Sustaining Capitalism

Everyone wants the budget problem to just go away. More realistically, everyone wants someone else to pay to solve the budget problem. But we are running out of time to think more seriously. Has insufficient tax revenue contributed to our budget problem? Will we need to increase taxes to slow our runaway budget deficits and public debt? What tax tools are available? How can we increase taxes without harming the economy? We will talk to a tax expert to answer these questions.

In a new episode of Sustaining Capitalism, two experts—Bo Cutter, Senior Fellow and Director, Next American Economy Project at the Roosevelt Institute, and Joe Kasputys, CEO of Economic Ventures—will put the dangers to the economy into perspective, and discuss potential solutions.

Brexit reignited the Scottish nationalist fire. In this podcast, Ilaria Maselli and Elizabeth Crofoot discuss scenarios for Scottish independence from the UK: what steps would be necessary and what it would mean for businesses. They explore 3 scenarios: 1) independence and EU membership, 2) the Divided United Kingdom with further devolution of powers to Edinburgh, and 3) Status quo skirmish.

You can also read our full report at: tcb.org/topics/brexit/scotlands-post-brexit-future

CED's Shareholder Versus Stakeholder Capitalism podcast series consists of compelling conversation with CEOs about whether there is a shift towards stakeholder capitalism underway and the implications of the debate on the CEOs' leadership roles within their companies and in society. The podcast series continues the roundtable discussions launched by The Conference Board for sitting C-suite executives to discuss the practical significance of the shift from a shareholder to stakeholder focus.

In this discussion, CED President Dr. Lori Esposito Murray sits down with Dr. Joel Myers, Founder & CEO of AccuWeather. He is also a CED Trustee.

"If a leader at a company stands for certain things, and is authentic and is consistent over days, years, or decades, then they are going to be believed and trusted to do the right thing. But the purpose of the company is to make a profit, and if you make a profit, you allow for investment. You'll be able to hire employees and you'll be able to increase the benefits you are paying employees and you'll be able to pay taxes…ultimately, profits are what drives that." – Dr. Joel Myers, Founder & CEO, AccuWeather

Economists from the Committee for Economic Development (CED) and The Conference Board Labor Markets Institute join forces to break down the monthly US Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report and reveal the relevant policy implications for the future workforce.

As COVID-19 approaches its third year, entrepreneurism and gig work are on the rise. The percentage of self-employed US workers is approximately 6 percent, the highest level in nearly a decade, and the rate of new business formation by self-employed individuals is 50 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. For a look at the factors behind this surge—and what the future of gig work holds—tune in to a new episode of the Sustaining Capitalism podcast from the Committee for Economic Development (CED), the public policy center of The Conference Board . In it, CED Senior Economist Elizabeth Crofoot sits down with Hollie Heikkinen, CEO and Founder of iWorker Innovations LLC, and Camille Olson, Partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, to discuss the changing dynamics in the gig work economy.

The three discuss why more and more people are choosing gig work, policy considerations to improve benefits for these workers, and how companies can optimize their relationship with their independent workforce. Both Heikkinen and Olson are CED Trustees; Heikkinen is also an advisor to the Human Capital Center of The Conference Board and Olson sits on the Board of Trustees of The Conference Board.

CED's Shareholder Versus Stakeholder Capitalism podcast series consists of compelling conversation with CEOs about whether there is a shift towards stakeholder capitalism underway and the implications of the debate on the CEOs' leadership roles within their companies and in society. The podcast series continues the roundtable discussions launched by The Conference Board for sitting C-suite executives to discuss the practical significance of the shift from a shareholder to stakeholder focus.

In this discussion, CED President Dr. Lori Esposito Murray sits down with Thomas McInerney, the President & CEO of Genworth Financial, Inc. He is also a CED Trustee.

"While the private sector has been focused on more diversity and equity for a long time, I think we realized that while we have made a lot of progress, there is still a long way to go. I think there's now a commitment on the part of companies in the private sector to really step up our game." – Thomas McInerney, President & CEO of Genworth Financial, Inc.

Although the majority of employers today still use a college degree as a gold standard of evidence for competencies to successfully fulfill a job position, leaders of a new initiative and movement called Credential As You Go are suggesting a bigger role for higher education that would help serve students more fairly and effectively through an incremental approach and keep up with the dynamic demand for talent in the workplace. This approach could also help employers understand the over 700,000 myriad credentials in the current marketplace that workers include on resumes and better match skills to jobs. One of those leaders, Dr. Nan Travers, joins Cindy Cisneros, Vice President, Education Programs at the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) to share more about the initiative's goals. Dr. Travers is the Director of the Center for Leadership in Credentialing Learning at SUNY Empire State College where she focuses on research, policies, and practices of the recognition, validation and credentialing of learning, and co-lead of the Credential As You Go initiative. She is also the Principal Investigator for a U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, $3 million grant that is fully funding the project.

CED's Shareholder Versus Stakeholder Capitalism podcast series consists of compelling conversation with CEOs about whether there is a shift towards stakeholder capitalism underway and the implications of the debate on the CEOs' leadership roles within their companies and in society. The podcast series continues the roundtable discussions launched by The Conference Board for sitting C-suite executives to discuss the practical significance of the shift from a shareholder to stakeholder focus.

In this discussion, CED President Dr. Lori Esposito Murray sits down with Lisa Ingram, the President, CEO & Chair of White Castle. She is also a CED Trustee.

"These stakeholder metrics help ensure a company will be around for a long time, versus being around for the next quarter or maybe the next year. Because if you are taking care of your team members and you are providing a great place that they want to stay, in this labor environment, that's really a competitive advantage." – Lisa Ingram, President, CEO & Chair of White Castle

CED's Shareholder Versus Stakeholder Capitalism podcast series consists of compelling conversation with CEOs about whether there is a shift towards stakeholder capitalism underway and the implications of the debate on the CEOs' leadership roles within their companies and in society. The podcast series continues the roundtable discussions launched by The Conference Board for sitting C-suite executives to discuss the practical significance of the shift from a shareholder to stakeholder focus.

In this discussion, CED President Dr. Lori Esposito Murray sits down with Byron Boston, the CEO and Co-CIO of Dynex Capital, Inc. He is also a CED Trustee.

"I think there is a growing population that has fallen behind, but more importantly, technology has allowed us to really see some of the disparities that have been created over time. And I truly believe that with the demographics growing—we now have five generations now operating within many of our workplaces and companies—I believe the attitudes are very different to seeing these types of disparities and actually doing something about it." – Byron Boston, CEO and Co-CIO, Dynex Capital, Inc.