Preeminent thought leader on urban issues to heighten the program’s support for city innovators working towards an inclusive economy and shared prosperity

Jennifer Bradley, one of the nation’s foremost experts on urban innovation, economic inclusion and shared growth in cities, is joining the American Cities Program as a senior fellow.

“Jennifer’s skillset and impact are synonymous with the finest in the United States,” said Chantel Rush, managing director of the American Cities Program. “Jennifer is one of the most dynamic, innovative and influential practitioners supporting those working on urban issues. She played a pivotal role in elevating the role metropolitan areas play in economic growth and has worked for years to promote economic inclusion. Her addition to the team will enhance Kresge’s ability to support the field of urban practice and community development across the country.”

In her new role, Bradley will continue to help lead the network of city leaders who are participating in the Shared Prosperity Partnership. Her portfolio will also include advancing Kresge’s efforts to better equip the field of community development and the next generation of city leaders through networks, convenings and exchanges. And she will further her and the foundation’s thought leadership on urban practice with a special emphasis on the role distributed leadership can play in cities’ transformation.

Prior to joining Kresge, Bradley was the founding director of the Center for Urban Innovation at the Aspen Institute where she focused her work and research on fostering economic inclusion and inclusive innovation in cities and tackling the challenges women and people of color face in accessing capital.

In a previous role, she served as a fellow at the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program where she worked on the role of metropolitan areas in the nation’s economy and politics.

Bradley co-authored The Metropolitan Revolution (Brookings Press, 2013), a seminal research book on urban practice and policy.

Bradley has a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, a Master of Philosophy from Oxford University (which she received while on a Rhodes Scholarship), and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas.