Attendees will have the choice of over 20 dynamic breakout sessions featuring local case studies, national thought leaders, and opportunities to earn continuing education credits.

Across the country, households are struggling with the same challenge: the cost of living isn’t sustainable. Research from the Urban Institute shows that nearly half of people in American families don’t have the resources to cover essential expenses to live securely in their community. As a result, these residents struggle to pay their bills or save for the future, limiting their opportunities for economic mobility.

Although rising prices dominate affordability conversations, family incomes, earnings, and wealth play equally important roles. In recent years, incomes have not consistently grown as fast as costs, meaning the affordability of everyday life has waned. But this is not just a private sector problem. Innovative local leaders are rising to this challenge and leveraging their unique authorities to address these concerns. In this session, attendees will hear from staff in three cities who are working to improve affordability for residents through fair workweek laws, supplemental tax credits, and access to children’s savings accounts.

Speakers:

  • Madeline Brown, Senior Policy Associate, Research to Action Lab, Interim Project Director, Housing Crisis Research Collaborative

  • Sasha Abby VanDerzee, Program Director, Boston Saves

Rural U.S. communities are at an inflection point, & for local leaders working to create communities where everyone can prosper, child care is no longer just a family issue. It is economic infrastructure. New climate investments, expanding outdoor economies, & emerging manufacturing hubs are bringing fresh opportunity to places long marked by disinvestment. Yet deep gaps in child care threaten to limit who can access that prosperity. In New York’s North Country, an unlikely coalition of child care advocates, economic development corporations, & local businesses is forging a regional model that treats child care as a cornerstone of community development — through shared services, targeted grantmaking, & cross-sector advocacy. Practitioners will share replicable frameworks, lessons, & partnership models that leaders, funders, & private sector partners can adapt for their own communities.

Speakers:

  • Raahi Reddy, Principal, Estolano Advisors

  • Kate Ryan, Director, Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance, Adirondack Community Foundation

  • Jim Siplon, Executive Director, Warren County Economic Development Corporation

  • Anna Bowers, Council member, Town of Johnsburg

  • Liza Ochsendorf, Director, Warren County Workforce Development

The benefits of tech-based economic development (TBED), such as higher-paying jobs, higher GDP, and economic growth across an entire region, are well-established. Yet the benefits of TBED do not always extend to all communities and populations in a region. And although cultivating new TBED opportunities is challenging, partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs), local and regional governments, educational institutions, workforce development entities and other groups has far reaching benefits for the broader region. So how can TBED practitioners, community and economic leaders in a community do both? This session will share insights from research on community and regional engagement efforts by 2 NSF Regional Innovation Engines, the role of local and regional governments in TBED, and share best practices that help advance broad-based outcomes in the community.

Speakers:

  • Swati Ghosh, Vice President, Insights and Innovations, New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN)

Inspired by a recent Global Exchange tour between U.S. and Ireland local leaders, this session will explore EMO challenges and interventions from an international perspective. We’ll first examine the underlying social, economic and structural factors that contribute to concentrated disadvantage in Limerick, Ireland, resulting in persistent pockets of high unemployment. Then, drawing on current data, local insights, and programme outcomes, we’ll explore efforts to dismantle barriers faced by individuals in accessing sustainable employment.

The session outlines the role state agencies can play through targeted interventions, including community-based employment initiatives, education and training supports, and cross-agency collaboration aligned with regeneration and social inclusion objectives. Fiona will focus on the successful local programmes and partnership approaches that have demonstrated measurable impact in improving employability, progression routes, and long-term economic participation. Attendees will leave with an increased understanding of the economic mobility landscape in Ireland and how their lessons addressing local challenges can be transferred and scaled across borders and cultural contexts.

Speakers:

  • Fiona McCormack, Senior Executive Officer, Regeneration & Sports Policy, Regeneration, Community, Sport & Rural Development Directorate, Limerick City and County Council

Counties are on the front lines of the housing affordability crisis, balancing rising demand, constrained supply, and evolving federal and state policy landscapes. This session will highlight how counties are moving from policy intent to actual housing production—using zoning reform, financing tools, intergovernmental partnerships and administrative innovation.

