Alejandra
Castillo

Alejandra Y. Castillo is a Fall 2024 Institute of Politics Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Previously, Ms. Castillo was nominated by President Biden and sworn in as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development on August 13, 2021, becoming the first woman of color to hold this position. Ms. Castillo led the Economic Development Administration (EDA) between August 2021-2024 through an unprecedented moment of growth and opportunity. As the only federal agency focused exclusively on economic development, she guided EDA’s implementation of over $6.8 billion in federal funding, powering EDA and its mission to make transformational placed-based investments to support inclusive and equitable economic growth across America.

For over two decades, Ms. Castillo has dedicated her career to public service and nonprofit organizations, serving in three presidential administrations — Biden, Obama and Clinton. Throughout her career, she worked to shatter glass ceilings and inspire multiple generations of diverse leaders.

In 2014, Castillo was appointed by President Obama to serve as the national director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the first Hispanic woman to lead the agency. Under her leadership, she expanded its effort to help Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) gain access to capital, contracts and business opportunities, assisting MBEs to scale. She also launch MBDA’s Inclusive Innovation Initiative working closely with federal labs to identify tech transfer and commercialization opportunities.

Her commitment to ensuring opportunity for every American is reflected in her previous service as Federal Co-Chair for the National Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and as co-vice chair of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Council for Inclusive Innovation. Castillo first joined the U.S. Department of Commerce in 2008 as a Special Advisor to the Under Secretary for the International Trade Administration. Additionally, Castillo served as a Senior Policy Analyst in the White House during the Clinton Administration.

Prior to EDA, Castillo was the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA USA, where she championed the 167-year-old organization delivering critical social, educational and economic development services throughout its 204 associations.

Castillo is an active member in various civic and professional organizations, including the American Constitution Society, the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Economic Development Council. Castillo holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; a M.A. in Public Policy from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; and a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law. She is a member of the Maryland Bar.

A native of Queens, NY, and the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Castillo is a Florida resident and an enthusiastic baseball fan.