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Holly Harriel is an Associate Professor of Practice at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specializing in Democracy and Civic Engagement within the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. With over 20 years of practitioner experience in urban planning, her focus lies in community economic development, particularly in relation to anchor institutions and civic engagement. Harriel has led transformative community work as a senior leader in various community development corporations and has collaborated across sectors for neighborhood development at non-profits and national funding agencies. She obtained her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, where her research explored the role of colleges and universities as anchor institutions within urban settings. Additionally, she holds a master's degree in city planning from MIT and is an alumnus of Auburn and Tuskegee Universities. Harriel is an active participant in Civic Designers, a collective dedicated to projects aimed at strengthening democratic practices.