Alaina Harkness

Alaina Harkness is currently the Executive Director at an undisclosed company since October 2019. Prior to this role, they had various positions in different organizations. In 2018, they were a Nonresident Fellow at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where they provided insight and influenced the public discourse on global issues. Alaina was also a Founder at Civicana, working as a community and economic development consultant focusing on institutional design and governance, technology and data, organizational networks, and civic engagement. Additionally, they served as a Managing Director at RW Ventures, LLC, an economic development firm specializing in market-based strategies for urban and regional economies.

Before these roles, Alaina Harkness worked as a Fellow at The Brookings Institution, where they focused on developing transformative solutions to urban challenges. Alaina was also a Senior Program Officer at MacArthur Foundation, specifically in their Cities program. Alaina served as a member of Living Cities and a Program Manager for the 2016 Fund for Chicago Neighborhoods.

Furthermore, they have experience as a Guest Lecturer at The University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. The provided information spans from 2008 to the present.

Alaina Harkness pursued their Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester, specializing in Political Science and Art History, between 1998 and 2002. Following their undergraduate studies, they enrolled at the University of Chicago from 2004 to 2006, where they earned their Master of Arts degree in Public Policy and Latin American Studies.