Ecuador: Economic Reactivation at the Global Crossroads and the New Commercial Era
April 17 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
After a decade of stagnation, Ecuador finds itself at a critical yet promising moment to revitalize its economy. With its recent return to international markets and progress in strategic trade negotiations — such as those with the United States — the country has the opportunity to launch a new stage of economic and productive development.
In this Development Talk, Minister Luis Alberto Jaramillo will discuss Ecuador’s economic outlook and, in particular, how, amid a backdrop of growing geopolitical tensions and the reconfiguration of global alliances, Ecuador seeks to redefine its positioning to attract investment, boost production, and secure a future of sustained growth and stability.
Speaker: Min. Luis Alberto Jaramillo, Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, and Investment, Ecuador
Moderator: Sebastián Bustos, Senior Research Fellow
Whether attending in person or virtually, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Boxed lunch will be provided at the end of the event. The Zoom session is open to the public.
Bio: Business leader with more than 30 years of experience in the industrial sector. Industrial and Systems Engineer from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM). Master’s in Marketing from the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL). Expertise in investment projects, productivity, quality, continuous improvement, process analysis and reengineering, process management, information technology, integrated management systems, management indicators, and talent development/coaching. Within his experience in developing successful strategies, he has served as General Manager, Commercial Director, and Advisor at industrial companies such as Industria Cartonera Ecuatoriana S.A. and Grupasa Grupo Papelero S.A. He taught at the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), delivering courses on industrial engineering, international marketing, and market research; at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Production Sciences, and the Institute of Humanistic and Economic Sciences. He has participated in executive programs on continuous improvement and process management at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE). He previously served as Minister of Economy and Finance and as Director General of the National Customs Service of Ecuador (Senae).
The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries, regions, states, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.
Growth Versus Development: The Peruvian Example
April 16 | 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm
Despite significant political volatility and external shocks Peru has been able to maintain remarkable macroeconomic stability. At the same time, enormous deficiencies remain regarding access to basic services, inclusion, and social and political development. What explains the discordance between Peru’s macroeconomic success and the country’s failure in terms of development? What might an inclusive growth strategy look like for Peru? What do we learn about tradeoffs and challenges between growth and development? In this Development Talk, Roberto Chang, Professor in the Department of Economics at Rutgers University and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, will discuss his recently published books “Economia Peruana ¿Milagro o Ficción?” and “Los 10 Números Que Todo Peruano Debe Conocer” and explore relevant lessons for Peru and the developing world.
Speaker: Roberto Chang, Professor of Economics at Rutgers University, Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research
Moderator: Ricardo Villasmil, Senior Research Fellow, Growth Lab
Whether attending in person or virtually, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Boxed lunch will be provided at the end of the event. The Zoom session is open to the public.
Speaker Bio: Roberto Chang is a Professor of Economics at Rutgers University and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Before joining Rutgers in 2000, he was a Research Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He has also been an Assistant Professor at NYU and a Visiting Professor at Princeton. Chang has published extensively on monetary economics, exchange rate policy, and financial crises. He has served in the editorial boards of the Journal of International Economics and the Journal of Development Economics, and as a member of the Economics Panel of the National Science Foundation. Chang is a native of Peru and holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries, regions, states, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.
Industrial Policy in Action: Lessons from Over a Decade at the Department of Energy
February 26 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
The energy sector stands at an inflection point. After 15 years of remarkable change, the convergence of surging electricity demand, climate pressures, and emerging industries promises even more rapid transformation. This presentation and discussion draws on Garrett’s experience at the Department of Energy and Waypoint Strategy Group to explore the path from research to commercialization, the impacts of policy on technology development and deployment, and the broader ecosystem that makes modern energy systems work. We’ll close with a look at what the coming years may hold.
Speaker: Garrett Nilsen, Co-Founder and Partner Waypoint Strategy Group
Whether attending in person or virtually, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public.
Speaker Bio: Garrett spent over 13 years working in the US Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), rising the roles of Deputy (and Acting) Director, aiding the industry’s rise from a minor contributor to the US electricity sector to the nation’s fastest growing energy source. He managed a $300+ million-per-year portfolio spanning photovoltaics, solar-thermal, grid integration, supply-chain resilience, and non-hardware solar costs (e.g. workforce development, siting, community acceptance, equitable access to solar). Under his leadership the office launched first of their kind programs to address technology commercialization, solar energy and load forecasting, renewable energy siting, renewable energy grid interconnection, new uses of solar, and more. Prior to leadership roles at SETO, he led teams working on accelerating technologies to market and got to see first hand how industrial policy can shape a technologies future. Garrett is now at Waypoint Strategy Group, which he founded with 3 other senior DOE leaders in 2025 to bring lessons on technology research, development, and commercialization and effective funding program design to the world.
The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries, regions, states, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.
Getting Things Done: Issue Spotting in the Infrastructure Development Projects Ecosystem
In this Development Talk, Bill Dobbs will share a front‑row view of how public policy, governance, and engineering intersect in real‑world settings. He will offer Insights into how large public works succeed—or fail—depending on governance, institutions, and the quality of decision‑making and practical advice to future policy makers on infrastructure project management.
Speaker: Bill Dobbs, Former Civil and Structural Engineer and Project Manager
Moderator: Ricardo Hausmann, Director, Growth Lab
Whether attending in person or virtually, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public.
Speaker Bio: Over nearly fifty years as a civil and structural engineer and project manager, Bill Dobbs has worked on major infrastructure projects in over 20 countries. Trained (B.Sc., and M.Eng.) at Cornell University, Bill Dobbs has overseen the design and construction of, inter alia, hydroelectric dams, tunnels, water and wastewater systems, transportation projects, and U.S. government facilities across South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Many of his projects were funded by international institutions such as USAID, the Islamic Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter‑American Development Bank, and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.
Mr. Dobbs brings a technically sophisticated, but practical and culturally sensitive focus to world-class engineering projects. His assignments required navigating through complex stakeholder environments involving national government agencies, local communities, international lenders, and private contractors.
Whether dealing with funding agencies, aligning infrastructure plans with social and environmental safeguards, or helping governments build technical capacity, he has worked at the point where policy objectives meet on-the-ground realities. He retired from full-time practice in 2024, but continues to support international projects and maintains contact with his professional associates, offering them guidance in their professional careers.
The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries, regions, states, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.