NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Behind each app is a global workforce of flexible workers, of which many are on low-incomes. Gig work has opened up opportunities for workers to make money, have side hustles, and build new digital livelihoods.

But the new online jobs markets and commerce platforms, and the startups and tech companies that run them, come with new rules around wages, benefits, and even safety. So, can a gig worker actually make it to the top and earn a higher income with greater stability than before? Or, is it a race to the bottom in a cycle of low-wage and low-skilled digital “piece work”? When we imagine gig workers trying to make it in the US, or in global growth markets such as East Africa or Southeast Asia, is the gig economy a viable path to a meaningful and prosperous future of work?

Join BFA and Quartz for an evening of insights, discussion, and networking with BFA CEO, Amolo Ng’weno, and Quartz Africa editor, Yinka Adegoke, and Olga Morawcynski, Senior Program Manager, Inclusive Digital Economies in Africa, Mastercard Foundation on Thursday, December 5th, from 5:30pm to 9:00pm. Guests will get a preview of our special podcast series by BFA and Quartz about digital platforms, e-commerce, and the future of work.