The Economy We Deserve: A discussion with Natalie Foster & Mike Pieciak

Can you imagine an America where housing, health care, a college education, dignified work, family care, an inheritance, and an income floor are not only attainable by all but guaranteed, by our government, for everyone? But isn’t this pie-in-the-sky thinking? Not by a long shot, according to Natalie Foster, co-founder of the Economic Security Project. She says our current economic system is chock full of government-backed guarantees, from bailouts to bankruptcy protection, to keep the private sector in business. So why can’t the same be true for the rest of us?

Her vision for a new American Guarantee is rooted in real-life experiences, collaborations with some of today’s most important activists and visionaries, and a concrete sense of the policies that are possible—and ready to implement—in 21st-century America.

Natalie Foster joins Mike Pieciak, Vermont State Treasurer, to discuss shifting the debate about our shared economic system.

This event is hosted by the Economic Security Project, Vermont Public Assets, Vermont Women’s Fund, Voices for Vermont Children, Champlain Valley Office for Economic Opportunity, and Vermont Community Action Partnership

DATE: Thursday, October 3rd, at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.

LOCATION: Contois Auditorium at City Hall, 149 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401

ADMISSION: This event is free and open to all. In order to help with our planning, advance registration is requested.

BOOKS: Copies of The Guarentee will be available at the event. A book signing will follow the discussion.

Natalie Foster is a leading architect of the movement to build an inclusive and resilient economy. She is the president and co-founder of Economic Security Project and an Aspen Institute Fellow, and her work and writing has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, Time, Business Insider, CNN, and The Guardian. Natalie speaks regularly on economic security, the future of work, and the new political economy. An unstoppable builder, Natalie previously founded the sharing economy community Peers and co-founded Rebuild the Dream with Van Jones, and served as Digital Director for President Obama's Organizing for America--a leading partner in winning transformative healthcare reform. A daughter of a preacher from Kansas, Natalie draws on the values of community, dignity, and optimism to build a better America. The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America's Next Economy (The New Press) is her first book. She lives in Oakland, California, with her husband and two kids.

Mike Pieciak was inaugurated as Vermont's 31st State Treasurer in January 2023, focusing his tenure on financial equity and rebuilding the middle class. One of his key achievements was championing the "Vermont Saves" program, providing over 80,000 Vermonters access to a retirement plan. He also expanded the "10% in Vermont" program and prioritized housing development, announcing $55.5 million in low-interest housing loans which are expected to help construct more than 1,100 housing units across the state.

In 2024, Mike led efforts to establish the "Vermont Baby Bonds" program, aimed at helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds build wealth and secure their financial futures. His office is currently developing a pilot program to explore its broader implementation. Prior to serving as Treasurer, Mike was the commissioner of Vermont’s Department of Financial Regulation, where he played a vital role in the state's pandemic response. Originally from Brattleboro, Mike now lives in Winooski with his husband Will and their English Setter, Jetty.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Contois Auditorium, 149 Church Street, Burlington, United States