Dr. Kate Cooney

Biography

Kate Cooney is a Senior Lecturer and the Founding Director of the Inclusive Economic Development Lab at the Yale School of Management. Her research utilizes institutional theory to explore the intersection of business and social sectors, with a focus on designing mechanisms for social finance and creating inclusive economic development strategies in American cities. Cooney's expertise includes ethnographic and qualitative research methods, particularly in community-engaged action research models. She teaches courses that bridge economics and social enterprise, such as Urban Poverty and Economic Development and the Inclusive Economic Development Lab. Cooney has served on the Board of Directors of Dwight Hall at Yale and the Center for Public Service and Justice. In 2019, she founded the IEDL to foster collaboration among public officials, practitioners, academics, and engaged residents to enhance practices in inclusive economic development. Cooney also affiliates with the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023.

Research Interests

Experience