Samir Mayekar

Samir Mayekar currently serves as the Managing Director at the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago and as a Lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy, where Samir created and instructs the "Modern Urban Economic Development Playbook" course. Additionally, Mayekar is a Visiting Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and has co-founded NanoGraf Corporation, where Samir has been actively involved since 2011. Previously, Mayekar held the position of Deputy Mayor for the City of Chicago, and served as Co-Chair of the transition team for Lori Lightfoot's campaign. Samir's career also includes advisory roles at the Albright Stonebridge Group, and significant experience in government positions such as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Director of National Security Personnel at The White House, and Budget Manager for Obama for America. Mayekar earned a BA in Political Science, International Studies, and Spanish, as well as an MBA in Finance and International Business from Northwestern University and the Kellogg School of Management, respectively.