Pilar O'Leary

Executive Director of Aspen Conexión at the Aspen Institute, advancing economic opportunity and cultural connections for U.S. Latino communities across the United States, Latin America, and Spain. Previously led PFO Advisory Group and has worked across corporate, legal, nonprofit, and social-impact roles.

Economic Mobility Depends on Institutions That Make Opportunity Usable

Aspen Institute leaders Ida Rademacher, Josh Wyner, and Pilar O’Leary argue that economic mobility depends less on individual effort than on whether financial systems, colleges, and businesses give people usable access to stability, valuable credentials, capital, and authority. Rademacher says households need enough financial margin to absorb shocks and make long-term choices; Wyner argues colleges should be judged by how graduates fare after completion; and O’Leary contends that Hispanic communities’ economic contribution must be matched by pathways to investment, ownership, and leadership.

The Aspen InstituteAug 25, 202612 min read