Internship Location: Madison, WI
Organization Type: Nonprofit
Policy Areas: Economic/Community Development, Health and Education
During the Spring 2023 semester, I completed an internship at the Wisconsin Policy Forum in their Madison office. I contributed to two economic development studies with my lead researcher:
- Evaluating the affordable housing market of Waukesha County, and
- Evaluating the small business landscape of the city of Milwaukee
The purpose of including me in these specific studies was to engage my business acumen and combine it with my policy training to evaluate the effectiveness of these issues from both a private and public perspective. In the small business study, I utilized my business background to create criteria, such as funding opportunities and technical training, to critique a list of public institutions and private organizations that support small businesses in the city of Milwaukee. Comparing Milwaukee to similar cities revealed different collaborations with private companies for resources and other access gaps that would help better serve small businesses. In the affordable housing study, I completed data analysis with the U.S. Census data on different housing characteristics, such as owner occupancy rates, race and ethnicity demographics, and comparisons to other Waukesha county municipalities. I was also able to collaborate with my lead researcher to understand the policy implications of zoning policies and historical trends that affect affordable housing. Following the completion of my internship, I believe I have greatly improved data analysis and policy synthesis skills to comprehensively look at issues in economic development and make the most informed, objective recommendations as a future policymaker.