Grinstein-Weiss Champions Economic Solutions with the Clinton Global Initiative

Brown School Professor Michal Grinstein-Weiss recently served as an advisor at the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting, where she advised a cohort of cross-sector leaders in creating action plans to improve U.S. economic development.

Grinstein-Weiss, founding director of the Envolve Center for Health Behavior Change and associate director of the Center for Social Development, was in Atlanta in June to advise the Financial Opportunity Working Group, which focuses on expanding financial tools and systems to move more Americans toward long-term financial wellness.

“It is a great honor and privilege to work with such a talented and dynamic group of experts on this important goal,” she said.

The mission of the Clinton Global Initiative is to turn ideas into action by convening leaders in government, business, philanthropy and nonprofits who can develop solutions that address some of the nation’s compelling challenges, from energy infrastructure to early childhood education, from workforce development to sustainable cities.

Grinstein-Weiss, who first joined CGI in 2014, provided leadership in setting the group’s agenda, facilitating sessions and guiding new collaborators in making Commitments to Action, CGI’s hallmark operational plans that help attendees take steps to address a specific global challenge.

Financial Opportunity Working Group members included senior leadership from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Visa Inc., ideas42, the White House Office of Management and Budget, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Washington University in St. Louis has previously collaborated with other divisions of CGI, including hosting CGI-University in 2013, and the Center for Social Development is a current partner for a CGI Commitment to Action called Campaign for Every Kid’s Future, which promises to help 1.4 million children receive a child savings account by 2020.