Sophia N. Johnson, phd

Political Economist

For more than 20 years, Dr. Sophia N. Johnson (political economist) has been on the frontlines - developing and implementing scalable solutions for inclusive growth, identifying business opportunities and leveraging company assets to solve critical global issues.

Dr. Johnson is the Executive Director of the Rye Historical Society, which operates the Square House Museum and is dedicated to researching, preserving, and interpreting the history of Rye and Westchester County. She also serves as Chair of the Green Policy Task Force in the Village of Ardsley, New York, where she develops and advocates for policies that promote environmental sustainability, address climate change, and support green practices.

Previously, Dr. Johnson led Columbia University’s Program for Economic Research, one of the world’s leading economic research programs. In that role, she oversaw strategic partnerships across the public and private sectors, developed a grant-making framework, and spearheaded a major initiative to diversify and strengthen the field of economics. She also hosted Columbia University’s Live Economics Series, a weekly webinar featuring finance and business leaders discussing critical global economic issues. She has taught at New York University, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Pace University, and Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Affairs. She has also served as Visiting Scholar at the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS), the Developing Countries’ Research Centre at Delhi University, Population Research Centre at the University of Kashmir, and the Centre for Development Studies, also in India.

Dr. Sophia Johnson was the host and executive producer of The Feminist Perspective - a weekly public affairs series which examined the economics and politics of women’s rights and social movements, and aired on several PBS stations including WPBS-TV (Watertown), WNED-TV (Buffalo), WCFE-TV (Mountain Lake), KRCB-TV (North Bay), KPJK-TV (South Bay).

A scholar-visionary, she is deeply committed to building inclusive economies, and thereby shaping global agendas and enabling meaningful, enduring impact.