Sophia N. Johnson, phd

Political Economist

For more than 15 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 recently led Columbia University’s Program for Economic Research, one of the world’s leading economic research programs. In this role, she led strategic engagement with key public and private partners, developed an institutional grant-making framework, and spearheaded a major campaign to diversify and enrich the field of economics. She was also host of Columbia University’s Live Economics Series - a weekly webinar which brings together finance and business thought leaders to share their insights on issues at the center of the global economy.

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.

She is currently the host and executive producer of In Conversation with Dr. Sophia Johnson - a special six-part public affairs series features trailblazing social innovators, youth change makers and community leaders creating solutions with lasting social impact in New York and around the world. This program airs on PBS stations in New York and California in Spring 2025. Her debut TV series, The Feminist Perspective - examined the economics and politics of women’s rights, received broad acclaim 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.