Elisabeth B. Reynolds
Professor of the Practice in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT
Elisabeth B. Reynolds, PhD, is a Professor of the Practice in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT and is an influential voice in crafting strategies aimed at scaling innovative businesses and strengthening U.S. manufacturing capabilities. Sought after for her current analyses and insights, Liz speaks to the dynamics and intersection between business, government, manufacturing, industrial competitiveness, regional economic development, and innovation systems writ large. Her research and policy work center on promoting the growth of innovative companies, accelerating industrial transformation, and fostering inclusive economic development.
From 2021 to 2022, Liz held the position of Special Assistant to President Biden for Manufacturing and Economic Development at the National Economic Council (NEC). In this role, she was instrumental in shaping the administration’s national manufacturing strategy, enhancing supply chain resilience, and advancing industrial policy. Her leadership contributed significantly to federal initiatives aimed at revitalizing the U.S. manufacturing sector, strengthening critical supply chains and supporting regional economic growth.
Prior to her time at the White House, Liz was a Principal Research Scientist and served as the Executive Director of the MIT Industrial Performance Center from 2010 to 2021. The center focuses on interdisciplinary research related to industrial transformation and innovation systems. She also co-led the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future (2018-2021) alongside Professors David Autor and David Mindell. This initiative examined the impact of emerging technologies on work, labor markets, and U.S. institutions, culminating in the publication of the 2022 book Work of the Future: Building Better Jobs in an Age of Intelligent Machines.
Liz’s influence extends beyond academia, having advised multiple Massachusetts governors on revitalizing the state's manufacturing sector. She has also collaborated with numerous regional organizations to grow and strengthen industry clusters. She currently serves on the boards of several nonprofits, including Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) and the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI). Additionally, she is an advisor to the Special Competitive Studies Project, a think tank focused on U.S. national security and critical technologies.
In addition to her academic and policy work, Liz has also engaged in research, consulting, and financial analysis. Before joining MIT, she was the Director of the City Advisory Practice at the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), a nonprofit founded by Professor Michael Porter at Harvard Business School that aims to promote business and job creation in urban and inner-city areas. She has also worked as a policy analyst at the Institute for Research in Public Policy in Canada and as a financial analyst with Goldman Sachs in London.
Liz earned her B.A. in Government from Harvard University and was the Fiske Scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge. She also holds a Master’s in Economics from the University of Montreal and a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Studies from MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning.
Topics
The Work of the Future: Leveraging Technology and Policies Toward a Shared Prosperity
The rise of robots and more recently, AI, has increased anxiety around work and employment opportunities for workers at all education levels. However, the challenge for the U.S. has never been the quantity of work, but the quality of work. Drawing on her experience co-leading MIT’s Task Force on the Work of the Future, Liz speaks to how emerging technologies are changing the nature of work and the skills required—and how we can design institutions and leverage technological innovations that broadly benefit society. With the rise of populism in the U.S. and around the world, finding a path forward toward shared prosperity is more important than ever, as countries face political polarization and threats to the social fabric of society. Liz offers strategies on how to build a more resilient workforce and create better jobs in this age of intelligent machines.
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Industrial Transformation: A New Era for U.S. Global Leadership
A confluence of forces including supply chain disruptions, a changing geopolitical landscape with increasing tensions between the U.S. and China, climate change and political polarization, have led to a renewed focus in the U.S. and other countries on rebuilding the industrial base. Across a range of industries – whether transportation, energy, defense, consumer products, biotech – there is a generational shift that is focused on greater resilience, digitalization, and sustainability. In the U.S., new policies and investments amount to a reindustrialization of the U.S. economy and a recognition that global leadership requires capabilities not just in design but in production at the frontier of technological change. But there are challenges to building these capabilities – financial, regulatory, labor-related - that need to be addressed if the U.S. is going to maintain its leadership position globally. Based on her work at MIT and the White House, Liz offers insights into the opportunities and challenges ahead for U.S. competitiveness and industrial leadership.
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