Drawing on NACo’s Housing guides, this session will provide actionable strategies for local government leaders to increase housing supply while navigating fiscal, political and regulatory constraints. Panelists will share real-world examples and lessons learned, with a focus on scalable approaches that can be adapted across jurisdictions. Key takeaways will include:

  • How counties can directly influence housing supply

  • Practical implementation strategies drawn from NACo’s Housing guides

  • Understanding the evolving federal and state policy environment

  • Replicable county-level case studies and lessons learned

Speakers:

  • Patrick Spence, Program Manager, National Association of Counties (NACo)

Communities across the country invest millions of dollars in workforce development, housing, education, transportation, health, and social services intended to improve economic mobility. Many residents, however, continue to struggle because these efforts often operate in isolation, creating fragmented experiences and leaving critical gaps along the path to economic opportunity.

This session explores how communities can move beyond disconnected programs and toward comprehensive economic mobility ecosystems designed around the real needs of residents and the identified gaps in services from a City-wide perspective. Through two complementary case studies, Eastern Kentucky and Nashua, New Hampshire, participants will learn how communities are assessing existing systems, identifying barriers, aligning partners, and building coordinated strategies that support individuals on their journey from economic instability to long-term prosperity.

Nashua will share how a city-wide audit of economic mobility programs and service organizations revealed service gaps, duplication, and systemic barriers, leading to the development of a strategic roadmap for the City’s Economic Development team to create a more cohesive mobility ecosystem. Eastern Kentucky will demonstrate how the EKY Runway Program, launched through the federal Recompete Challenge Grant, is operationalizing a whole-person approach from a human perspective that integrates workforce development and wraparound assistance through coordinated systems design.

Together, these examples illustrate how communities can transition from isolated interventions to collaborative, data-informed systems that create lasting pathways to economic mobility. Attendees will gain practical tools for assessing their own local mobility ecosystems, identifying opportunities for cross-sector collaboration, and designing strategies that place residents, not programs, at the center of economic mobility efforts.

Speakers:

  • Liz Hannum, Economic Development Director, City of Nashua

  • Abimana Ngira, Economic Mobility Program Specialist, City of Nashua

  • Will Warren, ERC Fellow, IEDC

Economic mobility work requires bringing together stakeholders across sectors, issue areas, and perspectives — no small feat. How do data-driven approaches make that possible? This panel features leaders from place-based coalitions that have achieved measurable advancements in economic mobility in recent years, including places like Des Moines, Iowa; Rochester, NY; among others. Moderated by Camber Collective, panelists will share how shared research and evidence — including tools like the 28 Mobility Experiences framework — helped break down silos, align diverse partners, and focus collective action. Attendees will leave with practical lessons for using data to build common ground and drive cross-sector collaboration.

Speakers:

  • Joseph Zhang, Director of Equity and Impact, Camber Collective

  • Ella Geismar, Associate, Camber Collective

As federal responsibilities shift to state and local governments, local leaders face competing challenges of rising demand for services, state preemption, and shrinking flexible funding. Fortunately, local leaders don’t need to reinvent the wheel: existing tools, frameworks, and case studies can help leaders make budgeting, contracting, and grantmaking decisions that generate real results for residents. Facilitated by Results for America, this interactive panel will feature local leaders who have successfully integrated research and evidence into their budgeting, contracting, and grantmaking processes, prioritizing program and policy solutions that have been shown to make a difference through rigorous research. Participants will explore how their peers are driving measurable progress and will leave equipped with practical tools and frameworks to bring results-based decision making to life in their own communities.

Speakers:

  • Laura Larsen, Vice President, Local Practice, Results for America

Local governments and their partners need practical strategies to protect economic mobility in neighborhoods facing rising housing costs, climate risk, investor pressure, and intergenerational wealth loss. One overlooked barrier is fragile homeownership continuity, especially when families live in inherited homes without clear title. This session shares a practitioner-focused model from Jacksonville, Florida, showing how local government, nonprofits, legal aid, universities, philanthropy, and civic technology partners can work together to identify ownership instability early and intervene before families lose homes or neighborhoods lose long-term residents. Attendees will leave with a practical framework to connect housing preservation, estate planning, legal stabilization, resident outreach, and responsible data use in ways that strengthen affordability, resilience, and long-term wealth building.

