Makada Henry-Nickie is a David M. Rubenstein fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. Throughout her career her research has examined ways to expand equitable access to responsible credit and she has recommended policies that advance inclusive economic opportunities for disadvantaged families and low-income communities. As such, she is part of Brookings’ Race, Place, and Inclusion Initiative, which currently focuses on improving the economic mobility prospects for young men of color, and bringing marginalized poor and low-income communities back into the economic mainstream.
Prior to joining Brookings, Makada was a senior analyst with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), where she advised on consumer financial protection and fair lending issues arising in financial institution regulation, enforcement matters, and rulemakings. Before CFPB, Makada worked as an economist with Brimmer & Company, where she consulted and advised on a cross-section of public policy issues including employment growth, taxation, and general economic policies. Makada previously held senior positions in nonprofit organizations where she worked to develop innovative programs and raise capital to support affordable housing for teen mothers involved in the foster care system and expand access to capital for small businesses and affordable housing developers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
She holds a Ph.D. in Urban Economics and an M.A. in Monetary and Fiscal Policy from Howard University. Makada earned a B.A. in Economics from Hunter College—City University of New York.