Upwork and Economic Innovation Group to Co-Host Remote Work Event Series Exploring Post-COVID Trends

Event to feature thought leaders from Distribute, Harvard Business School, Tulsa Remote, Pew Charitable Trusts, ZipRecruiter and more

Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s work marketplace, and the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) announced today that they will co-host a three-part virtual event series exploring the long-term economic, policy, and geographic impacts of remote work. The series, titled “Rise of Remote: Exploring Trends in Remote Work Post-COVID,” will kick off June 16, 2021.

“The pandemic is the most action-forcing event the American workforce has experienced in decades, accelerating the embrace of remote work and the potential for a more broadly distributed economy,” says John Lettieri, President and CEO of EIG. “This timely series will explore how emerging labor market trends could reshape the economy and redefine economic development in the years to come.”

“Communities across the United States are on the precipice of meaningful change that can only happen with public policies focused on supporting a transformation in how, when, and where people work,” says Upwork’s Head of Global Public Policy, Michael McGeary. “The communities most effective at harnessing the power of remote and independent work will be those that embrace policies that help smooth the transition for businesses, workers, and the U.S. economy.”

The conference series will bring together thought leaders, journalists, and subject matter experts to highlight innovative research and data-driven policy solutions to explore the power of remote work.

Event Schedule

• Session 1: ‘Is the Rise of Remote Reshaping America’s Economic Geography?’ - June 16, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Keynote Fireside Chat: Richard Florida, University Professor at University of Toronto’s School of Cities and Rotman School of Management, in conversation with John Lettieri, President and CEO, EIG
  • Arpit Gupta, Assistant Professor, New York University, Stern School of Business
  • Matthew E. Kahn, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Economics and Business at Johns Hopkins University and the Director of JHU's 21st Century Cities Initiative
  • Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist, Upwork
  • Julia Pollak, Labor Economist, ZipRecruiter
  • Moderator: Rani Molla, Senior Data Reporter, Recode
• Session 2: ‘Revitalizing the Heartland: Public Policy Planning for the Rise of Remote’ - June 30, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Michael McGeary, Head of Public Policy, Upwork
  • Laurel Farrer, Founder and CEO, Distribute Consulting
  • Kathryn de Wit, Project Director, Broadband Access Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Ben Stewart, Executive Director, Tulsa Remote
  • Moderator: Kim Hart, National Technology Correspondent, Axios
• Session 3: ‘Distribute for Dynamism: Harnessing Remote Work to Boost Entrepreneurship and the Economy’ - July 14, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Christopher T. Stanton, Marvin Bower Associate Professor of Business, Administration in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit, Harvard Business School
  • Joe Golden, Co-founder and Former CEO, Collage.com
  • Gretta Corporaal, Research Fellow and British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
  • Moderator: Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist, Upwork

Register for the Rise of Remote series.

About Upwork

Upwork is the world’s work marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent. We serve everyone from one-person startups to 30% of the Fortune 100 with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and freelancers to work together in new ways that unlock their potential. Our talent community earned over $2.3 billion on Upwork in 2020 across more than 10,000 skills, including website & app development, creative & design, customer support, finance & accounting, consulting, and operations. Learn more at www.upwork.com and join us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About the Economic Innovation Group (EIG)

The Economic Innovation Group (EIG) is an ideas laboratory and advocacy organization whose mission is to advance solutions that empower entrepreneurs and investors to forge a more dynamic American economy. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. and led by an experienced, bipartisan team, EIG convenes leading experts from the public and private sectors, develops original policy research, and works to advance creative legislative proposals that will bring new jobs, investment, and economic growth to communities across the nation. For more information, visit eig.org.

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