Appendix C: Listening Session Overview

Over the course of several months in 2022, the Commission convened thirty-one listening sessions with small groups of people across the country. These discussions were part of the Commission’s fact-finding efforts, bringing human voices to the data and charts typically used to measure the health of the economy.

Commission members and Academy staff drew on their own networks to find participants for these conversations. The Commission heard from a diverse set of participants who came from different geographic, racial, age, and occupational backgrounds. Listening session participants included small business owners, teachers, college students, service workers, nonprofit workers, formerly incarcerated individuals, people experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges, and residents of rural areas and tribal lands. Session participants were not meant to be representative of the demographics of the country.

These conversations were hosted either by Commission members or Academy staff. Some were held virtually, others in person. The map below illustrates participant locations across the country.