C. Sara Minard

Bio

Sara Minard is a socio-economist and Lecturer-in-Discipline of International and Public Affairs at SIPA where she teaches courses in Methods for Development Practice, Social Enterprise and Sustainable Development, and Social Entrepreneurship, as well as guest lectures on social economy.

Before coming to SIPA, she spent five years working at the OECD in Paris, leading research and policy dialogues with government, development agencies, private sector partners and local communities on strategies for inclusive private sector development, regional cooperation and policy coherence for development in 18 countries in West Africa.

Dr. Minard was appointed a research fellow at the European Research Institute on Cooperatives and Social Enterprise (EURICSE) in Trento, Italy and a visiting scholar at the Institute of African Studies at Columbia. Her scholarship examined the relationship of markets, the state and social networks on the dynamics of informal entrepreneurship through the lens of social entrepreneurship, social capital and capabilities approach using mixed methods case research and surveys from Senegal.

In addition to her scholarship, teaching and policy research, Dr. Minard designs interdisciplinary professional and academic programs focused on social entrepreneurship and sustainable development with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. She works for small and large companies in the U.S., Africa and Europe on socially responsible investing, social enterprise and climate change adaptation. She has consulted with the World Bank and UN agencies (UNGC, FAO), international and local NGOs, and regional institutions (ECOWAS).

Dr. Minard earned her PhD in Economics from Sciences Po in Paris, a dual-degree Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia/SIPA and Sciences Po, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies. She started her career as a legislative aide in the US Senate (D-LA) and is a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal. She is fluent in French and Wolof.