In this episode of Believe in Arkansas, host Ryan Norris sits down with Dr. Liya Palagashvili, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Labor Policy Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, for a conversation on one of the biggest challenges—and opportunities—facing Arkansas’s modern workforce: how to support independent contractors and gig workers in a rapidly changing economy.

Dr. Palagashvili’s research dives deep into the intersection of labor policy, entrepreneurship, and the gig economy. Her work has been featured in leading outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Hill, and she brings an economist’s precision to a policy conversation that impacts everyone from rideshare drivers to freelance professionals and small business owners. A former professor of economics at SUNY–Purchase and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Law & Policy, Liya has testified before Congress and state legislatures on how to modernize labor policy for a more flexible, fair, and innovative economy.

Together, Ryan and Liya explore how portable benefits—benefits that follow workers from job to job—could bridge the gap between flexibility and security for Arkansas’s growing independent workforce. They unpack how states like Utah are leading the way, why Arkansas is uniquely positioned to innovate, and what policymakers, entrepreneurs, and everyday Arkansans can do to build a system that empowers work—not bureaucracy.

It’s a thoughtful, forward-looking discussion on the future of work, economic freedom, and how Arkansas can lead the nation in making work work for everyone.

To learn more and see how AFP-Arkansas can help you or your organization increase your impact in our state, email us at infoar@afphq.org or visit us at believeinar.com.