closing
Presented by Mary Coleman of EMPath
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Conference Networking Lunch