Navigating the Benefits Cliff with Karen Schoellkopf
In this episode, we interview Karen Schoellkopf, the founder and CEO of Leap Fund, who dives into the critical issue of the benefits cliff—a policy flaw where a slight increase in income results in a disproportionate loss of public benefits, leaving many worse off.
Karen has worked on projects for Samsung, Target, Verizon, Meetup, Spotify, the American Medical Association, and more, and led Product at VoteRunLead (which trains women to run for office). She launched Hire More Women In Tech in 2014 (making the business case for women in leadership positions in tech).
Karen explains the benefit cliff phenomenon and discusses its significant impact on working Americans, emphasizing the lack of awareness and preparation for those affected. Our discussion underscores the urgency of addressing this policy failure and the importance of fostering empathy to better support families striving for financial stability.
Links:
Learn more about Leap Fund.
Learn more about Samaritan.
Learn more about benefits cliffs.