About Us

Elizabeth Rhodes

Research Director

OpenResearch

Elizabeth Rhodes is the research director at OpenResearch. She completed a joint PhD in social work and political science at the University of Michigan, where her research focused on health and education provision in informal settlements, workforce development, and poverty prevention and alleviation strategies. Elizabeth also holds an MSW from Michigan and a BA in government and economics from Georgetown.

Karina Dotson

Senior Research & Insights Manager

OpenResearch

Karina Dotson is a senior research and insights manager at OpenResearch. Her work focuses on economic opportunity and financial stability, with a particular emphasis on synthesizing findings across qualitative and quantitative research methods. Karina holds a PhD in sociology from the University of Michigan, where her research focused on poverty, labor markets, and social inequality.

Aristia Kinis

Executive Director

OpenResearch

Aristia is Executive Director of OpenResearch, where she leads strategy, partnerships, and execution for rigorous research on economic security and social policy. Over two decades, she has helped research and nonprofit organizations turn complex ideas into durable institutions and lasting public impact. At OpenResearch, she works across research, operations, philanthropy, and external engagement to support studies that are ambitious, operationally grounded, and centered on people often excluded from policy design. She holds a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and an MBA.

Patrick Krause

Data Director

OpenResearch

Patrick Krause is a data director at OpenResearch. Prior to joining OpenResearch, he worked in market research, developing methods to quantify narratives in online conversations. He also worked as a Program Manager at the Center for Effective Global Action at UC Berkeley. Patrick holds an MS in international and development economics from the University of San Francisco and a BA in economics and political science from Bucknell University.

Amber Churchwell

Field Ethnography

Amber conducts field ethnography for the RISE project. She previously worked for nine years as a qualitative researcher focusing on teenage pregnancy. She specializes in community-centered research and rural ethnography. She holds a PhD in sociology from Emory University.

Arthur Hwang

Finance

Arthur Hwang brings financial expertise to support operations and planning. Previously, he held roles across tech and nonprofits, including NVIDIA and Green City Force. Arthur holds a BA in Global Affairs from Yale University, where his research focused on technology policy and governance.

Ethan Sansom

Research & Analysis

Ethan supports research and analysis for the Unconditional Cash Study. In his previous work at the Clean Air Partnership, he modelled residential energy use and emissions to inform municipal home-retrofitting programs. Ethan holds a BS in statistics and economics from the University of Toronto.

Marianne Bertrand

Chris P. Dialynas Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Willard Graham Faculty Scholar at the University of Chicago

Ed Dolan

Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center

Greg Duncan

Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine

Natalie Foster

Co-chair of the Economic Security Project

David Grusky

Barbara Kimball Browning Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, Professor of Sociology, Senior Fellow of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Director of the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, and coeditor of Pathways Magazine

Lawrence Katz

Elisabeth Allison Professor of Economics at Harvard University

Connie Razza

Executive Director at Future Currents

Luke Shaefer

Director of Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, School of Social Work and Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Eldar Shafir

Class of 1987 Professor in Behavioral Science and Public Policy, Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Inaugural Director of the Kahneman-Treisman Center for Behavioral Science & Public Policy at Princeton University

Michael Strain

Director of Economic Policy Studies and John G. Searle Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute

Tavneet Suri

Associate Professor of Applied Economics at the MIT Sloan School of Management

Alford Young, Jr.

Associate Director of Center for Social Solutions, Arthur F Thurnau Professor, Edgar G. Epps Collegiate Professor of Sociology, Professor of Afroamerican and African studies, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Michigan

Sandra Smith

Daniel & Florence Guggenheim Professor of Criminal Justice at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University

Rachel Schneider

Omidyar Network Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program (FSP)

Aisha Nyandoro

Founder and CEO of Springboard to Opportunities

Sam Altman

Board Member

OpenResearch

Chris Clark

Board Member; Chief Operating Officer

OpenResearch

Research organization with a startup mentality

Conducting ambitious public-interest research

Transforming big, open-ended questions into data, tools, and insights

Founded to pursue fundamental, open-ended research rarely possible in traditional settings

Our core team prioritizes impact-orientation, balancing curiosity with rigor.

Research and operational specialists support our work.

OpenResearch works side-by-side with interdisciplinary academic partners to enrich our work.

Unconditional Cash Study

An assembly of experts guides our research.

Our board is instrumental in supporting the mission of the organization and in advocating for the importance of research.