Speakers:

  • Kristopher Smith, National Heirs Practice Lead, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Community Research and Impact

  • Robin Pfalzgraf, Executive Director, Jacksonville Community Land Trust

Homeownership is central to building household wealth, family economic wellbeing, and community stability. In Maine, rising costs and limited supply are placing homeownership increasingly out of reach, constraining families’ ability to enter the market and increasing displacement risks for existing homeowners. Municipal policy is a critical lever shaping housing opportunity. Prioritizing “housing health”—access to safe, local, and attainable housing—can reduce economic volatility for families, support workforce retention, and strengthen communities. The Housing Ready Certification Framework, developed through stakeholder engagement in Midcoast Maine, provides a best-practices approach for municipalities to expand housing supply, preserve existing housing assets, and advance inclusive policies. Supported by technical assistance, the program aligns local priorities with regional goals to strengthen housing systems that enable shared wealth-building and long-term stability.

Speakers:

  • Alexis Mann, Director of Housing Policy, The Midcoast Council of Governments

  • Misty Parker, Director of Economic Development, City of Bath

In a rapidly changing economy, local decision-makers are working to expand opportunity for residents and respond to evolving community needs. This session will highlight how communities are putting practical approaches into place to support upward mobility by focusing on the example of Richmond, Virginia.

Cross-sector leaders from Richmond, including the city’s Chief Administrative Officer, Odie Donald II, will share how they are working to better understand the barriers people face and what it takes to help more residents build stable, thriving lives. The session will overview the tools of the Upward Mobility Initiative and how Richmond have applied them, then share lessons for other community leaders looking to build partnerships and use evidence and community voice to advance upward mobility.

Participants will leave with insights and tools to inform their own mobility work.

Speakers:

  • Keith Fudge, Director of Policy Management, Research to Action Lab, Urban Institute

  • Odie Donald II, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Richmond

Presenters will share strategies and best practices for securing funding from federal, state, and philanthropic sources to advance economic mobility priorities, including insights from coaching dozens of local governments over the past two years during a highly dynamic funding environment. The session will provide tips and strategies on project design and partnerships, researching grant opportunities that align with your goals, building funder relationships, and writing winning proposals. Special attention will be given to the federal earmark process and how to package your program to win Congressional support.

Speakers:

  • Matt Ward, Co-Founder and CEO of Sustainable Strategies DC

  • Heather Iliff, Principal & Director of Economic Mobility, Sustainable Strategies DC

As data center development expands rapidly across the country, many local governments are attempting to balance development with the needs of their communities. This session will explore how local governments can aim to align data center development with broader economic inclusion goals, while working to create growth in the digital economy that translates into opportunities for residents. Participants will gain insight into how communities are working to leverage data center investments to bolster job creation and create opportunities for increasing distributed energy resources. The session will highlight potential strategies for developing community benefit agreements, workforce development partnerships, and targeted hiring initiatives that connect underrepresented populations to these emerging opportunities. Additionally, speakers will discuss how they aim to use local policies, such as zoning codes and infrastructure planning, to balance community needs while managing data center projects.

Speakers:

  • Celena Green,  Economic Recovery Corps Fellow, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission

  • Debra Perry, Program Director, Clean Energy, ICMA

  • Sarah Yeager, Senior Program Manager, Clean Energy, ICMA

As energy prices rise across the country, local governments face increasing pressure to provide opportunities for residents to reduce their energy burden. This session will establish a foundational understanding of energy burden and the data that is available to local governments as they work to quantify energy burden in their community. This session will examine how joint energy purchasing and infrastructure investments, via initiatives such as community solar, community choice aggregation, or community led Solarize campaigns, can be powerful tools to assist residents and reduce energy burden. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how joint purchasing agreements work, including governance structures, procurement models, and risk considerations. Through real-world examples, the session will highlight how local governments have leveraged energy programs to reduce residential energy burden and provide greater economic mobility opportunities. Participants will also learn how joint energy purchasing can strengthen regional collaboration and help achieve sustainability and energy goals while promoting economic mobility. This session will include information on ICMA Energy Ready technical assistance programs which can help local governments implement these solutions.

