Wednesday, April 3, 2024 | 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Happy Hour

Louie Louie
3611 Walnut Street
Philadelphia PA, 19104

Metered street parking is available on all surrounding streets. There is a parking garage on Walnut Street between 37th and 38th Streets. Valet parking is available at the Inn of Penn.

Thursday, April 4, 2024

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Registration Opens (30 minutes)

Coffee and continental breakfast – 8th Floor, Colloquium Level

9:00 – 9:10 a.m.

Welcome (15 minutes)

Representatives from the Wharton School, Business Roundtable and the Second Chance Business Coalition welcome the audience.

Programming – Ground Floor, G06

9:10 – 9:55 a.m.

Business Perspectives on Skills-Based Employment and Second Chances (45 minutes)

C-suite executives of large employers outline how they have created and strengthened talent pipelines, including through skills-based employment practices that have benefited candidates and employees with criminal records.

9:55 – 10:35 a.m.

Economic Perspectives on Second Chance Employment (40 minutes)

Fireside chat with Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President and CEO Patrick Harker and the Wharton School Dean Erika James.

10:35 – 10:45 a.m.

Break (10 minutes)

10:45 – 11:25 a.m.

Building Local Second Chance Ecosystems Through Community Partnerships (50 minutes)

As the Second Chance Business Coalition has brought together large national employers to develop more inclusive hiring strategies, we have seen the importance of developing an infrastructure to facilitate partnerships, drive recruitment efforts and build champions for second chance hiring. This panel will discuss how employers, associations, and nonprofits can collaborate to create a groundswell of second chance employment activity and leadership as exampled by three local ecosystems: Philadelphia, Chicago and Atlanta.

11:25 – 11:55 a.m.

Veterans and Second Chance Employment (30 minutes)

Fireside chat with Mark Elliott, Head of Military and Veterans Affairs, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired); and Jim Seward, Executive Director, Veterans Justice Commission, and Colonel, U.S. Army.

11:55 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Lunch (50 minutes)

12:45 – 1:15 p.m.

Changing the Narrative Part 1: How Data and Research Are Dispelling Myths About Second Chances (30 minutes)

Panelists will discuss the recent research and data that dispel common misconceptions about second chance employment and the importance of transforming the narrative about Americans with a criminal record to promote employment opportunities, drive culture change, and reshape public attitudes.

1:15 – 1:55 p.m.

Changing the Narrative Part 2: How Companies and Thought Leaders Are Redefining Second Chances (40 minutes)

Panelists will discuss the work of corporations, thought leaders, entertainers, and athletes to elevate the voices of justice-impacted individuals and transform the narrative about Americans with a criminal record to promote employment opportunities, drive culture change, and reshape public attitudes.

1:55 – 2:05 p.m.

Break (10 minutes)

2:05 – 2:50 p.m.

The Role of Business Schools in Addressing Second Chance Employment (45 minutes)

Panelists will discuss how business schools are part of the solution, focusing on programs at the Wharton School and other higher education institutions aimed at preparing second chance individuals.

2:50 – 3:30 p.m.

The Intersection of Entrepreneurship and Second Chance Employment (40 minutes)

Panelists will discuss the importance of entrepreneurship as a pathway for second chances and the best practices for addressing barriers that justice-impacted individuals face related to starting a business. The session will highlight models that differ from traditional non-profits with a key feature of providing wraparound services to ensure individuals are successful on their entrepreneurship journey.

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.

Break (15 minutes)

The conference concludes. For those who have RSVP’d, please join us at the post-conference program.