Keynote: Exponential Strategies for an Inclusive Future of Work
Keynote Speaker: Gary Bolles, chair for the future of work, Singularity University.
Exponential technologies are having a seismic impact on the world of work. What are the key trends that are transforming our traditional model of work? How are industries and jobs becoming “unbundled,” and what are the effects on human work? Why is the traditional model of the organization changing, and what could work look like in next-generation organizations? There are effective strategies we can follow today to ensure that individuals, organizations, communities, and countries can all thrive during this transition. And those same exponential technologies can also be used to transform us as workers, helping us to solve the problems of tomorrow.
Panel: Urban Innovators’ City Case Studies
Moderator:
Cooper Martin, senior executive and director, Center for City Solutions, National League of Cities.
Panelists:
Mayor Peter Buttigieg, City of South Bend.
Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, City of West Sacramento.
Mayor John Cranley, City of Cincinnati.
Santiago Garces, director of innovation and performance, City of Pittsburgh.
Ben Levine, executive director, MetroLab Network.
Automation, augmentation, and AI all offer cities the potential of improving services for citizens and lowering costs, while disrupting the local labor market and tax rolls. How are city leaders preparing for this challenging future through innovation, reskilling, and social policy?
Throughout this panel, Rainwater will facilitate a discussion with various city leaders and innovators, who will share perspectives and insights on the changing face of work within their cities, along with practical policies and programs in the form of case studies. The panelists will also discuss their involvement in the MetroLab Network, which drives partnerships between local governments and universities, and is “poised to help the public sector adapt to rapid technology change.”
Workshop: The Future is Now: Ethical Considerations
Presenter: Christopher Adkins, executive director, Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership.
The pace of change and levels of disruption that will accompany the introduction of AI and accelerating automation will pose very challenging ethical dilemmas for government, business, and nonprofits. What are some of the critical ethical questions we should be preparing to answer?
During this dynamic, interactive workshop, Adkins will introduce an ethical framework for consideration by private, public, and civil society organizations, as well as individuals. Are the AIs being developed today benevolent, hostile, or something else? Who are we designing for? How do we rank-order values and which stakeholders matter most? What does dignity of work look like in the “future”?
Panel: Sustainable and Living Cities: Social Policy Considerations
Moderator:
Molly Martin, director, New America Indianapolis.
Panelists:
Kathleen Christensen, program director, Working Longer Program, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Cooper Martin, senior executive and director, Center for City Solutions, National League of Cities.
Mark Muro, senior fellow and policy director, The Brookings Institution.
Andrew Stettner, senior fellow, The Century Foundation.
What are the social policy considerations that are required to accommodate sustainable and living cities? How do we help city leaders—through collaboration, coalitions, resources, and advocacy—build better communities?
Throughout this panel, Martin will facilitate a discussion with various experts on the trends, research, and various stakeholder efforts to address quality of life issues.
Plenary Talk: Transitioning to the Digital Age
Moderator:
Sharon Block, executive director, Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School.
Plenary Speakers:
David Kusnet, senior writer, Podesta Group.
Lawrence Mishel, distinguished fellow and former president, Economic Policy Institute.
Rick Wartzman, director, KH Moon Center for a Functioning Society, Drucker Institute.
This high-level panel, with expertise in law, economics, management, and journalism, will bring their unique perspectives to a lively conversation about how we should envision and manage the transition to this new digital age.
Panel: Voices of Labor
Moderator:
Marcus Courtney, principal, Courtney Public Affairs.
Panelists:
Sharon Block, executive director, Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School.
Chandra Childers, study director, Institute for Women’s Policy Research.
Maureen Conway, vice president for policy programs, the Aspen Institute.
Stephen Herzenberg, executive director, Keystone Research Center.
Technology will redefine the working day and meaning of work for millions of Americans. How should we prepare for the social upheaval that is already underway and will only intensify in the coming years? What are the likely needs and expectations of working people in the face of such profound change?
Throughout this panel, the Courtney will facilitate a discussion on the economic mobility of lower- and middle-income workers; the real concerns these groups of workers have concerning job displacement and/or augmentation; and current and future strategies that can be deployed to minimize the impact of the future of work on these groups of workers.
Panel: Skilling Up
Moderator:
Brian Wiebe, executive director, Horizon Education Alliance.
Panelists:
Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO, NPower.
Chauncy Lennon, vice president for the future of learning and work, the Lumina Foundation.
Matthew Poland, senior program manager, JFF.
Shayne Spaulding, senior fellow, Income and Benefits Policy Center, Urban Institute.
James Sullivan, co-founder, the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities.
The workforce of the future will look nothing like the workforce of today. New skills, capabilities and mindsets will be required for jobs we cannot yet imagine. How do we prepare for such a world? How are leading institutions with an interest in education preparing for these challenges?
Throughout this panel, Wiebe will facilitate a discussion with various key leaders on how organizations should prepare for, and respond to, tomorrow’s workforce today.
Panel: Private Sector and Investor Case Studies
Moderator:
Dan Peate, founder and managing director, Peate Ventures.
Panelists:
Naguib Attia, vice president, Global University Programs, IBM.
Marcela Escobari, senior fellow, Brookings Institution.
Tracy Graham, founder and managing principal, Graham Allen Partners.
Lorrie Meyer, vice president of talent and organizational development, Cummins Inc.
Stephen Wroblewski, business strategy senior manager, Accenture Strategy.
Janice Zdankus, vice president, Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
The private sector is already leading the way in investing in the use of AI and automated solutions. How are they staging and managing these transitions both within their companies and with their communities and stakeholders? What are the unique ethical, economical, and social roles of the private sector in moving us toward this digital future?
Throughout this panel, Peate will facilitate a discussion with various experts and leaders on what the private sector must do to match technological acceleration and build workers’ capacities.
The Role of Anchor Institutions / Closing Remarks
Speakers:
Ray Offenheiser, director of the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development (NDIGD), and interim director of the McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business.
Scott Appleby, Marilyn Keough Dean, Keough School of Global Affairs.
Universities through the centuries have played very important roles in helping societies negotiate dramatic change. There is an important role for them in both teaching and research in accompanying the digital transition as well. What changes will it require structurally and educationally? Are they prepared for that challenge?
Offenheiser will offer some reflections on the growing importance of anchor institutions—such as universities—to local economies, as well as how the future of work will impact the roles and responsibilities of such institutions.