Speakers:

  • Debra Perry, Program Director, Clean Energy, ICMA

  • Sarah Yeager, Senior Program Manager, Clean Energy, ICMA

Economic mobility does not follow jurisdictional boundaries. Residents live in one county, work in another, and rely on services across the region. Yet historically, solutions have been designed and funded locally, resulting in fragmented systems that limit impact.

In this interactive session, attendees will learn how GARE and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) attempted to tackle this problem by convening a group of eight local governments across the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) region. Attendees will also hear from local leaders in participating communities on how they built shared learning, co-created strategies, and united around a shared vision to move the needle for residents on a regional level.

For those looking to replicate this work in their region, GARE will present their new Regional Levers for Economic Mobility Tool, which draws lessons from the GARE-COG cohort to translate equity principles into actionable, replicable systems change and provides practical steps to help attendees shift policies, align resources, and drive measurable community-level impact.

Speakers:

  • Janine Christiano, Director of Strategic Partnerships, GARE

  • Emily Linn, Project Manager for Financial Empowerment & Community Initiatives, City of Gaithersburg

  • Shakira Louimarre, Race and Social Equity Officer, City of Hyattsville

  • Hazel Monae, REDI Program Manager, City of Gaithersburg

In a time of economic uncertainty for residents and cities, local leaders must be prepared to meet the growing and varied needs of their residents. Nationwide, more local governments are embracing Community Resilience Centers (CRCs) as a new place-based, multi-service platform to support residents’ most critical and immediate challenges. From workforce development to basic needs and more, CRCs present new opportunities for cities of all sizes to holistically strengthen the economic resilience of their residents. By improving economic resilience for all residents, cities are better prepared to meet economic uncertainties. During this session, participants will learn more about NLC’s Building Economic Resilience in Communities (BERC) program, and local government leaders will share their perspectives on the CRC model, its challenges and solutions, and how local leaders can emulate this model in their communities.

Speakers:

  • Justin Chu, Program Manager, Economic Opportunity and Financial Empowerment, National League of Cities (NLC)

New Mexico is pioneering an economic mobility approach that reframes the Direct Care Workforce (DCW) as essential economic infrastructure. Through a statewide initiative, New Mexico aligned agencies, providers, and community partners to build standardized competencies, strengthen training pathways, and elevate job quality across home- and community‑based services. These changes are improving worker earnings, creating clearer career ladders, and stabilizing a workforce critical to rural and urban communities alike. The case study highlights how investments in DCW generate broader economic benefits—enabling family caregivers to reenter the workforce, supporting local job growth, and strengthening community economic resilience. Participants will learn how a people-centered care economy can drive opportunity, mobility, and regional development.

Speakers:

  • Nicole Howell, Director, Direct Care Workforce Development, National Council on Aging

This session introduces the Austin Levers of Economic Mobility Index (LEMI), a place‑based, people‑centered tool that provides a neighborhood‑level view of the conditions that shape residents’ ability to thrive. Rather than focusing on symptoms or individual outcomes, the LEMI highlights underlying conditions rooted in long‑term policy and investment decisions. Participants will learn how the index was developed, what it measures, and how it can be used to support intentional and informed decision‑making. The session will demonstrate how the LEMI helps identify compounding barriers, prioritize investments, target resources, and strengthen cross‑sector collaboration. Attendees will leave with practical examples of how the tool can guide actions that improve opportunity and mobility.

Speakers:

  • Genesis Gavino, Chief of Staff, City of Austin

  • Lindsey Wilson, Director of Austin Equity and Inclusion, City of Austin

Across communities, economic mobility efforts are often slowed by fragmented language and misaligned strategies. What if the biggest barrier isn’t resources, but misalignment? In Wichita, Kansas, cross-sector partners are building a shared framework and common language grounded in the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Framework. This session explores how aligning definitions across workforce, education, housing, and community systems is driving coordinated action across a 10-county region. Participants will gain practical tools, real-world examples, and facilitation strategies to move from fragmented efforts to shared impact and implement this approach in their own communities.

Speakers:

  • Ricki Ellison, Vice President of Talent, Workforce and Community Engagement, Greater Wichita Partnership

  • Tami Bradley, Senior Strategic Advisor for Talent Roadmap and Workforce Development, Greater Wichita Partnership

  • Joseph Shepard, District 1 Council Member, City of Wichita