What’s Next for Economic Mobility in NYC?

The Center for an Urban Future's first annual NYC Economic Opportunity Summit focused on generating concrete ideas—policies and strategies that city and state officials can implement to expand economic mobility in New York City. The event featured two solutions-focused panels: one on opportunities to strengthen and expand NYC-based economic opportunity programs that are succeeding but at a small scale, and another discussing successful economic mobility programs from other cities and states that have potential for replication in New York.

New York City has a long history of elevating countless people from lower-income backgrounds into the ranks of the middle class. This event explored specific steps that city and state policymakers should take to revive and realize the promise of economic mobility in New York.

Speakers included:
Sheena Wright, NYC First Deputy Mayor
Barbara Chang, Strategic Workforce Consultant; former Executive Director, CareerWise New York
Linda Gibbs, Principal for Social Services, Bloomberg Associates; former NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services
Danielle Goonan, Managing Director, U.S. Equity and Economic Opportunity Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation
Melanie Hartzog, President and CEO, The New York Foundling; former NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services
Kirstin Hill, President and COO, Social Finance
Matthew Klein, Chief Program & Impact Officer, Robin Hood; former Executive Director, Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity
John Martinez, Vice President, Evidence to Practice, MDRC
Lisette Nieves, President, Fund for the City of New York
Vincent Quan, Co-Executive Director, J-PAL North America
Scott Thomas, Co-Founder, Arbor Rising
Hope Wollensack, Founder and Executive Director, The Georgia Resilience & Opportunity Fund

The Center for an Urban Future (CUF) is a leading think tank focused on building a stronger and more equitable economy in New York City, and expanding economic opportunity for all New Yorkers. This event was made possible thanks to general operating support we receive from The Clark Foundation, the Altman Foundation, and several other philanthropic funders.