Sheida Isabel Elmi

Sheida Elmi (she/her/ella) is the Senior Research Manager at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program (Aspen FSP). She leads work that elevates people’s lived experiences to inform, shape, or otherwise influence policy, product, and program solutions to improve family financial security and well-being. Sheida manages research with a range of cross-sector experts, including FSP’s Consumer Insights Collaborative. She supports research efforts related to guaranteed income, wealth building, liquid savings, public and workplace benefits, financial inclusion, and other topics connecting short- and long-term financial security. Before joining Aspen, Sheida was an Associate Manager with The Pew Charitable Trusts. There, she led quantitative analyses, in-depth interviews, and focus groups to explore how families fare across different measures of financial well-being. Before that, she was a Research Analyst at MEF Associates, where she helped evaluate federal programs aimed at promoting economic security through higher education, matched-savings accounts, and employment and training programs.

Sheida holds a Master of Public Policy degree from UC Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies from Northwestern University. She serves on the Board of Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) and is a member of the Guaranteed Income Community of Practice.